back to school

My kids started school last week.  Third grade for Henry, and Kindergarten for Ellie.  This is a big deal for Ellie (and me!) as it's her first time being in school for a full day.  I felt pretty lost and out of sorts the first day(s) without my cheerful, talkative little girl to keep me company -- she handled it much better than me!  But this week I've settled into a working routine and I'm really enjoying it.  I'm finishing up a couple of projects for publication in a book.  That's right, a book!  My very first.  I'm really excited, and I'm not sure how much information I can share yet, so I'll just leave it at that for now.  Next week I hope to get in a regular routine of blog postings and other sewing, printing, and design projects...  Maybe even an overhaul of my Etsy shop...  The possibilities are endless!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share this back-to-school project with you.  On our school supply list for Kindergarten is an "art smock."  Three years ago, I made a felt applique and applied it to an inexpensive IKEA smock for Henry.  I offered to give that one to Ellie, now that Henry doesn't need one anymore, but she wanted her own.  So, on the morning before the first day of school, I sewed up this dolphin patch for Ellie.

Then I stitched it to another IKEA smock -- you can see from the paint splatters that this smock was already broken in!

Here's Ellie's new patch and Henry's old one.  These were (and will be) used well, and should serve as nice keepsakes to remember the first year of primary school.