A little something

As an auxiliary wedding vow, I promised John that I would stop buying wrapping paper. It was a good vow. Wrapping paper is terrible for the environment and a waste of money. I could use up what I had or reuse what I received. For a while when I wasn't sewing I did use scraps and fat quarters to wrap gifts, but recently I realized I could make a vessel for a gift that could be used afterwards!

When I knew I was going to see an old friend and his 20 month old daughter last weekend, I ordered up a favorite Elephant & Piggie book and set to work on a little backpack inspired by this backpack, a tutorial from Chickpea Studios (scroll to the bottom of the page). Instead of using old jeans, I used some Japanese linen for the exterior. The original wasn't lined, but I used a heavy weight cotton to line my version. This also provided some interest to the cute, but fairly neutral linen. I have a few more toddler books to give in the coming weeks so I am planning on making more. When I do I will document the modifications that I made here.

In the meantime, here are shots of the inside flap and the back (and a point for me!).