Teacher Tote and Catch Up

Hello all!  I can't believe people are still peeking on this site (though not many, and it might just be Kim :) when I haven't posted in so long.  It wasn't an intended break- I even posted once from my honeymoon and was going to post more- but the iPad did not like Blogspot and it wouldn't scroll so it was making things too hard.  Then I got back and there was all the welcome back chores- presents to unwrap, laundry to do, cats to pick up,... but I did managed to get in some sewing.

With less than 24 hours to spare, I finished up the tote for the Kindergarten teacher I work with.  It turned our really cute, but also really big!  It is a modified version of the Sewing Circle Tote from Oh Fransson!

 

See, big bag!

 (and why are the photos from my real camera not as good as my iPhone pics??)

 

As I had planned, I had each of the kids put their thumbprints on the gray background fabric and then I turned them into the feet for a sheep with the child's name on it.

Inside the bag I used a fabric I made on Spoonflower.  I had each of the kids write their name with a black marker on a white piece of paper and then I took a photo, edited it, and then uploaded it to the site.  I worried when got my order confirmation it would not arrive in time and I emailed them right away to see if they could upgrade my shipping- instead they found my order and had it sent out the next day.  It arrived two days later.  Awesome customer service! 

The print did end up getting pretty chopped up, but I think I have each child's name somewhere in their- though some are hidden in the pockets.  The pockets were supposed to be the same print, but it is possible I ordered the fabric before I ordered the pattern...and therefore ordered 1/2 yard less than I needed.  Here's hoping that the kids don't get too upset about that tomorrow.  And here is hoping the teacher likes it :)

 

 

 

Boredom Buster Bags (I hope!)

Oh, I have been quiet lately!  I didn't mean to be, sewing and crafting have just taken a back seat the last few weeks while final wedding preparations are underway- 5 days and counting!!  I did do a little sewing today though, so I thought I would share the gifts I am giving my two little cousins who are my flower girls. 

Many thanks to planetapplique.com for the adorable appliques!  This alphabet set was on sale for $8, however when I logged on Sunday to purchase it they were running a special and if you spent $5 you received this alphabet as a free gift- what perfect timing!

The files stitched up beautifully...

and I LOVE the little hemstitch around the flower. 

On the back I stitched "Flower Girl" and the date, just for a nod to the occasion.

I was having trouble figuring out what to give the girls and finally decided to choose a few things to help them stay busy over the weekend in the hotel or even at the reception.  I found a Disney Princess wedding paper doll set so they each got that, along with a Color Wonder coloring book (so they can't get anything on the borrowed tablecloths :) with sparkle pages, and travel tanagrams (because I had them when I was little and loved them).  Hope the girls enjoy their presents.

Teacher Tote

As a kid I have fond memories of working on a class gift for my teacher.  The roommom would come in and we would get pulled one by one out into the hallway to work on something special to give our teacher for Christmas or at the end of the year.  So I was shocked this past Christmas to find out that the school I volunteer at does not have roommoms (I help out in one of the kindergarten classrooms, and no I do not have kids yet, my neighbor got me involved at the school and I am loving helping out with the little kids).  I don't know if this is a sign of the times or just a sign of the area we live in, but I decided right then and there that I would help the kids make an end of the year gift for their teacher.

The teacher's favorite animals are sheep and goats, and since I can't draw a goat I decided to do something with sheep :)  I sketched out this little guy and used it to make a template.

Helpful hint- if you don't have any card stock lying around, a file folder works too :)

I used white fleece for the sheep's fur and black cotton for the face.  As you might have noticed, I did not make feet for the sheep.  I wanted the kids to be able to personalize their sheep a little so I bought some fabric paint and decided to let the kids make their fingerprints into the sheeps' feet.

Here is the example I made.  I used my pointer finger to make the feet, I figured that was closer in size to a kindergartners thumb :)  I had bought a fabric marker and was going to have the kids write their name on their sheep, but when I tried the marker mixed with the fleece just didn't work out and there was no way the kids could have written anything even halfway legible on such a small piece of fabric (I couldn't even do it).  Embroidery machine to the rescue!  I kind of like it better since it will look more uniform, but I would have liked the kids to be able to write their name- its so cute at that age with backward letters and such.  Instead I think I am going to have them write their names on a piece of white paper for me with a black marker and I am going to see if I can create some fabric on Spoonflower with their names- I think it would be a cute lining to the bag.  Oh, yes!  This is going to turn into a tote bag, I probably should have mentioned that.

(please excuse the icky cutting mat, basting spray+a cheap Walmart cutting mat + 4 years= ickiness)

See, there is my little sketch.  I love it!  I really (really, really!) hope it turns out as well in reality as it does in my head!  Very possible I will be more excited to give this to the teacher than the kids are.  I will make an excellent roommom one day (or certainly an enthusiastic one :)