The first week in Vermont has gone well. My grand daughter changed quite a bit since I was out here over the holidays. She is such a happy girl. Her vocabulary has increased and now she can tell me all sorts of things. Her favorite line is ‘My do it myself’. Can you tell she is nearly two years old? As long as she is given a chance to do whatever it is herself, she is satisfied and if she can’t complete the task, she is ok with being helped. I am thoroughly enjoying her. However, it is surprising how she can tire me out. I relish her two or three hour nap each afternoon.
As planned, I have been doing a bit of sewing during nap time. (also prepping dinner, making cookies, doing a little laundry – remember how much was accomplished during those wonderful nap times?) So far, I have been making four patch blocks for the memory quilt I am making for my friend Susie. Stitching those only holds my attention for so long. To keep things interesting, I switched back and forth between that project and making a little purse for H.
I used a free pattern designed by Pat Bravo called Saddle Bag. It is a small purse which meant I didn’t have to cut it down. The strap was too long so it was shortened quite a bit. Overall, this is a very simple bag to make.
An interior pocket was not included in the pattern but I thought it would be a fun addition to the little purse. Who knows what treasures will be stored in this pocket!
The only complaint I have about this pattern is the directions for the shoulder strap. I have made many bags, probably a dozen or more, and they were quite a bit more complex than this little one. But the way the instructions explained attaching the strap was just strange. I couldn’t make it work. Finally after fussing around, I remembered this is for a two year old. She absolutely does not care about the way the shoulder straps are attached. Actually I could have used two huge safety pins and all would have been fine! I decided to just stuff them in on each side and top stitch them down. Works fine!
There is a mistake though and I may as well point it out! The velcro closure I added is way (as in WAY) off center! I saw this and remembered, yet again, it’s for a two year old and it is a toy. She doesn’t care about this sort of thing. So, even though I had a seam ripper sitting right there, I just left it be. I sewed a button on for a little decoration and there you have it! A lovely purse sporting all sorts of frogs and butterflies!
Isn’t she adorable? Actually, they both are. She loves her purse but she usually calls it her diaper bag. I wondered aloud why she said diaper bag instead of purse and my son explained that his wife hasn’t really been carrying a purse. She tends to throw her wallet into the diaper bag so she has just one bag to carry. This makes perfect sense. It is a diaper bag now!
I feel so lucky to have this long stretch of time in Vermont. When I was packing for the trip I was a bit concerned about the cold weather. Fortunately my son and DIL have tons of cold weather gear. It has been a surprise how much the right difference wearing the right gear makes. Today we took two walks. H really loves to be outside so I try to make it a point to be sure she gets to play outside every day. Today it was 16 degrees out and not a problem. She looks adorable with her snow suit on and her rosy cheeks. Of course I really miss Ray and Julia but this is a very special time for H and me. I feel like I am really getting to know her which is just a delight.
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Isn’t it nice to put that ‘perfectionism’ that’s associated with quilting/sewing away, and just create something good and fun for a two-year-old? Your granddaughter is a cutie. So good that you can carve out time for a visit. She’s only this little for a short while…
Absolutely – she is going to play with it and drag it around – do those details matter? Not in the least! We are having a great time together. Hoping the snow calms down later this afternoon so we can get outside. How are you doing? Still in the sunny part of the country??
I’m so glad you are enjoying your visit (and that you get some time to rest!) Although we love visiting with her, we are exhausted every time our little granddaughter leaves. Lol!
That purse is so cute. My granddaughter is a girlie girl and loves playing with purses. I must make her one!
16 degrees – wow. I remember the days when I played outside and never knew it was cold, so I guess I was dressed right. 🙂
Today it is only 6 degrees out. Jeez – crazy weather. But it is ok – the car has great tires so it isn’t a problem for driving. Just “seems” weird to have it be so cold. Such is life. Yes, these toddlers are tiring which is why we don’t have babies in our 50’s!! But for now, it is wonderful – she is at daycare for today and was so excited to see her friends. The kids want her to go once or twice a week so she stays in that routine and doesn’t have a hard time adapting when I leave. She was so excited to see her little group of buddies. So, Grammy has today off!
As always, I LOVED this blog!! Kudos to you for keeping it real about your ‘mistakes ‘ on the purse!
Thanks B2 – You are so sweet. As for the mistakes, I am not really a perfectionist. Usually I have to tell myself to slow down, so I don’t make mistakes. In this instance though, it didn’t really matter a whole lot. Hope all is well with you and Randy. 🙂
That’s the cutest “diaper bag” I’ve ever seen! Your little granddaughter is just such a sweetie 🙂
What an adorable bag. That print…. I looks like it’s going to get a lot of use. Continue to enjoy your visit.
Thank you Anja. She is enjoying it – and I am enjoying her!!
What a sweet little purse– or diaper bag! What kind of treasures has she put in it? It’d be super cute to put a small snack in for your adventures at the store. I love the print, too– it’s child like but not babyish. Hope you have fun the rest of the week! Isn’t Vermont expecting a storm, maybe Thursday? Be safe!
So far she has some old loyalty cards in it from her mom. Coffee, bagels – she is set. There is also an old flip phone she likes to carry around. Yes on the snack. That would be fun. Supposed to get a couple of inches of snow tonight. I am thinking we might hit the library today after nap. Simple pleasures!
It really is all about the clothing, isn’t it. I learned this when I started walking a dog routinely. Lovely project for a very lovely granddaughter. How special to spend this time! Those times we spend with our families, whether young or old are always the best.
For sure – clothes make it better. Yesterday I tried taking the dog for a walk but I was slipping all over the place. Today I will put those ice spikes on and see if that helps. So much gear just to go outside! But otherwise we’d be stuck inside. Hope all is well Kathleen. 🙂
It looks great! And I agree, who cares that the velcro isn’t centered! H certainly won’t! Looks like a great fun project that is now fun for her!
Very cute bag. Also a good lesson to remember to keep your recipient in mind when making it. You’re absolutely right that she loves it no matter what!