Sewing Struggles

I like challenges, but I only really like them when I choose to participate in them. Not when they sneak up on me unannounced and at the last moment. One such challenge arose when I was making a paint brush holder for a 5th grader that I give painting lessons to. Her mom is a colleague and she asked if I could be her daughter's Christmas present (meaning that I would give her painting lessons to go with the Art supplies she got for Christmas, not me with a bow under the tree. gross.) Anyway, the girl is adorable and she has her brushes all ready for paint each week, but they have a sad means of transportation- a ziplock baggie. It breaks my heart every time she pulls out her baggie o' brushes. So I decided to stretch my sewing muscle and make her a brush holder.

I took a cute polka-dot fabric and lined it with fusible fleece for softness and added linen for the inside fabric. I stitched up pockets for her brushes to rest in, a ribbon to tie it up, and I hand- stitched a B for personalization. I was so excited that I finished it until... I realized that it was 2 inches too short! Panic sets in. What am I going to do!!

Breathe.

I, thank goodness, had just picked up a cute pattern for some new Etsy items that just so happened to match the polka-dots, so I added a band at the top to extent the length. Crisis diverted and I am doing OK. It wasn't as simple as I had intended but still very cute for a 10 year old novice painter.

P.S. She loved it.