K made me a tote bag! We discovered a while ago that my attempts of teaching her sewing was not an enriching experience for either of us, so she’s been taking an after school class taught by Little Hands Creations. Brilliant move if I do say so myself. At first K was dubious about the class, but now she’s officially hooked.

She told me that she chose this fabric because I “don’t like color.” I love it! I thought it was interesting that they taught her to add the straps without finishing the raw edges, but I’m very impressed with the overall quality of my new tote bag. “Mama, use your new bag!” K said, eagerly tossing it in my hands when I dropped her off at a sleepover birthday party on Friday, and as I ambled home, I noticed that my wrist suddenly felt empty. Somehow the bag had fallen off!

I backtracked my route twice, but it was such a dark and rainy night with little in the way of street lights, it was nearly impossible to see anything on the ground. Why I didn’t think to use my iPhone flashlight, I don’t know, but on the second pass, there it was midway between the friend’s house and ours. Crumpled and drenched but intact. Whew…

Bursting with relief that I found the bag and to say thanks, I made her a little pouch. I had in mind the time we went to the pet store to get frog food the other day — there was a rescue cat that K fell in love with named “Epic.” Though he seemed affable and gentle, M is allergic to cats so it was a no-go. Epic was inky black and big, but I figured cream-colored and little would be just as appreciated. It’s the size of a coin purse that easily fits in my palm.

The back is a simple envelope closure and I’m debating whether to add snaps or velcro…or maybe leave as is? K was thoroughly delighted and immediately went to show the neighbors (a sign of utmost approval). I didn’t use a pattern or anything and made it up as I went along. It was a snappy and fun project that took less than an hour even with the embroidering and painting on the blushing cheeks.

Despite our unsuccessful history of sewing together, we’re giving it another joint effort with a small puppy toy. It’s not looking too promising so far since I downloaded a free pattern from a Russian site assuming I would be able to wing it, but I’m a bit mystified by how the pieces go together. I need to find a different pattern, preferably in a language I can read.

All these non-garment sewing projects are making me think about the holidays. Are you gearing up for the craziness? I’d like to scale way back this year and keep it super simple. That’s sounding mighty good to me right now.