Backpack I

 

Coinciding with my decision to sew a bag, is Bag month at Sew, Mama, Sew!

My chosen bag is none other than the backpack from Disdressed - and the good news is that Leisl is reprinting this pattern, which I thoroughly recommend. The pattern is printed on one sheet of very good quality paper - none of that tissue nonsense - and there is a very clear pattern booklet which gives some useful tips as well as the actual instructions.

The pattern took only 5 days from the States to the UK. The envelope containing the pattern has a list of all the materials required, including the various metal rings etc - I decided it was worth the little bit extra to purchase these bits'n'bobs along with the kit, which just left a zip plus fabric to aquire.

Now, I don't usually have a strong idea about which fabric I want to use - I usually browse until something appeals. Not this time. I knew exactly what I wanted, even though at the time I didn't know the name - French Toile. I decided to go with this idea and was amazed to find it on my first outing - upstairs in the soft furnishing dept of John Lewis. (I saw a really hideous one today - thank goodness I didn't see it first, or I think I'd've changed my mind - it was so bad.)

And, unusually again, I decided that 'good enough' was not going to do. Even though it is a waste of fabric, and very time consuming, I am being very picky about the way I lay the fabric out. Instead of folding the fabric to cut two pieces together, and fitting them 'cheek by jowl' to minimise waste, I am centering individual pieces to make the most of the 'prints'. The front of the bag has a pocket - as well as centering the design, I chose two identical pictures - the front of the bag has the whole image, the pocket has the bottom half.

Have a squint at the bottom picture - when I lay one on top of the other, it matches up quite well, dontcha think? ;0)