たからぶくろ Takarabukuro

Traveling is always a little more of a treat when you have a unique bag inwhich to put all your special treasures, whatever they may be. In Japanese, we call these treasure bags Takarabukuro. Very soon, we’ll be hoping on a plane to travel over the Atlantic (Eyjafjallajökull willing). My eldest is crossing off the days on his calendar.

I constantly have ‘work-in-progress’ projects going on and great ideas for starting new ones. I also tend to be somewhat ‘last minute’ with my projects, working best under pressure – pressure from deadlines or upcoming departures, the timing being just perfect to do all those ‘other things’ on my list that don’t involve ‘getting ready for our trip’! This week, while I should prioritize my time with the packing, washing and seperating of summer clothes, preparing back-up activities for the kids in case of very likely flight delays, I’ve decided, instead, to make dates with friends in Paris, get some long term projects completed and to take out my collection of fabric, ribbons, thread and my Pfaff to start new creative projects just before we go!

A couple of years ago, when my eldest son was about 10 months old, I made him a bag for our travels by train, plane and automobile. A takarabukuro, treasure bag for his favorite toys. My youngest son, last week showed me that he knew how to put on the back-pack all by himself, from just having observed his older brother. At almost 16 months, and at his 3rd trans-Atlantic round-trip flight, I think it is time he had a bag of his own!

Thibault has his special travel back-pack for his cars and books and so yesterday I made a special one for Damien… He was so so proud! Both boys decided to put their backpacks on around the house… pretending they were boarding the airplane. We’ll most likely use the bags this weekend to ‘test them out’ as we will be returning to Paris for a couple days…

I used fabric that I had bought back in October; Robert Kaufman‘s “Cat’s on the Loose” – curious, finicky, fussy, mischevious, cute, coy, cuddly, playful! A theme not unlike Damien’s current disposition with the mischief growing ever stronger within him. I lined the bag with red checkered fabric that I think compliments the blue nicely and creates a nice fun, bright, energetic color palette which is suitable for a little 16-month old boy. I added a pocket to the outside and a matching one on the inside. I sewed two-inch gussets in the bottom corners with a system to adjust the shoulder straps. I also added a touch of Brazil by adding a little flag, as both boys where born over there…

For our upcoming trip, I will most likely use either this takarabukuro, or this new one for my cross-stitching projet du jour. Now Thibault and Damien each have their own takarabukuro for their favorite treasures too!