A Day In The Yard Backpack Tote

A lazy, hot, summer afternoon.  A rare day alone at home with E, just the two of us.

A photo shoot of a bag.  E decides he's not going to let this interfere with our day, decides he's going to be a part of it, and then...   

...that little rascal runs off with the bag...

...takes it for a ride...

...and ditches it on the swing, moving on to the trampoline, leaving the bag for the photoshoot to continue. 

Actually, next there was a fair break for swinging, sliding, and jumping together.  So nice to have some time to ourselves.  When did our little boy grow up?

Back side and interior:

This is the Backpack Tote Pattern by Leisl of Disdressed, pattern available at Purl Patchwork (not on their site currently but apparently you can call them for it.)  This is an VERY well written and designed pattern with incredible attention to detail.  Leisl doesn't leave a single detail out, with plenty of sidenotes and suggestions to help along the way.  Every step is clearly described both in words and in illustrations.  I learned a lot by "constructing" this bag.   This is one STURDY bag.  Nearly every exterior piece is reinforced with both heavy sewn-in interfacing AND heavy canvas (I used one similar to the kind Carhartt workwear is made of, even in that same classic brown color, although you can't see it anywhere on the exterior of the bag.) 

The medium weight floral print is from a pair of thrifted curtains.  The solid brown is a linen/cotton blend.  The green lining is a thrifted linen tablecloth, and the striped cotton used for the interior pocket and the lining of the exterior pocket is thrifted vintage yardage.

Modifications:  The height of the exterior pocket is increased.  I skipped the interior, zippered pocket since I'd never use it but I'll use her instructions for one if I ever need to in the future. 

The one slightly (so tiny, really) unclear thing in the pattern, I felt, is that the rivets are described as just that, rivets.  Well, there are all kinds of rivets out there in the world for all different purposes.  I tried pop rivets from the hardware store but they didn't hold even when I tried using washers, and C has some other copper rivets in the shop that didn't work either.    Finally, it dawned on me that the rivets called for must be something like the kinds of rivets used in jeans?  I tried instead machine sewing through the tripled layers of the already sturdy straps and broke two needles.  For now, the straps are heavily sewn into place around the o-rings by hand until I get my hands on some rivets. 

I hadn't ordered the hardware kit, offered optionally alongside the pattern, mistakenly thinking I could find the magnetic closure, o-rings, and rivets locally. Ha!  Was I ever wrong.  I ended up ordering the o-rings and magnetic clasp online and of course ordered a other things too, you know, make the order "worthwhile."   I'd HIGHLY recommend ordering the hardware kit along with the pattern, and Purl, it turns out, will sell the hardware separately as well.  Live and learn.

All in all, a great project, worth the price of the pattern, and finally, a summer replacement for the heavy woolen bag I've been hauling around since winter.

Others in the Day in The Park Backpack Tote Flickr Group.

Comments

[melody]

Love it... great fabric choices. Love the "yarrow?" and butterfly pic, too.

[Karen à Toronto]

love your bag. colors, prints...
and this butterfly picture is amazing !

[Peg]

I can see from the last two posts, that you are busy with your 'electric' needle. What great projects - hats and backpacks. E certainly has grown and he has a 'twinkle' in his eye as he is trying to get away!
I always enjoyed it when I had one of my children alone. We did some things that they alone loved to do!

[Lana]

Looks fantastic! Sewing seems to be the new knitting now! haha! I love your bag and the hat below is fab as well! I've made quite a few bags over the past year or so and I have lots of new fabric to make more. I've been really interested in sewing smaller items this past week or so though! Anyways, happy sewing (and knitting) ^_^

[Heather]

That floral fabric is very familiar to me, I think we must have had a tablecloth like that once upon a time. Love the way the bag looks, one can never have too many bags, really.

[Gwyn]

Gorgeous bag!

[Amber]

What a great bag! I love the little adventures it went on, too ;-)!!

[Julia]

I love that backpack!! the fabrics are awesome. I hope you get a lot of use out of it! looks like it'd be real cute and useful for festivals.

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

If you're thinking of doing an Etsy shop, as mentioned a few posts back, it should be to sell your FAB sewing projects, like this bag. Or both I guess. The dyed yarn is nice but you have a brilliant eye for putting the thrifted fabrics together. Love this bag!

[Ellen]

Love the bag. I just purchased this pattern and am looking forward to trying it out - just having trouble deciding which fabric to use.

[Gwen]

Hey! My son does that too! And with the exact same mischevious look!

Beautiful summer.

[Michelle]

Very Cool!

I just love your eye for color.

Beautiful bag(:

[meredith]

that is a beautiful bag, i love the fabrics and the colors that you've chosen! nicely done.