Wow, it has been a long time since I’ve posted…let alone posted some pictures. I’ve entertained my little heart out. By the end of the week, my children were bleary-eyed and exhausted. After a few power-naps and some quiet days they have recovered. If I could just get some loads of laundry done, I think I will feel completely recovered, too.
In the meantime, I still managed a little crafty-ness. I would slip it in during the girls’ afternoon naps.
This is my favorite project—a little pincushion nestled on top of a wooden thread spool. This way your needle and thread are always handy. I’d like to make more, especially because I need to improve on my assembly and stitching. 
My girls have been spending a lot of time at their craft table, but there is never enough room for the basket of crayons, the paper they are working on and all the other papers and coloring books that aren’t being used. Remembering back to my days of elementary teaching, and having kids hang backpacks on the backs of their chairs, I came up with these. They are simply made out of dishtowels, with a little pearl button to hold them closed. And perfectly placed(thanks to the manufacturer), there’s a hook on the inside of the dishtowel so that they can be hung on a hook, when not on the back of the chair. Emma’s has recently been converted to her pool backpack though. She stuffs her beach towel, bathing suit and tap shoes (!) inside (all the necessities for a trip down to the pool).
Here’s a few favorite pictures from our week with Wisconsin cousins. It was a good time, but at the end we all decided that next time we’ll try just a long weekend. Everyone was very tired by the end.
I have more to share soon–a wonderful swap package from a sparrow, some sewing projects, artwork from Emma, and pictures from yesterday’s trip to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.
(I wanted to show a few more pix of the kids playing in the partially filled swimming pool, but realized that my youngest is bare bummed in all the photos…oh well, I’m sure you can imagine the fun.
The pin cushion/spool is genius! I love beautiful and useful things! How is the pin cushion attached? Is it glued on?
Two lovely creative ideas!!The pincushion is a great idea… can you still put it on the sewing machine?!
Thanks for posting pictures of the backpack – I can’t wait to make some for my two crafters (and maybe an extra one for myself!).
those bags are practicaland adorable!yay for fashionable functionality:)
missed you 🙂 Welcome back!
Nice projects. Any update on Dolly the kitten?
Those little chair backpacks are adorable! I’m glad you posted. 🙂
Great idea on the back packs. They look great. Sounds like your girls (and you!) had a fun (and exhausting) week.
I’m soooo excited to go swimming with you and the girls this summer at Meemu’s! I love the backpacks, my mom is teaching me to sew more this summer and I can’t wait to share more crafty things with you! xoxo
Cute bag idea! I may have to try that! Do you live in MD, too?
Welcome back! That bag is so sweet and such a great idea. Its so hard to keep the little ones (and myself!) organized.
What a great and simple idea for a bag. It looks wonderful. 🙂
What great ideas !
Love the towel bags.
How did you manage to make such ingeniously crafting things and entertain guests at the same time? I may have to borrow that over the chair bag idea, my kids have a kid-sized art table and its very hard to keep it from being constantly cluttered, maybe this will help. I just saw one of your amazing pendants over at bella dia, I WANT ONE! xo
The dishtowel backpack is super. Lovely work.
Those little backpacks are adorable, and such a great idea! I think when I recover my desk chair, I’ll do some sort of a pocket on the back.. thanks for the super inspiration!
thanks for the comment on my blog, your girls look pretty cute in their boots too!The conference was great, I enjoyed Doug Phillips and RC Sproul, Sr. the most. We had the boys with us, so alot of it is a blur, but overall very convicting.Cute bag, by the way, great idea!
I love, LOVE the backpacks! Sooo cute and I can’t believe they are made out of dishtowels!! How/where did you attach the straps? I am working on a backpack that I drew out the pattern for and have been a little hesitant to actually do the sewing part. And I don’t look forward to the straps–which I was planning on doing like purse straps but with D-rings. By the way, did you get the email I sent you a few days ago?? Just checking. Oh, and I sent out your CD today, so be on the lookout 😉
That backpack looks really useful. And nothing beats bare bummed childhood swimming pool fun!
I soooo need to do a pin cushion!! I keep having to put them back in the manufacturer’s wheel – not very practical at all! Thanks for the inspiration.
Also the chair backpack. We are about to embark upon the kiddie-sized table and chairs, and I know it just won’t have enough room 😉
What an adorable pin pincushion, like a mushroom. So cute and clever.
it looks like you have an ikea table and chairs – just like us and so many others out there. i would love to see what you (and others) have done to their sets – ours has a checkerboard painted on top and lots of stars…