18 March 2008

pack pack




last friday i got to go see my friend jessica
(finally!)
& after we had a yummy lunch
the preschoolers played in the bedroom
the toddlers wandered & talked the language only they can truly understand
& the moms worked on projects
it was so fun!
jessica was working on binding a sweet blankie
(i hope you show it on your blog!)
& i was stitching on a little project that
Q & i started last week...

he has mentioned a few times that he wanted a bag
& then he started saying he wanted a purse
& so naturally i made him a back pack...

one of my favorite blogs is angry chicken
& last year she made this dress for her daughter...
her daughter drew a picture & then she stitched it onto a dress
go look at it really
it is so darn cute
but come back
i still have a few things to tell you...
okay...
see?
isn't it so great?
also i listen to this great blog called craft sanity
& the hostess, jennifer ackerman haywood
was interviewing someone who has a white table cloth that she
sets the table with every time she has guests
& has them sign their name on it
& then she stitches over the signatures
how cool is that?
a table cloth full of your friends & families names?
i love that!
anyway
those two projects have been
wandering around the playground of my mind for a little while
& finally they met up
& said
'hey! you're fun!'
'thanks! you're cute!'
'let's hang out together & help emily design a back pack for Q'
'but i want to go down the slide'
'don't be selfish! she needs us'
'well, okay, but then can we go down the slide?'
'sure'

on craft sanity the lady suggested either extra-fine tipped sharpie or disappearing ink
for the writing
but fine tipped sharpie?
on fabric?
for a three year old?
i don't think so
i'm not sure if i could write on fabric with a fine tipped sharpie
& i am a fine tipped sharpie afficianatto
& disappearing ink was out too
have i mentioned how i am late to everything?
& i did not want to miss that party.
so regular fine tipped sharpie it was
& it worked great!
he was super cute writing his name
& then a trillion faces
& choosing which faces to use was so hard too!
so i have a few left over
maybe they will be christmas ornaments?
or little change purses?
or patches for my jean jacket!
yes!
if only i had a jean jacket...

i was a little worried that
the sharpie would be so thick that
i would be stitching over it until
he was in first grade
(just in time for the first day of school!)
but it was fine
even when i started off with a fun grass green thread
& stitched his whole name
& then decided that it was too light
& then ripped it all out
& restitched it in black
even then...

as i was finishing brian said
'you know who else is going to want one of those?'
& so a pinkie was born too
no drawing on this one
& just a bit of stitching...
still fun for my favorite girl:)


anyway the directions & pattern i used
are down there below the smiley face
if you're feeling stitchie yourself...

bonus!
i actually let them wear them
outside even
& i didn't even yell
'stop moving around
you're going to break it!'
sometimes when you make stuff for your kids
you actually have to give it to them
& let them use it...
sometimes.
this advice goes with my party advice
just in case you're keeping track...

& check out this little sweetie
on the blue foam catwalk...

okay
so on to the next project!
don't worry i will tell you all about it
as soon as i decide what it is...

:)


so yeah
there's no pattern
i just always think it's nice when people include the pattern...
but i'm not a pattern person
surprise!
directions are not my strong suit
you might say...
when i try to use a pattern
i just end up so confused
& annoyed
& yelling
'screw it!'
& that's not really something i want to yell while
crafting
unless i'm woodworking
then i take great joy in yelling
'screw it'
the whole time...

i'm sure there are directions all about the internet
on how to make a back pack
(or 'pack pack' as both of my children refer to them)
go forth & search...

:)

5 comments:

jmb_craftypickle said...

YOu are a cute and funny girl...I like the thought dialogue, like when they meet up in your head. And then the part when you said something about a pattern...and I thought "Hey--hold on there EM!" and then you stayed so funny and true to form. Yes, I like that part. And did I mention that you make me laugh and that having you guys over was so much fun that I thought that I should send YOU guys a Thank you note...but then I just finished the binding on the quilt and called it good. Let's do it again before 2010! (It rhymes!)
Good times.
Great kids.
Fun crafts!

Anonymous said...

you make my side ache from laughing! cutie back-packs!

Left Coast Sister said...

Ooooooh. I want just a little of your talent and also your I'll-just-do-it attitude. LOVE LOVE LOVE the backpacks, so cute!! You could sell those, you know!! (: (Yes, I'm breaking from my blog break for the night!!)

Anonymous said...

Em! I just had a wee-little idea that might just fit into your oh-so-crafty and cute book (I know, there's not a book, but it sounded better to say that)! See, I was looking at your adorable "pack packs" (Vivi says that too, thanks to Dora) and I thought to myself, "I wonder if that is made from a dress, or jumper or something?" Then I read on and realized you did some amazing patchwork and quilting, really when putting this together. But then I thought, "Hey, could I take one of Vivi's favorite dresses/rompers (okay, we all know a 1 year old doesn't really have favorite clothes--so it'd be MY favorite romper or dress) and use that material to make a backpack from it? I mean, is that even doable? I'm saving my favorite clothes in a separate bin as it is because someday I'm going to learn how to quilt (or pay someone else to do it for me) and make one incorporating all of these clothes. Point being, I have a perfect "backpack" dress in mind! I love that you spark up my brain like this. Heart you!

Colleen said...

I LOVE your pack-packs! This was such a fun post to read. Thanks for this -----> :D