Six hours later...

My son has gotten so excited about his nature journal.  He carries it around with him every where he goes and correlates every bird observation he makes to the evolution of dinosaurs.

So, I had to make him a nature satchel.  I started yesterday afternoon and worked straight through (except for chores and dinner) and by bedtime (my bedtime) I had finished the bag.  I used scraps of fabric I have had since he was a baby and had just enough to piece together a fun bag.  I used some nice weight, choco-brown linen I had on hand and lined it with two layers of washed, stiff duck cloth.

The outside flap has reptiles; one side panel, frogs; the other, turtles; the handle has insects and the back panel has a strip of fish (from the inside lining fabric).  I also added a pocket with a Luna moth under the front flap just in case he finds some rocks.  He has a whistle, a compass, his paint brushes, water colors, a jar covered in wool for water and tonight I am going to make his color pencil pouch.  He showed it to his friends today with pride.  I was so happy that I could create something that he loved so much.

 

I told him how my mom used to sew things for me and how I always felt so special when ever I would wear them because I knew she made them for me.  I used to feel so safe and comforted falling asleep to the sound of her old Singer sewing machine whirring away at the dinning room table.  I remember just sighing knowing that she was sitting there so close.  He fell asleep to the sound of my machine while I sat in my sewing room creating something special just for him. 

I hope he remembers his bag the way I remember the cool, Burda, lemon-yellow jumper my mom made me in seventh grade, the one with the chrome hooks on the front.  My mom is from Germany and her sister sent her the Burda magazine regularly.  I remember when it came, we would pour over it at the kitchen table and dream about making something different and fashionable.  It was my mom's little glimmer of home.  I remember feeling so lucky that she could sew and that she would be willing to sew something for me!

Here is a picture of the outside in pieces.

The green, tropical fish scene is the inside lining.  I made little pockets out of scraps of fabric I have been hoarding for years.  

He loved the wave pocket, it reminded him of his days surfing with his dad at the Shores in California.  I used duck cloth to make a pocket for his paint brushes and magnifying glass.

I also made a batting lined pouch out of the insect fabric to carry his water colors.  I'll post the pictures of his little jar with wet felted wool and the pencil & paint pouches later.  

I can't wait to show his bag to my mom.