houndstooth corduroy for Corduroy

Having kids at the same school means you get to watch (and help) them with the same projects over the years.  So I was just as thrilled as Owen was when Corduroy the bear got to come home with him for the weekend. 

And I really couldn't believe that it had been TWO years since Lucy was in First grade and brought Corduroy home!....and I made that overalls tote for him?.....and we went to the laundromat to take photos?
Was it really two years ago??

Yep. I guess it was.
And now it's Owen's turn.

Yay! 
I love the corduroy books.

And you know I'm really not a very emotional person....I rarely cry at chick flick movies (in fact I don't even really like chick flick movies)...BUT, show me a book about a child, or a child's play toy that's lost or just needs some love?  And I get misty eyed.
There's something about being a mom makes you want to scoop up and love all who need it.

And in the Corduroy book, all he wants is to be chosen and loved by a child---to go home from the toy shop with a new owner.  But he's a bit disheveled looking, with a missing button.  He doesn't look like all the other brand news toys.
But one little girl spots him on the shelf and tells her mom that he's the bear she's always wanted!

Her mom discourages her from buying corduroy because he's doesn't look new and they walk away.
(dagger to the heart!)
(Tear.)

So Corduroy spends all night roaming the department store where he lives, looking for his missing button so he will look new again.  He gets into some mischief of course, and has a little fun.
And to his surprise in the morning, the same girl comes back and says she has enough money in her piggy bank to buy him and that he can come home with her.

It's such a simple story.
(And also a good reminder to me of how often I need to see things through the eyes of my child.....like letting Owen buy the super lame $1 book he wanted to get Clara for Christmas....which I thought was kind of silly and wanted to encourage him to get her something different...but I decided to let him pick....and Clara loved it!
* sigh * )

Oh man.
Parenting.  It's so hard.  And so rewarding.
Tears yet?

So when Corduroy came home, he and Owen went straight to work....or I guess, to play.  Owen knew exactly what he wanted to do with him and how he wanted to document the weekend (each child takes photos of the things they do with Corduroy and adds them in the classroom scrapbook)

So they went hiking together in our backyard, had a picnic, swung on the rope swing, played Minecraft.  And Owen even directed me with his photos, "Hey, why don't we have Lucy holding him up so it looks like we're having a real sword fight and then you can cut Lucy out of the photo?"

I love it.

And while the boys were busy, I got busy making a new bag for Corduroy, out of....corduroy!
I've had this houndstooth fabric for years and it just keeps giving, year after year.

Cause year after the year, these dolls get so much love that the bags they come home in are falling apart!...or can't fit all the books and things that go inside.
This is why I originally made the first bag for Lucy's class.

So when Owen brought home in a very tiny bag for the bear and the books, I thought I'd make one for his teacher too.  It was one of the first projects I sewed on my new machine.  Woohoo!

I used the Reversible Tote Bag Tutorial for the project.
And my new video to box out the bottom and sides. 
And it all reminded me how fun it is to sew themed school bags....like the ones I made for Lucy's Kindergarten teacher (click on a pic below for more info):


And there you go!
Houndstooth corduroy on one side, duck cloth on the other.

And plenty of room inside.

....for bears and scrapbook pages.

Thanks for the visit Corduroy!
See ya in 4 years, when Clara brings you home....