1.05.2015

tiny backpack.

i made a tiny backpack!


and it's probably the cutest thing ever. the super cute model helps too.


i used made by rae's amazing toddler backpack pattern. it was a super fun sew. definitely the most complicated thing i've ever sewn,  full of new adventures---first time sewing a zipper, first time using piping, first time using interfacing, first time lining a bag...


i'm super stoked with how it turned out. and i finally found the perfect use for the geometric woodland spoonflower fabric i designed! i was able to do the front and back panel from only a fat quarter. the red polka dot fabric, the lining fabric, and all of the extra bits came from jo ann's.


i can't stop gushing over it and all of its ridiculously tiny, real-people backpack details--like the adjustable straps and that tiny handle. total pattern brilliance.


it even has a quilted bottom! i had fun here with some contrasting thread and a snazzy decorative stitch.


i also lined it and added an inside pocket, because i'm basically a sucker. the pattern called for the lining to be made separately, but i opted for a sandwich type construction and then bias bound the seams (another first!). i didn't really know what i was doing here, but i winged it and it turned out ok.


margot loooooves it. like giggles endlessly when you put it on her and throws a tantrum when you have to take it off. such joy makes a maker mom beam.


since margot is still pretty tiny, i scaled it down by thirteen percent. seems like random number, i know but i wanted to still use a standard sized zipper. at eighty-seven percent i could use a twelve inch rather than a fourteen inch zipper. hooray math!


i will definitely be making another one of these. it's such a great pattern--easy to follow and interesting enough that you feel like some kind of sewing super hero when you complete it (well, at least i did). next time i'll definitely do a better job with the bias bound seams in the lining and i'll figure out how to use interfacing better so that it's less wrinkly (any advice there?). i'll also try to remember to include the side pockets that i made and then left on the table...live and learn.

ooh, and now you can follow my blog with bloglovin (a little late on the bandwagon, i know).

3 comments:

  1. First of all, I'm completely "blown away" by not only the calculated downsizing you did, but by the incredible craftsmanship in the seams and lining and adjustable straps. I really wish I could "sit at your feet" to learn to sew. You're inspiring me to get a machine and take lessons when I get home. I'm also just transported back in time by the cuteness of Margot, remembering my own children toddling around and my trying to invent new ways to entertain and be amazed. Your family must be so thrilled that you moved back to the area.

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  2. thanks! the internet is sooo full of amazing tutorials, you can basically teach yourself if you have the gumption, which i know you do!

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  3. Aw gee thanks. :-) And yes, everything is better tiny.

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