Seven Back to School Projects with ikatbag

My first guest blogger is LiEr from ikatbag. If you don't know her, the only thing I have to say is HOW? How do you not know her? Seriously she is crazy talented. Just go browse her tutorials page and be in awe of how LONG the list of links is and how wonderfully clear and detailed her tutorials are. She is a wonderful seamstress and has a bajillion great sewing tutorials...Be sure to check out her drafting patterns series, too. Oh! and if being a master at sewing isn't enough, she's also the Cardboard Queen. Read more about that here and here! You can also buy some of her wonderful sewing patterns here. What? I'm not in love with her blog or anything. :)

Without further ado...here's LiEr!

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Hello!

I'm LiEr from ikatbag. I am excited to be here celebrating Allie's Back To School Event! I have three girls aged 4, almost-6 and almost-8 and the two oldest are heading off to school in less than a month, while the youngest is going on to her second year of preschool. Eeeek! Where has the summer gone? I am excited for each new milestone my girls reach but I am also a little sad that they're growing up as quickly as they are. 

My eldest daughter's birthday falls within the first week of school and, typically, the party preparations eclipse any back-to-school activities or crafting we might otherwise have done. I personally prefer to buy the kids' clothes and other school accessories than sew them because I'd rather save the time and hang out with them instead. However, when the girls were starting preschool, I got all sentimental and mushy and made them backpacks. And the past couple of years I sewed Emily a whole wardrobe of long-sleeved tees, sweatpants and a hoodie because nothing off-the-shelf would fit her lanky frame (and yes, I was also bonkers). We were well into the school year by then, though - I was always such a fantastic procrastinator that I could never get anything ready in time for the first day of school.

Today I thought I'd share some tutorials from the archives, in case you'd like to send your kid off to school with something handmade.

First is a little satchel/messenger bag that were take-home gifts at one of Emily's birthday parties. 

She'd asked for a school-themed party that year because she loved everything about school. Here is the link to the party post, from which you can access the other party bits: the crafts, the food and the games.

Next is a cyclindrical zippered pencil case:

A bit more challenging but if you like the professional look of piping, a full lining and a set-in zipper, you might enjoy trying this out. You can find my full tutorial on Sew Mama Sew. 

Something for older kids: a bookstrap of the sort I used as a teenager in school (except mine was icky plastic, not faux leather).

Moving away from fabric, this is a fold-out cardboard easel made out of a pizza box. It is a chalkboard on one side and a whiteboard on the other, 

so it's fun even for very little kids to scribble on.

And, finally, this is a lunch bucket that's great for more than just a packed lunch.

I made these for the girls' teachers at the end of the last school year and got their classmates to add their artwork to it. The pdf pattern is available for sale on the blog here.

Thanks, Allie, for having me here! Have a great school year, everyone!

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Thanks so much LiEr! It was so fun having you. I may need that lunch bucket pattern...SO cute! And the easy cardboard easel is precious-they would make for great centers in kindergarten, too!

Here are some of my other favorite projects of LiEr's: 

1. Cardboard Carriage , 2. Little Blue House, 3. Sewing Pockets Series, 4. Fold Up Cuff Pants, 5.Reverse Applique, 6. Cardboard Pirate Ship, 

You have got to go check some of these out and see all the detail she puts into her projects. Amazing.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more Back to School goodness. 

Check out the Back to School Projects done so far here!