Pencil pods

by Linda Theil

I started school in 1953 in Miss Stump's morning kindergarten class at Neville School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was ashamed of my knobby knees, scared of the Bad Chair, and delighted in making silver bells with foil that sealed the pint bottles of our daily milk ration.

Every year my mom bought me a new pencil box to start the school year. I loved my pencil box with its specialized compartments and equipment. Although I never understood the purpose of the colored plastic protractor with its tiny gradations, I delighted in the #2 Eberhard Fabers, Prismacolor pencils, Crayolas, Westcott ruler, Pink Pearl eraser, pencil sharpener, and compass. I was ready for school!

That's why I was so happy when the local intermediate school district began their "Backpacks for Kids" project -- giving Livingston County, MI students backpacks full of school supplies.

Robin Schutz of Great Start Livingston said:

"LESA staff started this project in 2002 with just a few donations of backpacks and school supplies, and through the support of local businesses, organizations, and families, it has grown to an annual distribution of approximately 1000 backpacks. All of the back packs and supplies come from donations.

"Backpacks that are not picked up on our [drive-through] Distribution Day, August 12, 2021, will be delivered to our Livingston County school bus drivers, local agencies, and schools, who will help us get them in the hands of those students who need them."

If you would like to donate: mail a check or drop off supplies at LESA, 1425 W. Grand River, Howell, MI 49943 between June 28 and August 6, 2021. For more information about the program, contact project coordinator Judy Paulsen at <mailto:judypaulsen@livingstonesa.org> or call 517-540-6802.

Alisa and I donate every year, and this year I decided to make pencil pods for each of the ten supply-filled backpacks we are donating.

I used the "Spencer Ogg Cosmetics Pod" pattern that I wrote about here in September 2020, and again in December 2020. The cosmetic pod pattern is free on the Spencer Ogg website and is featured in a video tutorial on the Spencer Ogg YouTube channel.

I adapted the cosmetics pod pattern by widening the pattern by an inch, and shortening the length by two inches. You can make a pencil pod from an 11x10-inch piece of cotton and medium-weight iron-on interfacing, and a 13-14-inch length of number-five (or #4.5) sized zipper tape and zip pull. The fabric I used was colorful Kona cotton solids -- already pieced -- that Alisa had in her stash.