Friday, May 6, 2011

Dance Teacher Appreciation Gifts



This week I’ve been busy sewing some teacher appreciation gifts for Sophia’s dance teachers.
I decided to make bags - 
1.  A hobo/dance bag for her main instructor (who is also a professional dancer). 
I LOVE how this bag turned out!   I used this basic tutorial from Simply Modern Mom and changed it up a bit - to fit what I think might be a professional dancer’s needs.

I put in a dividing layer - one side for dance things and the other for “purse” things.
The dance side has 2 deep pockets  - for dance shoes!  LOVE THIS!
The purse side has several pockets  - for cell phone, pen, and the little notebook she always carries.
That yellow thing you see inside is a tissue holder I threw in for good measure!
2.  A tote bag for the piano player. 

I am particularly thankful for this lady’s work.  Every lesson she provides “real” music for the children hear and to see naturally played!  
I gave her a big pocket on the outside and several inside.  Pockets are a very good thing.

3. A summer fun bag for the young dance assistant.
It just looks like summer, doesn’t it?
I based it on this tutorial from Noodlehead for a small zippered bag.
I made it into a tote bag - and gave her some pockets on the inside! 

4.  And, of course, Sophia wanted a dance bag, too!
Hers is just like Victoria Sergeyovna’s - only with “little girl fabric.”  
Look at the little pocket w/the flower - she’s already used it to keep her tram ticket handy!

Anton and I told her that she looks like the “Pochtalyon”/postman in the famous Russian cartoon, “Prostakvashina.”  
So, she gave us a salute!
I had so much fun making these bags and can’t wait to give them tomorrow!
Have I mentioned in this post that I absolutely love to sew?
Well, I do.
PS - All the fabric is from IKEA - what a great store!  

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Two-Wheel’er



She has always been this way.
When she was just a few months old, she would swing her arms and legs and try her hardest to hit one of the toys hanging over her head.
She basically skipped over crawling and went straight to walking.
She spent hours, working on her own, sounding out words in her books until she could read them with ease.
She has a quality I greatly admire. . . 

She keeps at something until she gets it.
She doesn’t give up.
And look what this brought her last week:

Several evenings she set out to ride her bike - without training wheels.

Her papa, a bike expert, gave her lots of good advice and help.

Then, one moment we looked around . . . 
and she was riding!
Like the WIND, 
BA-BY!

I have to admit, I was bursting with pride!
Absolutely BEAMING!  

She still has some work to do on “stopping.”
She hasn’t mastered the hand-brakes . . .  yet.
But just look at this girl GO!
She did it!  
She learned to ride her bike without training wheels!
Every day she kept at it . . . never gave up . . . 
And now she’s a Two-Wheel’er! 

There’s a great big world out there . . . 
She’s zooming by it all - into it all!

Ride, Sophi, ride!

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