Caving, But On My Terms, Part 2

All done!

Caving, But On My Terms

As we were gathering our school supplies a couple of weeks ago the kids both asked if I would just buy them a backpack this year instead of making one.

After a look at the options at Target (cheaply made, ugly, plastic-that-probably-was-full-of lead) I said no, but I would make them new ones this year if they really didn't want to use the ones they already had, and they could choose the design.

The Elder had her heart set on a Hello Kitty messenger bag, (like this one, if I remember correctly) so I said that I would make one for her.

As she was getting ready for Pre-K 3 years ago, I made her first backpack as a reaction against the pervasive character and princess stuff out there. I have officially caved in, but I'm going to try to make it unique anyway.

So, I printed out a picture of Hello Kitty, traced it onto wonder under and assembled the pieces for the messenger bag.

There is still a lot to be done as far as construction, but I've made a good start, and I hope that this project will both fill her need for a character and my need for home-made.

Are you all stronger than I am? or do you cave in to your children's demands too?

Kids Clothes Week Challenge, Fall Edition Day 2

I spent last night finishing the backpack for my girl. It's not fancy, but it will hold her homework without creasing it. Also, it matches her lunch box. That's just a little mama geekyness.

I also spent this morning finishing up a dress that I had intended to finish before school started.
I pulled out my very favorite sewing tool - my buttonhole maker.
It always makes perfect buttonholes, unlike the buttonhole feature on my zig-zag machine.

I was able to agonize over button choice, make the buttonholes, sew the buttons on and hem the dress this morning, and I still have a little time to stop in here and share the photos.

A girl could get used to this 2-hour alone time.

The Last Minute

My name is Jess, and I am a procrastinator.
Anyone who knows me will confirm this.
It's not done maliciously, I just don't always think to start stuff in a relaxing amount of time.

Anyway, here it is the night before the first day of First Grade and I realize that the Elder Hug-a-Bug has no lunch box.
Her bag from last year was really grubby, (really, grossly, grubby) after a year of use, and I either threw it out, or just stashed it in the basement for deep cleaning.
At any rate, it's not at hand.

So I thought to myself, I'll just whip her up a new one. Or at the very least some cloth bags to keep her sandwich and carrots or peapods in.

She helped pick out the fabric and I gave her the choice between the same pattern as last time and a new one - the camera bag from Sew Liberated.
She chose the camera bag, and away we went.
I let her use the iron for the first time, and she was thrilled with the new responsibility. She also went through a box of buttons and found a couple that she wanted to use for embellishment.

I made a few changes, mostly in the name of making the bag more insulated for the food, but mainly stuck to the directions in the book.
Meg McElwee has designed another great project! I did break 3 needles in my machine, but that was due to my modifications, so I don't blame the project at all.One major change from last year's model is that I used dark blue fabric, so if it sits on the dirty, dirty ground, I won't notice it as much.
Good night, I have a big breakfast to make in the morning, not to mention a lunch to pack.

Found

She came home with her lunch bag today! It had been left over the weekend in her locker.
A little gross to clean out the 3-day-old leftover applesauce, but what a relief to get it back.
I can still remember the smell of my thermos after I forgot to clean out the orange juice from the day before. I wonder where the Elder Hug-a-Bug gets her forgetful ways...

In response to Jessica's question, the sandwich wrap is from Sewing Green.
The lunch bag is from that book too.
What a terrific book, just let me say, I want to make about 5 more projects from it.

The snack bag was just a left-over piece of the lining for the lunch bag. It was a square and I folded it in half, wrong sides together, sewed around, turned it right side out and put on some velcro to close it.
It works great for crackers or chips or cookies.
I bet it would work well for grapes too.
The fabric for this and the sandwich wrap is vinyl-coated cotton.
This stuff is great to work with, it sews like a dream, there is minimal finishing (none if you don't mind the look of a straight edge) and it comes in fun prints.

I may bore you all soon with before and after pictures of my bathroom, we're remodeling this week and probably the next couple of weeks too.

Back to School part 4

Even though it looks like I am spending all my creative energy on supplying the Elder Hug-a-Bug with school stuff, I did manage to make the Younger a new backpack for school.
His old backpack is gone.
I left it at the park after school one day and it got moved to the lost and found.
From there it was either thrown out or someone took it home.
I hope that it is the latter, though I don't know why anyone would take home a backpack with someone's name and phone number in it along with a change of clothes for a 3-year-old boy.

It's probably for the best, as the flannel it was made of was starting to pill anyway.

So, here is his new backpack-I used the same pattern as before, Butterick 5054. and it is a super quick and easy one.
The pattern is for a young adult sized backpack, but what looks cute and kicky on a young adult is the perfect scale for a really, really young adult.

Can I play at my toy school?

O.K.

I am a total cliche.

Here it is, almost the end of the second week of school and I am just blogging about the Younger Hug-a-Bug's experience in pre-school.
He is going to think that I love his sister a week and a half better.
I haven't taken many photos of the Space Backpack either...
Anyway, it's going great!
I get about 50 minutes to myself between the Younger Drop-Off and the Elder retrieval.
Today I am squandering the first 15 minutes here posting and baking cookies.
Then to some serious speed knitting.
There is a project in the works that is quite exciting, but I can not speak of it for a couple of weeks.
Suffice it to say that I am spending all of my non-kid time plugging away at it.
The weather is Terrific! here in MN, I hope that it is also fair where you are,
Jess.

Painting Complete!

I am ever so pleased with the results of the hard work of my good friends the Mamas of the Craft!

The whole living room took about 2 hours and that is including painting the radiators.

My difficult decision now is where to hang up our art.

Should it be in the same places as before, where I have filled the holes left by nails?

Will I have to be creative about picture placement and find a new arrangement?

Time will tell.

On another note, I have finished phase I of the Pre-K backpack.


All that remains is the lining, and I still have a week since Pre-K starts on the 8th!
Finally, we have reached a strange time in our lives.
We have finished out our Netflix Queue.
Does anyone have any suggestions of good movies to rent?
I hope everyone elses long weekend is as productive and relaxing as mine has been,
Jess