LBG Blend London Backpack

Blend Front LondonY’all, I can’t believe it’s almost November! I was sew busy (sorry, couldn’t help myself), but I wasn’t able to share what I was making at the time! I revealed a couple of things on instagram, but I can finally show and tell you all about this adorable LBG Studio London Backpack I made for Blend Fabrics’ quilt market booth! They sent me three different prints from Stacy Peterson’s newest collection, Inspirit, which you’ll be able to find at your local quilt shop and online sometime in November.

Blend Side London

Now, about the London Backpack, you will have a lot of pieces to cut. Since I was using three different fabrics, I cut my main print first, decided where I wanted to use the orange accent fabric and cut those pieces, and finally my lining fabric for any remaining pieces. Vanessa has each pattern piece labeled with the required interfacing, so I cut my interfacing and ironed it as I was cutting into my fabric. I made sure to set everything in different piles and labeled them with small sticky tabs I had on hand. Since I used my accent fabric for some “lining” labeled pieces, it made the sewing process much easier. If you are only using two fabrics, you won’t need to label everything, but I do recommend at least labeling the pocket pieces.

Blend Back London

Vanessa provides illustrations and tips throughout the instructions, so if you haven’t sewn anything beyond a zippered pouch, you can easily follow along and make a backpack. Some of the needed supplies are large grommets, two zippers, magnetic snap,  and buckle slides. The final bag is about a foot tall, so it’s on the smaller to medium size scale. I honestly think it took me longer to prep my pieces than it did to sew the bag.

Blend Open Flap London

One of my favorite details is the inside zippered pocket. It hangs, so you can put your keys and wallet, and easily find them when you need them. The pocket also provides a casing for the drawstring. There’s also a large, lined zippered pocket on the back of the bag for more storage. The straps are adjustable, which makes the London easy for a child or an adult to wear.

Blend Zipper Back London

If you have never installed grommets, it’s not too difficult, I promise! You will need a press, and make sure it matches the size of your grommets. My press came with a punch attachment to cut my holes the correct size, but Vanessa gives you tips if you don’t have a hole punch.

Blend Open London

So, what have you made lately? Any other cute bag patterns I should try?