
…pencil case….
What else does one make for a birthday gift, when the birthday girl is turning five and is about to stat big school, and has almost everything she wants? A pretty little custom pencil case of course!

Pencil cases and pencil rolls have long been my go-to gift to make. Back when the big boys were tiny, I made them almost monthly as we cycled through various birthdays in various groups. It’s been a while now since I made one, but when I sussed out the birthday girls current obsessions – art and craft and dance – I knew a pencil case with this sweet ballerina linen was exactly what I needed to make.
I stuffed it full of fun stationery – coloured pencils and crayons and pencil sharpeners and the like – and paired it with an art book. These A5 books have been a mainstay of my creative parenting toolbox for almost as long as I can remember, to hold all manner of fun mess-making. The case got finished just a day or two late (whoops! Homeschool rego makes a disaster of the best laid plans), but off into the post it went, and hopefully should have arrived at it’s destination by now – and if not, I’m pretty sure the people in question don’t read here, so I’m safe to share without spoiling the surprise!
It’s shaping up to be a busy Wednesday today. We lost a couple of days of school with me being unwell, so it’s catch up day today, and making the most of Mr14 having a day off work. It’s rather strange to think he was a toddler and my only child when I first started this blog, and here I am now talking about him being large enough to be working! It felt like these days of teenagers would never come, back then, and yet now they are here, I’m not quiet sure where the time has gone! There are handwork projects to kick off and lesson plans to rejig and activities to research. Miss10 is desperate for me to sew her another crop top or two, so I’m hoping to get time to do that today. I have blog photos to take and projects to catch up on. I want to poke around my kindle and see if I can find a new book to catch my eye. Chores and chooks and pigs and dogs and hopefully a walk in the fresh air. Come at me Wednesday, I’m determined to catch up the days I’ve missed this week!