A Mail Sack for me!

For the last few months, I have been teaching a friend how to sew. We usually meet about once a week. For her first couple of projects, she made dresses for her baby girl. For her third project, she wanted something we could work on together. We chose the Mail Sack pattern from Pink Chalk Studio. We finished our bags this week!

It was a great project for a budding sewist-- a straightforward (and fun!) design, great instructions, and a few more challenging bits to grow skills (zipper, accuracy, and lots of edge stitching). We made the Large/Adult size, resulting in a nice, roomy bag (perfect for outings with the boys).

For the main body of my bag, I used a gorgeous print ("Deep Sea Beauty Contest" by kayajoy) purchased from Spoonflower (back in 2011) in a linen/cotton blend. It is a great weight and quite nice. There was a bit of fading when I pre-washed it, but the colors, while not as vibrant, are still lovely. I pulled a couple of other fabrics from my stash for the straps and lining.

Love the zipper pocket! I shortened the strap by 2" but made no other changes. I wish I had a picture to share of my friend's bag-- you'll just have to take my word for it that hers turned out great as well!

I've made this bag twice before in the mini/child size for each of my boys (Big Bear and Little Bear). Both times I stated that I wanted one for me-- and now (finally!) I have one! Even better, it was a project I got to make with a friend.

September wrap-up

I am still kind of in disbelief that tomorrow is October 1. September just flew by for me! But it has been a good month. Back-to-school went very smoothly; the new schedule is finally starting to feel "normal" (as opposed to crazed); and I managed to meet my September crafty goals for Carrie P.'s Nothing but UFOs Challenge! Woo!

1. School bag for Little Bear:
   
   
   
   
   The bag was complete just in time for back-to-school (blogged).
   
   
2. Harrington & Hannah:
   
   
   
   
   Not only did I finish the top, but I managed to get it basted. Yay!!!
   
   
3. Spring Mystery Quilt:
   
   
   
   
   Completed and blogged!
   

It feels good to check things off the list. Many thanks to Carrie P. for the continued inspiration and motivation!

Back to School: Part 2

This week it is Little Bear's turn to go back to school! This will be his third year of cooperative preschool. He decided that he wanted a school bag, just like his big brother. I was happy to oblige!

I used the Mail Sack pattern from Pink Chalk Studio. I actually made this same bag 3 years ago when Big Bear was in preschool.

He chose the fabrics. His favorite color is green. Again, it went together fabulously. I shortened the strap by 2" as Little Bear is on the smaller side. I think it is a great length for him that he can grow into some still.

This time around, I interfaced everything (except for one pocket piece) resulting in the bag being a tad bit stiff. I figure as time passes, it will soften up. And as it belongs to Little Bear-- it needs all the durability it can get!

Sometimes, I look at him and it blows my mind. He's growing up so fast!

September goals

Another month, another set of goals for Carrie P.'s Nothing but UFOs Challenge!

1. School bag for Little Bear:
   
   
   
   
   It is cut and ready to be sewn. Preschool starts on Monday for Little Bear, so this project is top priority!
   
   
2. Harrington & Hannah:
   
   
   
   
   All the blocks are complete (yay!). Now it is time to put them all together, add borders, and get a backing made. It would be a bonus if I could get it basted too... we'll see.
   
   
3. Spring Mystery Quilt:
   
   
   
   
   This one needs to be basted and quilted.
   

Frankly, this month's calendar already looks insane, so I'm not sure how productive I'll be. But I am still feeling the pull of my UFOs and really want to keep progressing as much as I can while the motivation is still there. And I'm actually starting to feel like it might be time to get going on something new too, just to mix it up.

On the cutting table...

The Mail Sack from Pink Chalk Studio.



Little Bear's first day of preschool is coming up!

First day of school!

This year, Big Bear is going to 3-day preschool. In the welcome-to-school letter from his teacher, only two required supplies were listed: a photo (to post on his storage cubby) and a tote bag. And seeing that, I immediately decided I had to make my boy's tote bag.



I used the Mail Sack pattern from Pink Chalk Studio. I originally bought the pattern for myself. But did you know that it includes both an adult version and a child sized one? How cool is that?!



The main body of the bag finished at about 12" x 12". I don't know how long the straps are exactly, but I just used the pattern as-is with no alterations (though the pattern does include instructions for ensuring a perfect fit). It turned out just right for my three-and-a-half year old little dude.








There are even some fun little pockets inside. I chose a back-to-school print, mostly because my son loves buses and letters and the print features both. The accent fabric is from In the Beginning's Oceanica line, and I used a Riley Blake dot for the lining.

The bag went together super-fast and it is awesome:


He loves his new school bag! (Though I think he's even happier about going to school!) :)