Growing into her own creative shoes

The design director is really at an amazing place creatively. After her many different projects, she is at the point where her questions as we do a project actually make good sense.... Her creations for her friends and cousins elicit the same comment I often hear, "did you really make that?"... And now she's at the point where I can set her up at the sewing machine and let her fly. No more breathing down her neck and barking, "BE CAREFUL!"... Though I'm never more than a foot away from her sewing at this point, my hands are not running the show. She takes little reminders here and there... "watch your lines. You're getting a little close to the needle..." it's just amazing to see how much she's grown in the past few months when it comes to sewing.
Tonight's project is a book bag for her (lucky!) teacher. We used some of my special stash and made a gorgeous bag with AnnaMaria Horner's Good Folks laminated cotton as the exterior and we lined it with some great orange floral and gave it purple straps - per Mimi's design taste.
It's going to be the kind of bag any adult would use proudly with just a few stitching wobbles as proof that she really did make it herself, though I'm sure no one will believe her.
Good thing we've got proof in photos.
With all these boys around here, I love having a blond little mini-me to create with. And even when I'm wasted tired - almost too tired to stand... I'll drop everything to chase a creative bee in her bonnet...