Preschooler's Request

My little preschooler has been so excited to start school. We looked at LOTS of backpacks in preparation for the big day. I liked the print ones and she liked them as well, but really wanted a "Tinkerbell Backpack." After looking at how poorly made most of the backpacks are (especially the children's backpacks), and how expensive the other backpacks are. I told her we would simply make her a backpack. The quest began for adequate fabric in cute colors and all of the accessories like nylon straps and buckles, etc. I mean we don't want it to look like we made it, right? Anyway, after her fabric selection, I went about trying to see if we could negotiate on the Tinkerbell part. I mean I have nothing against Tinkerbell, per se. I just don't love having everything we own have some type of princess or fairy character on it (not that we do). Well, I pretty persuasively presented my perspective about how cute the backpack would be without anything on it, or maybe a simple flower. I let her look at various options and she thought other things were cute, but her mind was absolutely already made up. So, Tinkerbell Backpack it is.

Since I have not yet learned my lesson, I took a clip art picture of Tinkerbell (that she picked out) digitized it into an embroidery design and super-imposed it onto a flower. All of this occurring while the backpack is half finished because I was waiting to embroider her name on the inside of the back panel and Tinkerbell on the front pocket. Then the trial run and refining process began. After too many hours of playing with the design, I finally decided it was ready to embroider and began. Well, after the flower was stitched and part of Tinkerbell, I stopped the process and did some time consuming revisions. All of this because I was too cheap to justify purchasing an embroidery design that I new I would only use once. Luckily, I had enough fabric to make a new pocket panel and began all over. Due to the embroidering delays and my busy work schedule lately, the backpack did not make it to the first or second day of school (not that she really needed it), but I finished it in time for her third day of school today. Hooray!! The best things about this situation were she was very forgiving, understanding, more than willing to wait, AND just as excited to have it today as she would have been if she had had it for the first day of school. Yep, kids really are the best!

While making the backpack she requested a regular pocket on the side in addition to the pens/pencils pocket I put on the other side. "Why?" I asked. "For my phone," she stated. "What phone?" I questioned, thinking maybe a toy phone. "My cell phone, in case I need to call you," came the reply. Then, we had a discussion about how she is not getting a cell phone because she does not need one. She came to understand why a cell phone could be considered unnecessary, however, she still wanted a pocket on the other side.

I used canvas to line the inside and outdoor awning fabric for the outside. I purchased all of the fabric and accessories like backpack zippers, nylon straps, and strap clips from my local JoAnn store.