almost there (teachers' gifts)

Planets finally aligned, and we (A and me) spent two mornings (in a row!!) working on our teachers' gifts. Smurfette#2 was in kindergarden and Smurfette#2 got the chance to do homework and play with A's daughter (G). The perfect plan, really.

We started cutting pieces for the (5) totes. While I cut, A was stenciling around, and having a good time too.

A happily stenciling

Then, as we prepared the straps - and by the way, next time I'll buy the strap online... god! they took *forever* - the stenciled parts were drying, like a whole laundry load.

We then sewed the totes, so today we could complete them with the final decoration. This morning we also made the zippered pouches, all five of them. Believe me, I could make one even blinded by now...

See? A is turning inside out one of the freshly sewed pouches.

We got them all done!

And look what A did while I finished the pouches:

She wrote all the kids' and the teacher's names in spiral, then embroided all the beads, also in spiral. Amazing, isn't it?

We both like very much the contrast between the exterior fabric and the lining inside: we had the right intuition in our shopping session.

And we stamped a handmade statement on each tote.

The green totes are A's, the blue ones are mine. This afternoon I've decorated one of the totes.

I've written all the kids' names to the left, separated by a little flower with a bead in the center, and I've used little courier stamps to write the teacher's name on the stenciled heart.

In the label inside I've stamped the year reference and written down the class.

Behind the label there's the school name.

The tote and the pouch are a happy couple! I think that this is a perfect gift for a teacher. And handmade screams of care and thoughtful things.

The next shot was taken by Smurfette#1: should I think she likes it?