The Last of the Easter Handmades

I'm not going to lie. I just finished the last of my Easter handmade gifts. Just. As in today - two days after Easter. They still have to make it into the mail, which will hopefully happen tomorrow, but with me, you never know. I did manage to get Audrey's and one for her cousin done in time for Easter, but these last two stragglers (made for my God kids), well, you know. A birthday gift needs to be tucked into the package, too, for the child whose birthday was, ahem, today. Are you detecting a pattern?


So just what are these gifts? Easy-to-sew drawstring totes. I cut out two pieces of fabric (I believe they were 8" x 6"), serged the edges (could just as easily keep them from fraying using pinking shears), stitched up the three sides, ironed on a small square of interfacing at the top where the drawstrings would enter the bag, stitched two buttonholes on top of the interfacing side-by-side about a 1/2" apart, turned down the top edge an inch (also serged) and topstiched it down. I attached a safety pin to the drawstring (recycled from an old shopping bag) and fished it through the buttonhole pushing it through the inch-wide casing and out the other buttonhole. I tied a knot on each end of the drawstring to keep it in place. Then, I embroidered a small piece of cotton fabric that I had serged the sides of, pressed down the edges and topstitched it to the front of the bag (this is the part I was finishing today) to make a tag - because when you are little, everything is a little more special when it has your name on it.



Why were totes in order? To hold these crayon rocks, of course, which I found here. Made from soybeans and specially designed to strengthen the muscles in tiny hands preparing little ones for handwriting, they seem like all-around winners (although we've noticed that our dog thinks they are treats). Oh, and they look like Easter eggs. Now if only I could get the Easter Bunny to turn back the clock so the postman could deliver them on time. Hopefully, the two little ones receiving these gifts won't mind if I drag out the celebration just a little bit longer.