Book Caddies 2019

     Kindergarteners where my daughter teaches carry backpacks.  But in those backpacks are shoved lunch pails, dirty shoes and muddy boots etc.. Therefore any booklets she has ran off to send home as reading practice end up a bit worse for the wear.  So in August we decided that book caddies, made from left over supplies from years of chair bag projects, would be a possible solution. They will have to be made every year as they will be going into children’s homes. So it is an experiment.  They may all go out and never return again after the first day.  She has plans to have their names out on them. One of her teacher friends has the model of circuit that applies to fabrics.  There are issues with these book caddies that need to be resolved.  I don’t like how the handles are for starters.  But as the chairbags evolved so shall these.  It will take time to see what holds up and what needs to be tweaked a bit. 

     First step was the cut out.  I cut out thirty strips 12x2 for the handles. Sixty pieces 10x5 - 30 of which were canvas and the other 30 a print cotton.  And 60 pieces 10x12 of various colors of left over canvas.  And 120 little Velcro squares. 

     The 10x5 pieces I used a plastic top to cut two of the corners  rounded on each.  I used like a cottage cheese or a sour cream lid that was no longer needed. 

     The strips I ironed in half and then ironed each edge to the middle. Then sewed down each side. Ironed to middle again and sewed it so all edges were folded and I had a strap. 

    I then sewed a velcro strip, fuzzy side up,  about an inch and a half in from each rounded corner of the canvas 10x5 pieces.  Then I sewed the edges of three sides together with the velcro toward the center and leaving the longer edge that did not have rounded corners not sewn.  After flipping it out and ironing I topped stitched around the three edges that were sewn leaving the bottom open.

       I then sewed the edge of the 10x5 piece that was not sewn to the shorter edge of one of the  10x12 pieces. I  ironed it  up and top stitched.  I chose to sew it so the print would be on the outside of the flap.  

     

    I then ironed down a hem line on the top of another 10x12 piece and sewed it down to secure.  After that, I sewed the ends of one of the straps onto the top about a seam width in.  

     It was then time to lie the side that had the straps on top of the side that had the flap and make a chalk mark where the velcro would match up. Afterwards I sewed velcro pieces onto the strap piece on the opposite side from where the straps are attached.  Then I sewed on the velcro shiny side up.

     It was then time to sew the front to back, right sides together.  

     Finally I flipped it inside out and press.

     This was a fun project but a bit rushed so it lacks quality.  Hopefully we will decide if it is successful or not by early in 2020 so I can start right away on more for the fall.