M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!! Aren’t they darling??? My friend owns Once Upon a Party – an event entertainment and planning company that provides character entertainment for birthday parties and themed events. I get to work with some of the costumes, creating a customized fit and bringing these characters to life with authentic details. Yesterday Once Upon a Party revealed the two newest characters to their cast – Mickey and Minnie Mouse!
At the reveal, they decided to present a special gift to the birthday girl – a classic Micky Mouse hat customized with the birthday girl’s name on the back.
My client called me asking, “Do you embroider on hats, too?” I responded, “No, that takes a special attachment that I don’t have.” Then I got to thinking – my daughter has been asking to embroider on hats, other clients have asked this same question, and I have the machine – why not use it to the fullest capacity? I chatted with my fabulous local Bernina shop Sew Little Time, and they had the attachment that I need.
I started working with the Hoop ‘N’ Buddyz and the hat my client had ordered and I realized this particular hat will not work with this method. The Hoop ‘N’ Buddyz works by flattening the hat onto the attachment, then adding embroidery to the open area. With the firm structure of the hat, plus the rigid ears attached with metal grommets, I was unable to get the right setup for success. And now I had a deadline to meet! Yikes!
Fortunately for me, my dad is a fabulous creator, owns a 16 needle embroidery machine with the hat attachment AND lives right across the street from me. I grabbed the hat, walked down the street and knocked on the door. My dad often talks through project problems with me, and he jumped right in, lending me a helping hand.
His hat attachment clamps the opened hat onto a round cap frame, allowing you to embroider around the curve of the cap. However, it’s made for a full depth hat, and this cute Mickey Mouse ears hat is shallow. You can see in the picture it doesn’t rest down at the rim as it should. We started talking through the problem and decided to use a piece of cardboard to help us bridge the gap. (Where do you think we get our innovating from? 😉 The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…)
In the end, I spent a fun evening with my dad, the hat was adorable, our client was happy, and the grand reveal of the new characters was a joyful success!
If you are interested in hosting a memorable, magical event in the Austin-New Braunfels-San Antonio area – contact Once Upon a Party. They are so professional and imaginative, attending to every detail, and creating a charming experience tailored for you. We love collaborating with them and I know you will, too!
Quick Links from this post:
Once Upon a Party
Sew Little Time
Hoop ‘N’ Buddyz Hoop Insert
We All Sew.com – Hat Embroidery article
