Library bags for some little sweetpeas

I've been somewhat absent of late.  We've been very busy just living life.  We also had a week away driving down to Melbourne via the Snowy Mountains and returning to Sydney via (a VERY hot) Echuca and Narrandera.  It was a great week away - all family oriented, well almost.  I did manage to pop into one very quaint and lovely fabric shop in Echuca where I picked up a christmas themed moda charm squares pack.

Although I haven't posted anything lately I have been busily sewing and crocheting. While we were away I managed to get a fair bit done on a little cardi I started crocheting at the Inner West Craft Room get together earlier this month.  I've been steadily adding to the growing number of granny squares for my BFG (big floral granny squares) project.  I've been playing around with lace trim and making crochet christmas baubles.  I'll try and post some photo's of these various projects in the not to distant future.  Before we left for our little get away I finished off seven library bags.

Now I am not keen on making anything repeatedly, so to churn out SeVeN library bags took a little effort. But it is all for a good cause - they will be going to seven very lovely little people who have been sharing Thursday mornings with me on a regular basis for the last two and a half years now.  Yes, our playgroup is going to be somewhat depleted come next year with some of our children (including my very own Miss A) graduating to either big school or pre-school.

I have to say though as I finished off each bag I had a very nice sense of satisfaction.  I definately learnt some new things including the fabulous technique of applique using fusible webbing and production line sewing..............

I wanted to make the bags bright and fun for the kids with a little personalised detail so I appliqued each child's first initial on the front of their bag.  The outside of the bags are made using cotton drill while the lining and applique letters are 100% cotton.  Miss A was most helpful in choosing the fabrics (actually she was quite a bully!).  I decided to make a long strap so that it can grow with the child.  The ones my girls are using now I have just knotted the straps to make them the right length and can move the knot as they grow.

I took the kids down to the local park this morning for a photo shoot.  I had alot of fun with this, although the wind did make it a little difficult to get a good shot of all the bags hanging from the play equipment!

We are going to have a "Graduation Ceremony" at playgroup this Thursday, presenting each child with a certificate and their library bags which should be very sweet.  Hopefully these bags will get alot of good use over the many years at school to come.

edited to add:

retromummy is having a fat quarter give away at the moment - but don't enter, I want to win!