Well now, I ...

"Remember when ... Christmas was coming. Dad and I always saved our gift making for that last-minute flurry of inspiration and adrenaline.

This would be back in the early 1980's when I was newly separated and just getting back on my feet in a new city. The sewing machine made the move with me and came in handy. That first Christmas I made Gathering Bags for the toddlers near by me.

There was a long strap so the 2 year olds could wear the bag. I put on a big fat snap to close the opening, some handmade stuffed animals inside it, think I made a frog, an oversized coat button on it to practice buttoning techniques, and a large-toothed zipper in the bottom of it.

All that practicing with closures was good for fine-motor control. Of course, once things had been "gathered" up off the floor and collected into the bag, a little one could discover the ZIPPER and have to start ALL over again!

Well, that age was totally into repetition so down to the floor they'd go, into that toddler squat, and patiently start picking up things all over again. The pincer grip, thumb and forefinger and hand-eye coordination.

Got my inspiration for these Gathering Bags watching a godson patiently pick up dust bunnies to place ever so precisely and carefully into an empty plastic milk bag.

After the Gathering Bags I made a series of Dress-Up Bags for nieces and nephews. Here is one of my nieces at about 3+ years old wearing a hat, feet shoved into some glitzy high heels, and unpacking other items in her Dress-Up Bag.