So following on from the post about my little chaps bag, at the same time I also made my little lady a bag as she was starting pre-school. I wanted a bag she could wear and decided on a rucksack as they are super cute on little ones, and again I probably should have gone to the shop, but fun and cheap overtook me again. And sticking with the again's: there was no happily skipping to the haberdashery, instead I looked inside my bag of remnants. You should know my bag of remnants contains a high quantity of animal fabrics, from a previous project, and a lot of felt, faux leather and oilcloth... basically a lot of non hemming fabrics. What can I say, I am lazy. So anyhow after a little rummage she had the choice of a bee, ladybird, lion or dog bag. She went with lion bag. Ace. I drew my idea. Badly.
Original sketch for the lion bag.
The 'design' is a bit shameful, I can agree with that, more of a doodle in fact and I must have also been thinking of champagne at the time too. Obviously the two: lion bag and champagne go hand in hand.
Just as I was about to crack on with it, she informed me she had changed her mind and wanted a bee bag after all, not a problem, but I did not draw that one, I just went along the same lines as my lion bag idea.
This bag is made up of a combination of cotton, faux leather and felt fabrics. I used faux leather at the bottom as I thought it would be more hard wearing when she threw it on the floor (I am under no delusions) and I already had a bag of the flowers I had previously made for the rug in her bedroom which is as yet, possibly forever unfinished.
The queen bee crown was a last minute idea, I was quite proud of myself for thinking of that, ho ho. I did have to skip to the haberdashery in the end as I did not have the webbing and buckles for the straps or the zip, but that is all I purchased for this project, so very inexpensive indeed.
Front.
Reverse.
The square on the back conceals a square of plastic (from a broken ring binder) as it needed some sturdiness to support it. Likewise there is a similar piece of plastic in each wing and the antennas have pipe cleaners in them.
Action shot:
No not particularly action packed, I had to bribe her with the TV to get a picture... Getting a 3 year old to smile for a photo is very hard work in my house.
Cost: 2x metres of webbing £1.60, 2x buckles £1 and zip 89p, all else previously owned.
Supplies: Bee striped cotton fabric, various felts, tan faux leather, webbing, plastic buckles, assorted embroidery threads, assorted buttons, old plastic ring binder, 2 x pipe cleaners, fabric glue, cottons, needle, scissors and a pen.
Time taken: This was all hand stitched and took the duration of 4x baby 2 hour nap times and 3x evenings in front of the TV, all in all about 12 hours. Shameful.
I thought I should point out... this bag was made in time for my babies first week at pre-school, which she started on the Wednesday afternoon. I was up till 12am on the Monday night finishing this bag. The Tuesday night I was also up until 12am doing her homework. (I had all summer).
Homework made.
Homework collage created:
The majority of the night spent on this collage, showing her favourite things, she decorated all the pages by the way, I just sorted the photos.
I then spent the Wednesday night up until 1am making her a costume for the Friday, which was a Roald Dahl honoured charity day.
Costume sewn:
She was Mrs Ladybug from James and the giant peach.
Then finally I was up until 12am on the Thursday night baking cakes and biscuits for a Macmillan charity bake sell at the school on the Friday.
Cakes and biscuits baked.
And this was her first week. I was scared, proper scared of what was to come and proper knackered.
I must point out that 1. I need to clean my decking and 2. It is now approaching the first half term and so far there has been no further costume making, cake baking or homework creating. Phew.
So have you made a bag for your child you would like to share with me? and have you had any monster school starting marathons like us? Please share your stories.
