It's been a whirl-wind of a time here at the MCD house. We've had family and friends over and I've been sewing and crafting a ton! One of the most recent projects has been the oh so beloved backpack.
G started preschool this year!!!
And although G and I were super-duper excited about this little adventure...a certain little someone else, was not...
Poor Claire Bear.
But G and I couldn't have been happier! It was time. She is so beyond ready and I need a little more one-on-one time with my little pouty-lipped, fire-cracker of a two-year old. Because believe it or not, the little baby doesn't require the most attention, it's G! G won't play by herself to save her life! And she's oh so sensitive, which I love, but it can be tough and can require a bit of time and a truck load of patience since I'm trying to raise a human being...not a hot mess.
I just love that photo.
Since G was starting Preschool, we needed a backpack! And when I say I looked, I mean I scoured the internet, looked at all the department stores and came up with only two that I even remotely wanted.
The first choice was this one from Joo of BaggyBags...
Needless to say, I was in love with this bag. Unfortunately, no embroidery and we were required to have her name on the inside, outside and top of her bag. This bag is just too pretty to do that to.
If you are looking for an amazing bag with beautiful neutral colors, classic shapes and clear-cut quality...Joo of BaggyBags is phenomenal. I know I'm about to purchase something for myself from her...however, I can't choose which one I love the most. She's that good.
Second choice and the one we almost got was from Pottery Barn. The only reason we didn't get it was because I wouldn't have received it until the end of October!!!
Therefore, instead of letting G get swallowed by a slew of plastic and poly...I made the trepidatious decision to make her backpack. *ooohhh....gasp*
I got a couple folks who asked "Are you crazy?" and "why?" and "Really?"
Yes...I'm kind of nuts sometimes.
But, let me tell you how wonderful this experience was. This was by far my most complicated project I have ever taken on. And I came out singing!
Take a look!
First, lets talk fabric. This fabric is absolutely too cute!!! I found it at my new favorite fabric shop, Sewn Studio. The shop is the perfect stop for modern fabrics and the owner and staff there are beyond remarkable. They are so helpful and I dare say they were as excited about my project as I was! I could talk to those ladies for hours and their knowledge and experience shows. If you are ever in the Cincinnati area and you sew or know someone who does...go to Sewn Studio. You will not regret it.
The fabric is called Collage Dotty Bird in purple. It also comes in tan and cream, which is so pretty. It's a border print so the birds are on the bottom so I had to buy extra yardage...for another project :) It's a neat fabric. Some of the dots and bird wings look like newspaper print and the colors are a little more funky...not so bubble gum pink if you know what I mean. Basically, I love this fabric!!
I paired it with a orange and white gingham...think creamcicle and that is the color it reads. For the piping, which I made myself thanks to the help of Julie at Sewn Studio, I chose a beautiful teal cotton. I'm telling you, I'm probably going back for more of that teal fabric. It's so soft and has a sheen to it. I can see a skirt for myself in that fabric.
Yes. Ma'am.
The pattern I used is the Toddler Backpack from Made By Rae. The pattern is really a beautiful basic pattern and it can be expanded for a school-aged child. I added a front pocket to mine to highlight the birds on the fabric and lined it with the teal.
The straps were new for me. I've never done anything like that but...I will be in the future! (hint, hint)
I added a lot of extra stitching to the bag, one for durability and two, for style.
I hand embroidered all of the name patches. There are three in total, one on the front, one on the top....
...and one on the inside pocket as a tag. I also embroidered a little heart on it! So cute!
I thought the bag seemed a bit heavy when I went to photograph it...
So besides being lined in canvas for stability, it seems to make a very nice home for the entire royal family.
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| James to Sophia: "I really like this bag...and the stitching is impeccable..." |
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| Queen Miranda: "Please! I was a cobbler for royal sake! Talk to me about stitching." |
G really loves her backpack. She loves that it's purple, she loves, LOVES that it has pockets...for various reasons...namely, the ridiculously real looking lizard.
That lizard is so creepy.
She loves that it's all hers and she can put it on by herself and she loves that Mommy made it for her. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out and I am truly proud of myself. It was easy in some ways and pretty tough in others and I think I did a pretty good job on this beauty.
Hand-made preschool backpack...COMPLETE!
Until next time...
