More Than Just a Photo Prop
Now, if I'm going to put the effort and fabric into making something for once-a-year use, I need it to be a ten, and I need it to be more than just a photo prop. So Pockets Full of Dreams is just that, one part first-day-of-school photo prop on the front...and one part unique keepsake "album" on the back! It's the perfect recipe for a new family tradition!
Wait, a photo pocket what now? Ok, yes, this is a whole new thing, so maybe you need to see it to get it!
Luckily, Riley Blake had the perfect new fabric collection to go with this pattern, and I was sooo happy I got some to make a sample! The Crayola collection, A New Box of Crayons, screams school, but the best part about it is that it's not overly childish. Lots of school-related fabric can be a little heavy on the apples and ABCs, but this project needs to be used for 12-14 years, so I love that this collection is colorful and happy, but won't make the tweens cringe to much! It also works just as well for boys and girls alike.
I used
- Confetti Cottons, Cloud (solid) for the front panel,
- Kaleidoscope in Black for the black appliqué text,
- Confetti Cloud for the back panel,
- Stripe Cloud for the pocket flaps,
- Kaleidoscope in Yellow for the pocket binding,
- and Scribbles Multi for the binding.
I also have a second one on-deck using Moda's Back-to-School collection which is also a match made in heaven for this project!
The Moda Back-to-School fabric is out now. Riley Blake's A New Box of Crayons fabric is coming this month, and I'm starting to see pre-orders popping up. You might wanna claim yours quickly! I bet it will be very popular.
Ok, let me walk you through how you'll use this photo prop/album to make back-to-school memories, not just photos.
The Front Panel:
Using fusible appliqués, you'll customize the notebook-paper-style front to say "[Your child]'s First Day of ___ Grade". The last two lines are filled in with detachable, Velcro-on-and-off labels for each grade. Each year, just stick on the new grade label and you're set!
You'll take your kid's photo while they hold the "notebook paper" sign up, but that's not even the half of it. There's more fun on the back...
The Back Panel:
Clear vinyl pockets on the back form a unique keepsake "album" where you'll store the photo for each year AND a Dream Card.
Wait, what's a dream card? So glad you asked! The pattern includes printable Dream Cards which you can think of like little interviews for your kiddo each year. It provides prompts like "I dream of being ___," "I dream of learning ___," "I dream of visiting ___," "I dream of trying ___," and more! Record your child's hopes, aspirations, and dreams over the years, plus as a bonus, you'll be tracking their developing handwriting over time, too! What a sweet way to notice the little changes and how cool to build this together!
Putting It All Together
To keep everything safe, there are flaps covering the tops of each row of pockets to keep the dust out and the memories in. There are also hanging ribbons so you can store your project in a closet between uses. The front and back are sandwiched together and bound around the edges just like a quilt! If you have sewn a quilt, clothing, or bag before, you've got the skills to make this!
Two Sizes, Two Styles
How do I recommend getting physical printed photos in 2025? Oh man, this is SUCH a good question! In fact, the answer to it led me to make the pattern in two sizes. So, let's talk about the photos and sizes in detail.
I think most of us struggle to print many photos these days. I know I certainly do anyway! I have tried lots of systems. Your Walgreens 1-hour type photos, your specialty online photo print orders, your print-from-an-app mini album books. You name it, I've probably tried it. Except, I hadn't tried a simple at-home photo printer. I mean one dedicated to photos only. I've ended up falling in love with 2, and you can't make me pick a favorite!
So I did my research, but couldn't decide between a Kodak Era printer which makes 4" x 6" photos and an Instax Mini Link 3 printer which does about 2.1" x 3.4". (Instax instant cameras also print in this size.) I figured plenty of people would have both formats of printers or similar ones, so I decided to design the pattern for both. The standard size Pockets Full of Dreams has pockets large enough to hold 4" x 6" photos and Dream Cards. The mini size has pockets small enough for the Instax type photos and a folded Dream Card. Obviously the larger or smaller the pockets, the larger or smaller the overall project is. No matter which size photo speaks to your heart, you can make a custom photo prop that will work perfectly for you!
Like I said, you can't make me pick a favorite size, BUT there is one really cool little feature that the Instax printer has that just puts a cherry on top of this whole project for me...It can print a still photo frame captured from a video with a QR code on it that will play the video when scanned. You could even ask the Dream Card questions interview-style during your video and let them answer verbally.
For this sample, I decided to go with the standard size and the 4" x 6" photos, but I will be making a mini size with the Moda fabrics. When it's finished, I'll post more about the Instax photos!
So, just imagine this with me...
You set up your Pockets Full of Dreams to say "Emma's First Day of Kindergarten" and you snap a few photos, but you also take a short video to capture her voice, her wiggles, her laughter through her front-toothless grin. Fast forward 12 years. Emma's a senior, and you just put her last photo and Dream Card in the last pocket. She's gone on to school already, and you sit back with your coffee and scan each photo in the pockets and watch those first-day-of-school videos one by one. You see her grow, you watch her change. It feels like yesterday that you were stitching those pockets and pressing those appliqués.
Oh, man! I am getting emotional just imagining it! I have a 5 year old and 2 year old, so we are right at the very beginning of their school journeys, but I know everyone says it goes by in a blink. I'm so happy that I've created this project to collect all the first day memories along the way!
Who Can Make This?
Who can't?! If you have basic sewing or quilting skills, you can do this! I did classify it as an "intermediate" pattern for a few reasons...but if you want to make this pattern, that's enough. Nothing can stop a mama on a mission to make memories!
It requires a few different techniques which absolute beginners may not be familiar with—but that beginners can absolutely learn! It is a bit larger than your typical bag or garment project and so could be a bit fiddly for total newbies. It calls for a few more supplies than beginners usually have right on hand, but who doesn't love a reason to stock up on cool new sewing thing-a-ma-bobs? Sewing with vinyl comes with a few new skills, but as long as you have the right tools (and they're all explained in the pattern), you got this. For these reasons, I classified it as "intermediate," but don't let that word scare you!
Got questions? Check out my Frequently Asked Questions About Pockets Full of Dreams post. If you don't find your answer, send me an email!
Also, after purchase, you'll have access to the pattern resource page with helpful tips, tools, posts, links, and more!
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