I started to title this post “Back to School Backpacks” but decided against that since many children will continue to study online this fall. The backpacks are still fun to make and could brighten the day for the youngsters in your life. I have made two of these for my grandson using embroidery designs that are some of his favorite things.
Lucas loves planets and space right now and this backpack was a big hit. So that the planets would stand out and be colorful, I made it from black denim. I researched each planet online and did my own interpretation of what colors to use. It was a fun project and I still want to brush up on my planet facts to converse with Lucas on one of his favorite subjects. Yes, homework to have a discussion with a 2 year old…
The backpack measures 18″by 14″, I cut it on the fold so that the bottom does not have a seam. A button hole is used on each side seam in the casing area to have a reinforced area to put the cording through. The cord is a recycled black cord from an old draw bag. I leave the cords long so that they can be adjusted when Lucas tries it on. The embroidery was done with a size 90 needle and a medium stabilizer.
The first prototype of the backpack was made of 100% polyester that I had around the house. It turned out nicely but I did not think it would be durable enough for regular toddler use. The drawstrings are extra athletic shoe strings that were in my collection of useful items for future craft projects.
The Penguin pouch is about 7″ by 9″. I had a white zipper in my stash that determined how wide to make the pouch. The zipper is placed at the top of the pouch, using a center zipper placement technique. I used the same 100% polyester material. This embroidery design has many layers and made a very thick patch style design. Wash away 1.5oz. stabilizer and a size 80 needle (due to the multiple layers) were used for this project. I regularly use the same easy to read font on all products that I make for Lucas. My theory is that the first words he will recognize are his name and Nanna due to the many items he continues to get from me with these embroidered.
Stay safe my friends and keep knitting and sewing…Debbie
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