Toddler Backpack

A while back I made the Sophia Carry-all bag for my little monkey pants when she had to go to the hospital for surgery. I've been meaning to make another one for my little boy and as I get closer to my due date, the idea surfaced again because he will need a little day bag for his things while I'm in the hospital and he goes to a friends house. Our hospital isn't allowing any children visitors at all due to the H1N1 flu season. Realistically, I didn't really think I would have the determination or stamina required for the Sophia Carry-all and he's really quite small to carry it on his own so I decided on this totally adorable toddler back pack, pattern by Made by Rae.

It sews up pretty quickly because it doesn't require any complicated interfacing, nor custom made piping, and it isn't lined, although I had every intention of lining it anyway. When it was done, I was happy enough with the way it was, I didn't line it.  It has padded, adjustable straps and a quilted bottom. I loved the fabric featured in the pattern and I searched high and low on the internet to try to find it to no avail.  I wanted a Japanese import fairy tale kind of print and I ended buying a couple on Etsy. After I got them, I decided to use a Japanese import from Superbuzzy I already had with little trees instead --yup, the pregnancy brain again.

I had been saving my little 1/2 yard piece of imported out of print Japanese fabric for a while and I didn't want to use it all up, so I decided to make the back of the backpack with aqua corduroy.  Ironically, vexed by my preganancy brain, I made several mistakes cutting the fabric and ended up butchering it into little pieces anyway by cutting it in the wrong direction. A small complaint about the pattern is that it didn't have grain lines marked on it which would have helped me avoid this mistake. It also doesn't have seam allowance information printed on it.

Then my pregnancy brain decided I wanted to add a front pocket to the backpack and that it would make me feel better to use up one of the butchered pieces of fabric I had screwed up to do it. So, without planning or measuring, I came up with the most complicated pocket on the planet including a hidden zipper. Miraculously, and I'm still somewhat surprised at this, it turned out without ruining the backpack front and without involving the seam ripper at any point.

Of course, monkey pants now wants one too.  I promised to make her one when she starts kindergarden.  Secretly, I want to make one for every toddler/preschool child I know.  They are so darn cute!