Backpack Backpack

"Backpack, backpack" That is a song that gets sung daily in our house. And now that it is 2 AM and I am blogging about my backpack project, I have it stuck in my head. CRAP! At least it isn't the "Say Click! Take a pic!" or "I'm the map" or "Rescue pack, coming to the rescue!" songs....and now they are going through my head too. Can you tell we watch a lot of Dora and Diego? Yeah? And Wonder Pets, too, in case you were wondering.

Anyway, I just had to blog about this because I am so pleased with my progress! Tonight I sewed on all of the straps to the back of the backpack, and I sewed the sides to the front and back! YAY! Now all that is left to do is the bottom, which I can't remember how to do. I'm sure I'll figure it out. It makes it a little more difficult for me, though, since the back of the bag has Peltex in it, as does the bottom, and the whole thing is covered in fusible vinyl! Let me tell you, turning that sucker right side out was no easy thing, but I did do it!

I am so proud of myself for actually doing this, because it was just a thought. I didn't actually think I could do it. And now to find out that I can and have makes me that much more confident in designing and creating. Not that I didn't think I was good at designing... I have loads of original quilt designs floating around my house. Drawn on the back of bank receipts, the checkbook, and random junk mail envelopes. Neatly written up on the computer. Sketched out in great detail on notebook or graph paper. Yeah, they are everywhere. I think once I even used a napkin from Wendy's! Anyway, I'm glad to know that I can think of an idea and implement it in an area other than quilting.

Speaking of quilting: I am taking a day off tomorrow. Not from work, but just from going to the shop. I have a client who wants to make a quilt for her son who is going on a mission. She is not a quilter, so she brought me 2 pieces of fabric. She told me what she wants quilted, and I have to say I am really excited about this project. She wants his name, his mission, several phrases written around the edges, the Book of Mormon and Bible, the Mt. Timpanogas temple, and possibly the CTR shield and/or hands clasped in prayer. At the bottom I'm going to do a house with stick people and a stick dog to represent the family, with maybe their names underneath (depends on the amount of room I have). She wants "love, Mom" written at the bottom too.

I am really excited to do this project, not just because it is a cool concept, but because I've never done anything like this before. I think I'm most worried about the temple. I have a glow-in-the-dark pencil I'll be drawing everything on in, but that doesn't mean I can't be nervous. The temple is definitely going to be the most detail oriented piece on there. I'm not too worried about the words because I've done them before on a quilt for Marshall. (Marshall is my son's real name....even though I call him Marsh or Marshy. But I'm sure you've probably figured that out already!).

So yeah, I'll be working from home tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to sew the bottom in to the backpack, and then draw out the patterns on the quilt. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll get to go in to the shop and put the quilt on. I'm not going to aim that high though. Working from home also means cleaning a whole bunch, and running in to Marshy's room every few minutes to say "Yes honey, that's a ball. And it goes in the tube. Good job! Oh, you want me to kiss your cars? Okay. Oh, all of them? No, not right now sweetie. Just one. Oh, and Phant? Okay, I'll kiss your elephant, too."