It's been a bit quiet on the blogging and crafting front around here lately - we've had colds and chest infections first and then tummy bugs (pass the Dettol, someone!). But I do have some pics of projects lurking around that I hadn't managed to blog in the pre-sickness busyness...
My big girl, who's 7, joined Brownies (the junior version of Girl Guides) earlier in the year. It's great, and we feel it fits her personality well. And over time it will probably help to fill a few 'gaps' for her - like the fact that as we have no family close by, there are no obvious older female role models (mum's don't count, as we well know ;-) - and also the fact that we're not campers, etc etc. Anyway, that's a whole other story, but what I wanted to show you was a bag I made for her to take to a recent 2 night camp.
Just 2 days before she was due to leave I looked at her checklist and pile of things to take and said to The Mr "well, I'll just have to make her a bag". He pointed out that no, I did not have to, surely we'd have something that would do. Or, hey, I could go buy one! But me being me I started mentally planning the design in my head and off I went...
I modeled the style on several pics I saw online, and the size of the pile of stuff. I used stash fabric, interfacing (to give it some body) and zip and bought the webbing for the handles. So it was pretty cost effective. And not too time consuming afterall.
But. Really... designing and making something from scratch just before it's needed, spending many waking moments planning and making it when I should have been doing other stuff - what the hell is that all about??? I tried to psycho-analyze myself on this crazy behaviour (other examples seen here, here and here). Obviously there's an element of making something for my family to show my love (see the bunny sticking out of the bag in the last shot? - another previous example). But am I trying to control each situation? Or do I like to set myself seemingly impossible tasks to give myself a challenge, given that the rest of my days are largely filled with laundry mountains and cooking marathons?
Hmm... OK, psych session over. Look at the colourful bag :-)
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Look at that bag! She'll definitely be able to find that amongst all the other Brownies bags :)
ReplyDeleteYou're children sure have one clever mamma
xo
What a great bag! THe best part of making it, as opposed to buying it or just "making do" is that you put a bit of yourself, a bit of your love, into it. And love that last shot of the bunny peeking out:)
ReplyDeleteFabulous bag! I sometimes find a really close deadline as great motivation to get something done from start to finish with no procrastination and also provides a reason to ignore other distractions (such as the mountains of washing 3 children & a hubby go through)...which rarely happens with me usually!
ReplyDeleteThat is sooooo great. Well worth the effort! My G has joined brownies now too!
ReplyDeleteGreat bag!
ReplyDeleteI do the design-plan-sew-last-minute thing too... My love nearly left me behind to go to a friends wedding by himself because I was still sewing my dress 30 minutes after our 'we must leave now' deadline... I started sewing it the night before!
Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog.
I love it! The rainbow colors are awesome! As you know, I do the same thing. I decided I NEEDED to make Joe a backpack, less than a week before he started preschool, despite having a newborn (and my niece over for most of the week too!). I'm crazy like that. I think (a) I like to send Joe off into new situations with something mama made and (b) I use sewing as a way of distracting myself from how verklempt I feel when Joe is starting something new. Also, I do well with a real deadline. I don't always enjoy working late into the night, but it feels so good to be done!
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, it's definitely a challenge we like to give ourselves to remind us that our brains still work and we aren't housecleaning robots. Love love love the bag too! That's one lucky brownie :)
ReplyDeleteThis bag is gorgeous. You have done a great job to finish the bag in 2 days plus being a SAHM with all the chores waiting for you esp you need to some levels of research, thinking, shopping, cutting, stitching ... I just found a Supermum. ;)
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