Last Minute School Holiday Sewing

Austy had a school holiday assignment to restock his pencil case.  He complained that his pencil case was smaller than everyone else's and he wouldn't be able to fit much new stuff in there, and expressed a desparate need to have a pocket to keep his sharpener and eraser separate.

So yesterday, after a trip out to Officeworks to get some more stationery, I decided that we would make him a new pencil case with a pocket.  This was such a last minute decision that I didn't even have the right thread colour (and hate the messy look of the contrast navy stitching) but he doesn't mind at all. And better still, I recycled the bottoms of Andrew's jeans to make it (having recently cut off an hemmed said holey-knee jeans by request).  Austy is facsinated by the idea that something old can be recycled into something new, so it adds to the charm factor for him.

What I did, was applique his name and attach the pocket and zip and then pinned it together inside out for him to sew.  He had no idea what he was sewing but he followed my directions, and sewed the outside edges.  Then, when he turned it right side out, the beam of excitement when he realised he'd juist "made himself" a new pencil case, was priceless!

 

And an update on my preemie doll - I have decided he's a boy doll now that he has hair and limbs attached, but no idea what I will call him.  I don't want to use the "angel"names like Gabrielle, or Angelo because I think of this as a doll of a live baby.  Sometimes making tiny garments and knowing they are for little angels can be quite sadening, so I have given this little guy some colour in his cheeks and lips to make it a nicer process.  Name suggestions welcome!

Finally, a very rushed photo (since she can't stand still!!) of my last project of the Summer (finished late February), an Olearia shrug for Madelyn, made from white cotton I had in my stash for several years.  I have a bit of a backlog of projects that I will be adding in here whenever I feel like it needs an extra photo or two!