my little girl started preschool this week. yes, before you even ask, i was a wreck. i hid it well though. she never saw me cry. the drop off and class went great, i couldn't have asked for a better experience for her, but i was still sad. i don't know how all these firsts get easier as they get older as they all have to do with them spending more time away from us and becoming more independent. the funny thing is i was looking forward to having a break, but once she was gone i felt like one of my arms was missing. aw shucks...ok, i'm not going to tear up while writing this and so i'm moving on.


since school was starting i decided to make mackenzie a new backpack to go with her reuseable snack bags. she picked out the fabric herself! so adorable. i used the backpack pattern from indie tutes. you can find it here. it was pretty simple to make but i did have to read through it more than a few times to figure out what the heck she did at certain points. i also made a few changes. i didn't want the inside of the backpack to just be interfacing (her tute doesn't have lining) so i added it myself. instead of making a bag inside of a bag i simply cut double the pieces (ironed interfacing to the outer pieces) and then sewed them together then followed the pattern as shown. i also made a boo boo half way through and thought i was supposed to attach the straps on to a different piece/part of the pattern and messed up and missed the step. in the end it was fine though, i actually like it better this way. i can always adjust it and make it longer if need be. i simply sewed mine on directly to the back of the backpack with a top stitch. easy peasy.


it was fun to make and mack loves it! we planned on doing a photo shoot for you all, but the weather has been miserable and i sure as heck wasn't dragging both kids out into the rain to get pics. have any of you been making backpacks? i heart the made by rae one as well, but thought i would give this one a shot first as i'm still learning to sew and thought hers may be a tad complicated for me to start with.


ok, sorry, can't resist inserting some serious harper cuteness....can you believe she's already 4 months old??? i can't stop crying about it.


i've also been working on a baby gift for a friend of mine. i'm hooked on making burp cloths at the moment, firstly because i needed some more and also because i became spoiled by the cuteness of the ones the sweet maggie from the addictive blog " smashed peas & carrots" sent me as a baby gift (thanks again mags!) and you can get some of your very own as well right here in her equally cute etsy shop. maggie also sent me the cutest stuffed owl and some precious onesies and hats for harper. don't worry, i plan on showing off pics but i have to wait until i could put the little one in them to show her off :)

i didn't follow a pattern for my burp cloths, just cut out a piece of paper the size i wanted and used it as a template when cutting out all the pieces. sewed the 4 sides together, right sides facing each other leaving an opening big enough to turn right side out. once you've got it turned right side out, push out your corners then top stitch around the burp cloth making sure to sew up the opening you left. that's it. super simple to change up on your own and customize however you like. i had so much fun adding my labels on.

so cute......



super soft............


and perfect for wiping baby's delicate cheeks.


did any of you make anything for your kids for back to school? how have you been adjusting if your child started preschool or kindergarten for the first time? i could use some tips or a shoulder to woe is me on...haha.

*all images copyright luvinthemommyhood