I still can’t believe it but my eldest daughter is starting pre-school next week. I still can’t believe she’s old enough, I don’t know where the time went!
I keep noticing that all of her ready made things like coats, boots and backpacks have name tags on them. The manufacturers of these items know that not only will there be lots of kids in the each class and the teachers need to keep track of what stuff belongs to which student, but that there will probably be multiple students in the same class with the exact same things. I wanted my daughter to have a unique backpack so despite the fact I usually only sew clothes, I decided to try my hand at making my daughter a backpack.
I decided to try Ellie and Mac’s Olibeli Backpack and Daypack Pattern. The pattern includes two different size bags: the backpack and daypack. The daypack is the perfect size for a toddler backpack. It features a front pocket with a twist lock and an interior pocket with a zipper. I did have some issues with the names of the pattern pieces in the instructions not matching the names printed on the pattern pieces. I did figure it out eventually though. I made a few mistakes and spent some quality time with my seam ripper. The backpack also took a lot longer to make than I had originally anticipated, but I had been working on it late at night which is not the best time for thinking straight. I think the next one will go a lot faster.
Despite having some difficulties with the pattern I quite enjoyed bag making. Previously to this backpack the only bags I had ever made were a couple of simple appliquéd tote bags for my nieces (under the watchful eye and with the assistance of my mother.) The backpack was a lot more complicated than those totes, but it was a lot of fun to make. It isn’t perfect, but I’m really happy with how it came out. I’m looking forward to making more bags in the future. Next up, I’m going to see if I have enough time to make her a new dress for her first day of school. This will be a challenge as we are away for the weekend and won’t be getting home until the night before her first day.
Sarah’s Sewing Space 