After making a few pencil pouches, I still had piles of scrap fabric. Most of the fabric was left over from a rag quilt that was made smaller than expected.

Since I had rag quilts on the brain, I figured, why not a rag quilted bag!

The fun fabric, with a sea shore theme, instantly made me think of sunny days at the beach.

 

The ragged edges from the quilting give the bag a vintage look that pairs well with sun bonnets and sandals.

The inside has a clean finish, but maintains the patchwork look.

To get this look I simply made two mini rag quilts, sewed them together at the bottom and sides, boxed the corners, and added grommets and cord handles.

For a quick weekend project, I was very pleased with how this bag turned out.

Oh, what to do with scrap fabric? This weekend I sat looking at a pile of scrap fabric, trying to figure out how to make the most of it. A lot of the fabric had already been cut into small pieces, so I was left with only small projects as options.

A pencil pouch seemed like the perfect solution! Who doesn’t love making pouches? They are are quick, useful, and easy.

Most of the fabric was in neutral colors. I decided to pair that with a more vibrant lining and zipper.

I really love how the contrast turned out!

To add interest I also added decorative trims and stitches.

The pouches can be made really quickly, but with great results.

I am currently working on putting together the instructions.

Over the last few weeks I have been playing with my canvas backpack pattern. What better way than with Disney themes!

My backpack pattern makes a smaller sized backpack, perfect for a child, or for an adult who wants to be able to stuff their backpack in the little parcel holder pouches on the Disneyland rides!

I started with a basic canvas backpack, no lining or anything, I have have been updated it, trying different fabrics and interfacing, to see which I like best.

Here was my first adapted backpack!

I went with Classic Minnie for this one! I love the traditional ears, with the red dot bow which I also made from one of my patterns. I wanted something I could wear with it. The base fabric is red canvas. There is no interfacing on the main bag. To make it fun I added the ears and bow to the bag as well.

The straps are simply 1 inch wide nylon webbing with two tri-glide plastic rings to make them adjustable.

I really liked how this bag turned out. It was fairly simple, and very cute 🙂

For my next backpack I wanted to take it a step further. I really like the look of the classic Jansport backpacks with the leather base. I decided to try something like that to see if it would work on my mini sized backpack. Since I am hoping to visit the Animal Kingdom at some point, I figured Lion King would be an appropriate them for this version.

I really liked working with the suede which I purchased from fabric.com. However, since the suede was quite thin, I used fusible fleece interfacing over the entire bag. I also lined the back with cotton fabric. I used my embroidery machine to make the front tag, using one of the standard fonts.

For this bag I added a metal zipper to the front pocket as well as a lobster clasp inside for keys.

I also added a back wallet pocket (my mom’s idea!) so a separate wallet is not necessary.

Overall, I am pleased with how it turned out.

 

While the canvas backpack was by no means flimsy, this bag is much sturdier. It is quite bulky and thick. This bag feels very solid, like it would last quite some time.

Of course, no bag is complete without a pair of ears to wear with it. These were inspired by a picture I found on Pinterest.

I can’t wait to wear them!

Next, I wanted to try something a little sleeker. Something that didn’t look like a school bag. So, for the next version I made the entire main bag out of vinyl. For a lining I used rose jacquard. No interfacing was necessary. I LOVE the classy look. However, I think it needs a bit of something. I am tempted to add some rose jacquard ears to the top!

I also started a Princess backpack. This one has a vinyl base and canvas interlining. I also used Pellon SF101 interfacing on the back of the exterior cotton as it was a bit see through. I altered the pattern a bit for this bag, curving the top more and extending the front pocket width but reducing the depth. I am loving the change in design. I want to add a bow to the top and perhaps a few tags, but I think the structure of this one was my favorite so far.

I added vinyl straps for the Princess bag. While the black the main part is vinyl, the straps are still webbing. While I like the look of the vinyl straps a lot, I think the simple webbing was more comfortable for me. I might try some fleece interfaced cotton straps on my next bag.

For both the Princess and black vinyl bags I changed the wallet pocket. It is still in the back of the bag, but I extended it all of the way across the bag (another tip from my mom).

While the original wallet pocket worked, it was a little tight getting in and out of it. It would be great for a hotel key card or a gift card holder. However, there also was not enough space for bills and receipts. I really like how easily accessible the

I am working on refining my backpack pattern and hope to post the pattern and instructions once it’s complete.

Keep an eye out for new picks. I will post updated versions of the bags once I add the finishing touches! I also plan to keep making new designs. You can never have too much Disney Gear!

 

I felt a bit all over the place today! I worked a bit on hexagons. Take a look at my teenie tiny whip stitches! So, fun! I can’t wait to teach my students how to do this. Not only will it improve their hand sewing skills, I think they will have a lot of fun with it.

I also attached the ears to my Belle mouse ears headband. Whoo hoo!

Next, I posted my first Learn to Sew page for Basic Sewing Tools. Take a look if you have a minute!

Happy sewing!