The Cutest Backpack Ever!

My little guy started school yesterday. Well, not really school. Parents Morning Out. But it’s at a school, and I drop him off, and he does art and story time, so it kinda feels like school…to me anyway. When I learned at “orientation” last week, that he’d need a backpack everyday, I jumped at the chance to get back to my sewing machine. I’ve been antsy to sew lately, and this was the perfect project to dive back in! I found this pattern on one of my favorite websites: Made by Rae. She has the cutest stuff, and this pattern didn’t disappoint. I may be a bit biased, but isn’t this the cutest backpack EVER?!?

Let’s be frank: sewing little, detailed items is not my strong suit. If you look around my project gallery, you’ll notice that a lot of my sewing projects are large-scale, non-detailed items like pillows and curtains. Anything small…with piping…and a zipper…tends to scare me off. But I challenged myself to really take my time, do it properly, and enjoy this project along the way. All too often, I race through projects just to get them done and check them off the list. But this one, I enjoyed every step (picking out the fabrics, reading and re-reading the directions, cutting the pattern out, and sewing it together)…and wouldn’t you know it…I think this is my most gratifying sewing project ever!

I mean…that pattern, those fabrics! Does it get any cuter? I.just.love.it!

I’m not really sure what I like best…the checkered and car fabrics I used along the sides, the piping detail…

…the quilted bottom…

…or the adorable straps!

And the best part, I only needed to buy the zipper, the 2 black buckles, and the blue nylon strapping…everything else I picked from my stash. Love that!

A few little notes about the project itself…this pattern is really well written and easy to follow, but does require a good bit of sewing expertise! The blue fabric is an outdoor fabric so it has a bit of weight and durability to it. The two prints (the checkered and the cars) are cotton fabrics that I lined with heavy-weight interfacing so that it would hold its shape. I chose not to line the backpack, as it seemed a bit daunting, but when I make this again (oh yes, I will be making this one again!), I’d like to try the lining.

You might recognize the cute car fabric from the Purse Pouches I showed you earlier this week. These little pouches are perfect for snacks and small toys to tuck into the backpack!

This little backpack has reawakened my love for fun fabrics and my sewing machine – I’ve got a few other projects I’m working on, so stay tuned!

Hope everyone has had a great “Back to School” week/month! Next week, I’ll show you that guest bathroom reveal I promised! Until then, have a great weekend!