Children Backpack Pattern #1

Teresa went to school at the end of March, and I really wanted to make her a backpack where she could take her diapers and her change of clothes. She is vain and always reacts very well to things I make, she clings to them, grabs them and so I thought she’d like a backpack just for her.

The outside fabric is red coduroy and outer pocket is also corduroy but in white. I wanted to make a doll and picked a mushroom, just because I like it and I think have a sweet and fresh look. To make this backpack I started making fimo buttons, because I needed some flowers, and by rambling a lot I ended in these butterflies, which served as inspiration for others!
I also applied the letters of her name in the space left. I’m not a great fan of putting names on childen stuff but this was a nice way to reduce the contrast between the red backpack fabric and white pocket fabric.

The interior of the backpack is the same fabric as the head of the mushroom. The polka dots always give a special touch, and if used sparingly can really make a difference in a project. I also made a pocket inside thinking of smaller things.

The zipper is plastic with wide teeth to give resistance and survive in the hands of the little princess. The backpack contornes are enhanced with pajamas ribbon and the handles are adjustable in height.

Ficou perfeita! Ou quase porque a dimensionei para o tamanho real da Teresa e não para o tamanho das necessidades de tralha da Teresa! Acabou por se mostrar demasiado pequena para levar para a escola mas perfeita para pequenas coisas ou brinquedos.

It is perfect! Or almost… I drew the backpack to fit the actual size of Theresa and not to fit the size of Teresa’s needs! Turned out to be too small to take to school but perfect for small toys or stuff.

So I made some pattern changes and made a bigger backpack. I really wanted to try some aplique work with the sheep fur fabric and really liked the result. I left the ears in 3D which gives it a funny look. As in the previous backpack, the subject is applied in the outside pocket, and apart from the sheep has also some yellow flowers and a ribbon with a picot income, to simulate grass.

The outside fabric is a blended jeans fabric in a dark/navy blue. It has yellow filaments in the fiber blend, wich I coordinated with zipper, straps and piping cord.

It is well wider than the first backpack and also higher. It looks more like a backpack of a first grader, I doubt she could carry it full on her back. But I’m the one who carries the backpack so the important fact is to have all the necessary things inside the backpack.

The straps are also adjustable and has a handle at the top, to facilitate transport and to be hung on the hanger.

The liner left me a bit hesitant, but I ended choosing this fabric from IKEA with hearts of many colors, including yellow. Not my favorite print but this one works good in a small work. It has the same interior pocket as the first backpack.

Now it seems that I got the perfect backpack pattern! And the best is that Teresa loved the sheep.

Do you want to make your own backpack? You can get my “Back to School” backpack patterm here:

[cryout-button-light url=”http://shop.meiasmarias.com/produto/back-to-school-backpack-pattern-english-instructions-pdf”]Back To Shcool Backpack Pattern[/cryout-button-light]

DIY Pacifier Clip

Last month Teresa ruined at least three of her pacifier clips. Her father came to me to fix it, as he always does! So I bought the clips and strat working but only long enough to realize that what I felt like doing was really making the entire pacifier clip from the begining instead of fixing the broken ones. So I made a first test with the yellow one but ended up to short. The one pictured with the pacifier on was my second attempt but with a different concept that I loved so much, that I re-did it in orange. My Little teresa was overjoyed! She is vain! And this is such a simple project to do! All three chains were made in less than an hour and with Teresa around!

Seamstress for a day

In Mafalda’s school kids are learning the professions. In Mafalda’s school there is a girl named Mafalda who has a mother who does many things and one of those things is sewing. In Mafalda’s school are two teachers who felt that Mafalda mother could be a seamstress for a day and show kids how is this profession. At Mafalda’s school there were more than 30 children ages 4 and 5 cutting fabric and sewing it on the machine, just like mini tailors and seamstresses. At Mafalda’s school lots of fun guaranteed for a day.

Among fascinated eyes, brilliant interventions and lots of impatience 37 small pillows were born. Each one had the initial letter of each child name. Each children had the opportunity to sew his letter on my machine. Me and the teachers did all the rest because otherwise the kids could not take home a ready-made pillow. They all behaved very well, it was clear that some had more skill than others, there were also some who disn’t took their eyes off the sewing machine while they were sewing, while others were more distracted and once in a while they forgot what they were doing. But they all were overjoyed with their pillows. Funny to see the how the boys were super excited to sew, since the girls were more restrained but also participatory. This is the cushion of Mafalda, fabrics chosen by her, letter color and sewing thread also chosen by her.

How they grow

I had a baby… I sweare I had a baby… But this morning I look around and I didn’t found my baby…

This morning I looked arround and I saw this:

and this:

This:

And this:

And that’s when reality hit me … My baby has grown … and today was her first day of daycare school … But there is something familiar about it … Wait … Oh man! … I know what it is! I had another baby before this one, which also grew too fast, and that baby also went to school one day…

What the hell is going on with my babies that grow up so fast and keep jumping out of my lap, without a warning, without a notice, how can I can prepare myself?

Either I’m getting really old or it’s time to start thinking about having another baby … I want a baby…

Felt Dollhouse

Welcome to the Doll House! This is one of the activities of the activity book that I’m designing. It’s a tiny house full of potential for hours of fun! It is adaptable to various ages, and the small parts can be carefully stored in a proper pocket to avoid the risk of being swallowed! In an early age allows children to learn the home divisions and identify the routines that are fulfilled in each one, and also to learn the furniture and its usefulness.
At a most creative age children can play with this nice family home and organize it as they want!

The smallest Maria is out of this project because the house is a happy little house and has no room for more people. But on the other hand we have the Manuel Maria, the father of this family!

Tinkerbell Costume

This year Mafalda wanted a Tinkerbell costume for Carnival. Of course she only talked about it the week before the carnival, which left me with little time to prepare things accurately.

I thought about buying one, but I was a bit out of time to go looking, and with little desire to walk from store to store looking for a costume that probably did not exist this year. The truth is that Tinkerbell is a bit forgotten, so is Peter Pan.

So I gave a quick look to Disney Tinkerbell and I decided to draw the dress, but it had to be something simple and easy to make that time was not in my favor.

In Valentine’s day V. went with me to the fabric store to choose the fabrics. What we liked most was a knit fabric and not cotton, but it was so cute and had the Tinkerbell sparkle that I decided to try to sew it.

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It was going Ok, but at a given time I decided that I did not need the walking foot to sew it. Of course I was wrong, and although in the right side it looks good, the wrong side is a mess with huge folds that would not be there if I had continued to sew with the walking foot. But is not that important. It’s a Carnival costume and was made on time and when dressed up looks perfect.

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Now tell me, Isn’t she the most beautiful Tinkerbell ever?

Monday was the day of the traditional clown parade in Sesimbra. This parade has been part of our Carnival tradition, so we dressed up to participate in one of the most joyous and lively carnival events.

This parade is a volunteer event, it’s open to all who wish to participate, no registration required, just willingness and joy, and of course, a clown costume. For those who never saw it I strongly recommend to see and participate, and this year we were lucky with the weather because there was no rain and in the afternoon temperature was between 17 and 18ºC which was more than reasonable.

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Mafalda’s costume was made 3 years ago and still fits, because it’s goofy and wide, but it seems to me that this was the last year that she wore it. I can’t ready ask for more than this! My costume is equal to this one, but obviously bigger.

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Mafalda is still a bit uncomfortable, which is strange because she is never embarrassed at all, but I think seeing so many people in so little space still leaves her a bit unresponsive. She just stares and look and absorb everything. But back home she was so happy playing!

Next year I’ll probably bring Teresa with us, as this year she is still too little and stayed home napping.