Arlo says thank you for your nice comments on his post last week. He was thrilled with those. Today has been long anticipated: it's his first day at primary school. I know I could easily have bought him a backpack, but for some reason I just wanted to make him one. A bit of homemade to go with him each day. And at his age, I knew it didn't have to be very big or strong- just enough to carry his lunchbox and water bottle. And perhaps a reading book or two.
I used some medium-weight denim to make the bag, and lined it in a navy and cream cotton check. I sewed tabs of cream cotton webbing stuff to attach the straps and a loop for hanging the bag. The straps are lined in a cotton flannel and quilted a bit. Last night after dinner he helped me sew the little name tag- I embroidered his name onto a circle of the same denim and appliqued a little elephant- he can pull the tag to open the zipped part of the backpack more easily. I need to buy a little bit of velcro perhaps to stick the top flap down securely.
It's funny, the whole starting-school thing: I had lots of flashbacks of my own early-school days. I suddenly remembered what my first backpack and lunchbox looked like, as Arlo hung his on the hook outside the classroom this morning.
I used some medium-weight denim to make the bag, and lined it in a navy and cream cotton check. I sewed tabs of cream cotton webbing stuff to attach the straps and a loop for hanging the bag. The straps are lined in a cotton flannel and quilted a bit. Last night after dinner he helped me sew the little name tag- I embroidered his name onto a circle of the same denim and appliqued a little elephant- he can pull the tag to open the zipped part of the backpack more easily. I need to buy a little bit of velcro perhaps to stick the top flap down securely.
It's funny, the whole starting-school thing: I had lots of flashbacks of my own early-school days. I suddenly remembered what my first backpack and lunchbox looked like, as Arlo hung his on the hook outside the classroom this morning.
tiny happy 
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