TRIBAL PRINT BACKPACK DIY

This tribal print backpack began as a pillow from India.  I loved the fabric, but I didn’t like the shape or size of the pillow.  It went into storage for a few years until I unearthed it while preparing for a garage sale.  It seemed like such a shame to leave this beautiful print hidden from the world, so I decided to create a backpack for our trip to Switzerland.

Materials:

My free template
30” x 20” Heavyweight fabric

12” x 15” Costume pleather

12” x 15” Felt

2.5 yard 1” Nylon webbing

1 yard Drawstring

2 Plastic adjusters

1 Buckle

Black thread

Pins

Chalk

Scissors

Iron

Sewing machine

Method:

1) With the wrong side facing, measure 2 ½'' from the top of the fabric and mark with a pen.

2) Fold fabric ½“ from top and iron.

3) Fold fabric another 2'' to meet the pen mark you made. Iron flat and sew edge.

4) Insert the drawstring.

5) Fold fabric in half width wise. With right sides facing, sew the edge together. Use a zigzag stitch to finish edges and prevent the fabric from fraying. The fabric should now form a cylinder with the drawstring at the top.

6) Cut two pieces of nylon webbing 6.5” long. Thread plastic adjusters onto the webbing. Fold webbing in half and sew adjusters as shown in image below.

7) Cut base pieces from template. With wrong sides facing, sew edges together.

8) Pin base and adjusters in place. The adjusters were set 8” apart. In the photograph you can see that I’ve placed the fabric seam down the center back.

9) With right sides facing, sew base to backpack. Turn backpack right side out.

10) Cut two 28” pieces of nylon webbing for straps. Pin straps at an angle to top of bag, approximately an inch from the back center. Sew in place. Thread the straps through adjusters.

11) Cut one piece of nylon webbing 3” long. Thread buckle onto webbing. Fold webbing in half and sew as shown in image below.

12) Cut one piece of pleather and one piece of felt according to flap template. With wrong sides facing, sew together.

12) Cut one piece of nylon webbing 8” long.  Pin webbing to the felt in the center of flap. Sew webbing in place.

13) Pin and sew the flap to the backpack right above straps.

14) Pin buckle to the front of backpack and sew in place.

Note: If you plan on carrying heavy items, reinforce the straps by sewing extra nylon webbing perpendicularly across strap ends.

Any questions or comments are always welcome and appreciated. Hope you have a good weekend, Nicole.

FAUX LEATHER SWEATER DIY

Grüetzi!  I’m excited to be blogging from Switzerland.  The husband and I will be based here for the next three months while he is a visiting fellow at the University of Basel.  I finally have a chance to practice my non-existent German on the unsuspecting masses.

Before I left home I reinvented a few items of clothing and some decorative pieces, which I’ll share in the coming months. I’ll also post a few travel photos and tips, so check back often for some European inspiration.

First up, I converted my husband’s old sweater into a fitted faux leather top.  I loved wearing his oversized sweater on wintery days at home.  But it turns out that the moths in my closet loved it too.  When the sweater became too embarrassing to wear, I decided to reinvent it by keeping the wool sleeves and adding a faux leather body.  Now I have a new piece to wear around Europe, which, judging by all the faux leather jackets in Switzerland, is bang on trend.

Supplies:

Old wool sweater

1 yard of costume pleather (should have some stretch if you want a more fitted top)

Black thread

Scissors

Chalk

Method:

1) Carefully remove sleeves from body.

2) Use the old sweater bodice as a template to cut a faux leather back and front.  If you prefer a more fitted top, cut faux leather to preferred size, using the armholes of the original sweater as a template.  Just remember to add a ½ inch seam allowance.

3) With right sides facing, sew front and back of bodice together.

4) Insert the sleeves and attach to bodice.

Why not reimagine an old piece of clothing from your closet? If you’re stuck, send me a photo and I’ll try my best to help. Nicole