Heart of Mary: Backpacks

I wanted to veer away from cakes for a short bit and talk about one of my other loves..........sewing!

I am guessing that most of you weren't here from the very start. Way back before the cakes started, I was so into sewing and those following me were more into crafting than baking. Not long after I learned how to sew simple tote bags from the internet, I started making bag tutorials myself. Two of the most visited (non-cake) posts here are, in fact, my messenger bag and city backpack tutorials. I was and still am, very proud of those bags, because I created them at a time when I was still very inexperienced in sewing.

Shortly before my grandson was born, I sewed lots and lots of things for him - quilts, blankets, rompers, bibs, nappy stacker, jacket, small pillowcases, etc. but one thing I didn't get to make was a bag! Now that he is two and a half years old and going to daycare once a week, I thought of making him a small backpack 😄. I used the same pattern for the city backpack but I changed it a bit to make it more kiddie-friendly. I turned the slip front pocket into a zippered one and I also added elasticized side pockets.

Here is the first bag I came up with. The fabric is a heavy Japanese cotton duck with dinosaur prints (Lachie's fixation nowadays is dinosaurs!).

Isn't that so adorable?

I reinforced the fabric straps with polyester webbing. They turned out very sturdy but was quite thick to sew into and I had to force them into the metal sliders.

Instead of sewing a drawstring from fabric (as with the original city backpack), I used a nylon cord and a coordinating cord stopper.

The bag lining is a pre-quilted fabric. I have used this kind of fabric with many of the bags I have made in the past. I like not only the look of it but also it's thickness and softness.

After I finished the bag, I realized that the side pockets were a little short. It was ok for a small drink bottle but taller bottles might fall out 😞.

For a final touch, I ironed on a label. Everything I make for my little one is made with love, of course!

Although I was very happy with the dinosaur backpack, I decided to make another one because I wasn't satisfied with the side pockets. Here is the second one, now with a similar Japanese cotton duck, this time with doggy prints 😉!