Pre-Schooler IN THE HOUSE!!!!

Pre-school is in full swing around here and we (aka Emersyn) could NOT be more excited about life.  She also could NOT be any cuter!!!!  I mean really???? It is just not fair to the other kids--haha!!!  Anyway.... I had a crazy idea that I wanted to get Emersyn a cute LITTLE backpack.  You know like the perfect size for a little tiny person???

Then I got the crazy idea to make her one.  STUPID MISTAKE.  I ended up spending a lot more than I should have and wasted a LOT of time.  BUT I guess it was a good life lesson.  I learned to READ the pattern before buying fabric (the first bunch I bought was not the right type).  I learned to check around first before buying online (I got screwed when the owner of the etsy shop I bought from WENT ON VACATION and forgot to send me my fabric).  I learned that JOANN never lets me down (I found about 15 cute types of canvas right in the store after searching online for weeks and only finding 2 or 3 that I liked).  I learned that once you tell your kid you are making them a backpack you better MAKE them a backpack.  I also learned to NEVER GO TO A FABRIC STORE ON A HOLIDAY (1 hour in the cutting line, 20 minutes in the check out line, another 20 minutes in line at another store to get the 99cent item you forgot at the first store GRRRR!!!).  I also learned that kids are never COMPLETELY potty trained and that you can make a backpack in about 3 hours (the night before the first day of school) if you have no choice.  Wanna See It????

I used THIS pattern from Made By Rae.  It was pretty easy and well explained.  I will probably never use piping...EVER!! But it was a good learning experience.  The rest of the bag was a cinch, but the piping pretty much kicked my butt. 
A few things I would do differently....I would use 2 different fabrics.  I would maybe add a side pocket.  I would MAYBE make a larger size.  This is perfect for her, but it does not hold a folder.  Her cute little papers come home folded in half.  BUTTTT it is the same size as the other backpacks I see roll up at the pre-school, so for now it is perfect. 

Speaking of ROLLING UP TO PRE-SCHOOL....it is like ANOTHER world over there.  I am BARELY into my 30's and I feel like the frumpy old lady mom.  The other mommas roll up in their pimped out Escalades and park next to my mom van.  Hmmm??? Am I a loser???  The first thing I thought on day one was....."Oh shoot, all of my wife beaters and shorty shorts were in the wash this morning...I had to drop my kid off in my capris and sensible shoes.  DARN IT!!!"  What the crap....who are these moms?????  They have fake tans, fake nails, and fake....well a lot of fake things.  Anyway...I guess I will not be showing up in my sweats and a hat as I fully expected to do after week one....BUMMER for getting showered and dressed twice a week:)

  Anyway...moving on.  Em's 2nd day of school dress was a re-purpose.  I started with a polo dress hand-me-down that had a bit of staining on the front.  I cut it off and added this cute birdie fabric.  The bottom fabric is my new favorite knit fabric.  It is from Joanns and I have bought it twice and will probably be back for more.  I made the ruffle on the bottom out of a two inch strip.  Instead of sewing down the middle of the ruffle I sewed two lines of stitching about 1/4 inch off the middle.  That made it look a bit like pleats instead of ruffles, I kinda love it.  I am not sure why it looks like I sewed the ruffle on crooked in the picture, but I am pretty sure it is straight....or at least straighter than that:) 

I can just imagine what the Barbie moms would think if they found out my kid was wearing a handmade backpack and  a re-purposed dress--haha!!!  I love it.  Em LOVES it too.  She cannot wait to get out the door in the morning!!!  I guess the kids must be nicer than the moms :)