My little lady is going to a birthday party on the weekend. Now before I go any further, how difficult is it to buy gifts for 8 year olds?!?! They’re too old for little kids toys and too young for anything too technical or grown up. They like things and when you think you have it worked out and buy what you “think” they like, they don’t like it anymore. Gah!

I decided to make her friend a new library bag. Her mother appreciates handmade, so I know that it will be used. There’s nothing worse than spending hours and a lot of pretty fabric making a gift for someone, who doesn’t appreciate handmade.

This little girl isn’t a girly-girl – if that makes sense? I wanted to create a bag for her wasn’t overly pink, but still pretty. The fabric is called “Simply Sweet” by Lori Whitlock for Riley Blake Designs. I have had this charm pack in my stash for a while now. I bought it (and a few more like it) when I saw them in a sale. I also have some of the red hexagon print yardage, which I’m saving for ‘just the right’ project.

I appliqued the big letter “S” with heat n bond and then stitched around it twice. A little bit of hand quilting around the letter and that background fabric framed it nicely. I used Aurifil 12wt which is a little finer than the balls of Perle 8. It’s a sturdy bag with batting in between the outer layer and lining.

We’ve bought a “Friendship Bracelet” kit which comes with assorted floss and beads. Fingers crossed she likes her gift. If nothing else, it certainly is “one of a kind”.