Summer's Simple Things - Nature Bags

For Christmas last year, I put together nature bags as a gift for each of my kids.  The kids love them.  When you put together a bag for exploring nature, you should keep a few things in mind, such as the child's age, how much you think they can comfortably carry, and what they like to do outside.  You can put in some basic supplies (I had soooo much fun doing this) and then let them add to or remove things according to their whims.

Munch's bag (she's 10) looks like this.

I used an old field bag we acquired from someone.  It has lots and lots of great pockets (I love pockets!).  She has some Peterson's fields guides for birds, wildflowers, and caterpillars (I highly recommend Peterson's, they are wonderful!), an animal tracks pamphlet, compass, see through ruler, colored pencils, magnifying glass, notebook, regular pencil and eraser, water bottle, bandaids, alcohol wipes, and an orange carabiner. 

Boy's (who is 6) changes daily.  Right now his looks like this.

For his, I used an old newspaper bag and relined the inside with canvas so I could add in lots of cool pockets.  His has a couple field guides for trees and insects, a magnifying glass, compass, notebooks, colored pencils, a water bottle, and ... ahem... some plastic dinosaurs.  All the important stuff for my fun loving 6 year old!

My littlest Sweetpea rarely carries hers, unless she is wanting to be like one of her older siblings.  But her's (she'll be 3 on Friday) looks like this.

Just the basics for her - a notebook and fun monkey pencil, a magnifying glass, and a hanky.  I made her bag out of the bottom of a ripped up pair of girls jeans and braided shoe laces for the handle.

I tuck in a granola bar or a container full of nuts when they are heading out the door.

Join Kim for some more summer time stuff and her Summer's Simple Things series!!!

Gathered Clutches by Noodlehead

Anna, over at Noodlehead, has this cute pattern available for Gathered Clutches.  She has a free tutorial on her blog that you can use to make them.  Or if you feel so inclined, you can buy the pattern here for $6.  I bought the pattern.  It has wonderfully detailed instructions, color pictures, and more sewing options.  Her explanations are very straightforward and simple to follow.  I made 2 of them last night.

Here's the first one.  It's for my "number 1 reader" (you know who you are, come and get it, sister!!)

And the inside.

I really hope you like it!!!

Here's the second one.

I am pleased with the way they turned out.  They were fun and easy to make.

Raining Owls

It's raining here.  A nice steady all day sort of rain.  I love rain.  It makes me happy.  And, today, it's a welcome break from all the outside stuff we've been doing.  Also forced me to actually take Munch shopping to get black leggings for her dance recital this weekend.  (Something I have a hard time agreeing to if it is NOT raining out.)

I thought it would also be a good time to share with you my new favorite bag - my owl bag.

I love it!  And I made it myself.  I didn't follow a pattern.  It's basically a glorified tote bag with boxed corners.  The finished bag measures about 14 inches tall by about 16 inches wide and about 3 inches deep.  I used cotton quilters fabric for all the pieces with a fusible fleece between the layers for added sturdiness.  The handles are old climbing webbing covered over with the striped material.  The webbing runs all the way down and around the bottom of the bag (hidden between the 2 layers) for extra sturdiness.  I wanted to be able to carry books or other heavier things without worry.

Aside from the owls (I love owls), the inside is my favorite favorite part!

And...

And even more fun - I made a key clip!!

I hemmed all the pockets - top and bottom - and then sewed them into each panel before sewing the liner up together.  The zipper pocket was made using the basic idea behind this zipper pocket tutorial on the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog.  It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

I added a magnetic snap for some closure.

All in all, I am very pleased with the way it turned out!  I love all the pockets, the materials, the zipper, pen pocket, the key clip, and the owls.  Did I mention the owls?

Did I mention that I love owls?

It's done!

I have been working on a twine bag for a little while now. Well, more accurately, I've been waiting for my cool little local hardware store to restock their twine so I could finish it. Knowing how impatient I am, my hubby offered to stop at the equally cool little hardware store near where he works to get me some more. He did. And I worked on it last night. Now it's done!

I have been teaching myself to crochet out of books. It's really not as hard as it may seem. To kick off my new found hobby (read obsession) I made some gifts for my kids - a little ruffly pink handbag for my youngest daughter, a juggle ball for my son, and a hip belt for my oldest daughter. I had so much fun making them, and they loved their stuff so much, I had to make something for myself. And this bag is it. My new market bag for all my market purchases. Well, the smaller purchases that is.

The bag had a round bottom whose diameter is 12 inches. The height is just over 12 inches to the bottom of the handle. A nice size I think. I used regular garden twine and green garden twine doubled up. For that other little darker brown/green stripe, I cut up a piece of material I had leftover from making my hippy owl skirt for myself for mother's day. (I know that's not how it's supposed to work, but it was really cool.)

Anyway, that stripe is made out of the third tier material. I cut it into a 1 inch stip that ended up being 10 yards long, folded it in half, ironed it, and crocheted with it. I just left the wonky corners and turns in what I cut so it would be one long continuous piece. It worked well.

My plan is to make more bags out of used baling twine.

What would you put in here?