The Dog Ate My Homework

Our dog, Dakota, actually does eat my son's homework - and in some cases his "book-in-a-bag."  Book-in-a-bag is a cute drawstring backpack that the children take home with a book to read and a reading comprehension worksheet to do.  They bring their complete work back to school and get another book-in-a-bag.

The dog misses the boy during the day and I think he chews on his things to express his discontent.
Anyhow, I had to confess to my son's teacher that we had a chewed up bag and that I would make a new one to replace it.  I ended up making a couple more for her as they were running short.

I used this quilt block pattern from Patchwork, Please! by Ayumi Takahashi.  I am not a quilter - I find it enormously challenging, but this book has the cutest, freshest little projects:  they are worth the extra effort I have to give to switch sewing gears and try to think like a quilter.

 

The quilt block is a book (I thought that was fitting) with slightly flared pages and edge and corner bindings.  It is constructed using paper piecing which will give you excellent results.

Fabric choices are fun for this:

• I love this blue-print style for the book cover - oh the wonderful things that books can teach us!
• the stylized alphabet print was a fitting choice
• The star border is a decorative stitch on my sewing machine

The backpack is a simple rectangle cut from linen fabric.  The top is turned down, leaving an opening in the seam allowance on both sides to thread the string through.  The corners have eyelets to attach and knot the ends of the string.

 This is an adorable quilt block.  I think it would be darling used in wall hangings or pillows, too.

Make something beautiful (and scholarly)!
Jen