I was thrilled when Mie, from Sewing Like Mad, asked me earlier this summer if I wanted to be a part of her Sewing for Kindergarten series. At the time it still seemed so far off. I hadn't begun to really grasp the whole idea of two kids in school and how it was going to feel...
And now, it's been a few weeks so I've gotten used to the fact that Henry is a Kindergartner, but looking over these pictures again brings all of the emotions back...
To start, Mie asked us each to answer a few questions about Kindergarten...
Is this your first time sending a child to Kindergarten? If not what number child is this? This is our second (and last) going off to Kindergarten...Violet, started two years ago.
Do you feel like crying or celebrating? I can't say that I felt like celebrating when Henry went off to school that first day. I think most people expect you to want to "celebrate", especially when you are a stay at home mom and both children are now off to school. I a sort of "lost" feeling actually. Not to say that I didn't enjoy the peace and quiet! I was also surely sad and shed a few tears, it's hard to watch your last head off (it's hard to watch your first head off...) to school. It feels like they grow up instantly once they walk through those school doors. But, mostly, I was excited because Henry was so excited! I am truly excited for him because I know that he will love it and grow and learn and make new friends and get to do all of the fun things his big sister gets to do!
And what about your child? It was really interesting watching Henry on the first day. He was so excited to start Kindergarten all summer long. And then the day before school started it began to hit him a bit and he had a ton of questions and things he needed to work through and figure out... And then the morning of he was thrilled! But as we walked to school and he stood in line waiting to go inside you could see in his face that he was working it all out, the uncertainty, the worry, the excitement, the sad and the glad. Emotionally he is a lot different than my daughter, Violet, is so it was really interesting to see him work through all of his emotions in that ten minute span of time. He's been loving it though, each day I pick him up and he is all smiles and chatty chatty chatty!
What kind of school does your child attend? (public, charter, private, homeschool) We go to public schoo. It's right down the street from us so we get to walk to school each day together. The public schools in our area are some of the best in the country, we are so lucky. We love our school and it really feels like a great "community" to be a part of.
Question to your kindergartner: What has been the best and worst part so far?
Well, his first response was..."Why are you asking me this?" Then...Best part: "Just being in school, making new friends and learning math!" Worst part: "I don't really have something like that." (He really does love it!)
Henry really has his own "style". He has always really known what he likes and doesn't really care if anyone else likes it. He has particular things he thinks are cool and will not wear something if it doesn't live up to his "style standards"! So, as with Violet , I let him choose his outfits and patterns for the first day...Because everyone should feel "just right" on the first day, right?
Yet another sleeveless Charlie Tunic and a (another) pair of twisted trousers (turned shorts...). I mean, when you find something you like...right? But also, it was 95 degrees and crazy humid on the first day of school so he needed to be both "cool" and cool!
The shirt, apparently the only types of sleeveless shirts Henry deems appropriate for school, (tank tops, in his opinion are not acceptable, although slightly stained tees are...) is made from a couple of 1/2 yard cuts I picked up at Purl Soho this summer (checks and stripes). Again, I love that leaving off the sleeves from the Charlie Tunic allows me to make something with less fabric!
And, well, he IS correct in saying that these are "handsome tank tops" because I really can't stand how cute he is in these shirts (1 & 2 in case you missed them)
The shorts...
While Henry certainly isn't opposed to wearing bikes, or blueberries or comic strips on his shorts...I wanted him to have a more neutral pair of shorts to wear sometimes as well. These twisted trousers are made using slub linen from Joann (the same as these, so now they get to be matchers). I love the twisted trousers for their knit waistband, coin pocket and piping along the side option...
Not to mention they fit perfectly! But I also love those pockets on the back and the yoke!
They are the perfect place to add "a little something" to an otherwise neutral pair of shorts or pants! Since these were "first day of school" shorts, why not add something "schoolish"...like scribble notes...
The words inside the front pockets and on the back pockets were a little surprise I added on and Henry loves them!
It's almost like learning through osmosis right!
(Side note: did you ever do that...sleep on your books the night before a test...I did and swore by it!)
But, while the outfit was well received and loved...it was not the real star of the show! That was the backpack...
Oh the beloved panda backpack! When Violet was entering Kindergarten she had a choice mama made backpack/lunch bag or store bought...after much back and forth she chose a mama made backpack and a store bought lunch bag...That backpack is still going strong and has been well loved!
In the weeks before Kindergarten began Henry was given the same choice...he was uncertain at first, but when I showed him this panda fabric from Andrea Lauren (I used the linen cotton canvas) he was sold! I mean how could you resist this face!
Once again I used Rae's toddler backpack pattern, enlarged to the larger size. I added an outer front pocket...
an inner pocket
with a sweet little name tag/pocket...
and elastic side pockets...
just as I had with Violet's. The inside and straps are made using this fantastic Schematic fabric from Carolyn Friedlander (same line as the scribble notes, architextures).
I fell in love this fabric the moment I saw it ...
and knew it would be the perfect match with the pandas!
It's really just so perfect for a little Kindergartners backpack! And, then that panda face, just lent itself to becoming a little zipper pull as well...
I was working on this backpack down to the nearly last minute (just as I had with Violet's, you'd think I'd learn!) But when it was done and Henry saw it! There are not enough exclamation points in the world to describe how excited he was! Jumping up and down and hugs and cheers and big giant smiles!
Oh man, then, those moments are when all that cutting and fretting and sewing and ironing and fabric maneuvering are made so worth it!
Of course watching that perfectly fitting and perfectly unique little backpack walking down the street and into school makes it pretty darn worth it too!
I may still feel a little "lost" without my second hand man boy, but it's going to be a great year for him, I know!
Lest I get too sappy I think I'll just say...Thanks so much Mie for asking me to be a part of this series. Don't forget to check out all of the other bloggers and their cutie little Kindergartners!
