Skip to main content

From Dress to Purse Vol. 3-Orange and Pink Backpack

Once again, I found a dress that I loved at a thrift store that didn't fit. I absolutely loved the print. It was a sad day when I realized it was way too small. But happily, I know how to sew! It is a really pretty orange and pink floral. Orange has always been my least favorite color, as long as I can remember. But apparently I love it when mixed with pink. So weird. But whatever. I adore my new bag.




I'd never really made a backpack, so I thought I'd do that. When browsing my patterns, Simplicity 1439 caught my eye. It has several dainty and precious bags plus a backpack included in the pattern. It seems to have been inspired by Laura Ashley, perhaps? I loved it. For some reason, I really wanted to quilt the fabric. So I did. I quilted diamonds all across, at 1.5 inches apart, I believe. I always love using my walking foot on my machine when quilting any straight lines. That metal “arm” on the side helps me keeps my lines nice and even. A major goal for this year is to try to reduce my stash of fabric. So when I started to cut out pattern pieces, and I found I didn't have enough fabric, I searched my stash. This orange plaid had been sitting around for who knows how long. The two fabrics looked like they were made for each other. Look at these fabrics and tell me they aren't perfect together. I dare you. You can't.



These two piece eyelets took some muscle and time to install, let me tell you. I took a cardboard box, laid it down in the garage on the concrete, and just went to town hammering. Each one seemed to take forever, but I finally finished the last one. The orange cord was from Amazon, since I didn't find anything I liked locally. At first, I bought a 1/4” cord, but that turned out too small for the grommets. It looked ridiculous. So I reordered a 1/2” cord instead, and that looked much nicer.



It is a fairly straightforward pattern. I would rate it confident beginner. There are no zippers or much else that is too difficult. Except, like I said before, those grommets. They can be a problem. My tip is practice before on a scrap of fabric and take your time.



And now I have a beautiful backpack to take on adventures that will match my summer wardrobe! Do you have any big summer plans?

Thanks for reading!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Reconstructing History RH017

This is review of RH017, 14th Century Kirtle or  Cotehardie. (Link to buy this patten at the end) I ordered it to make a new dress for the 2015 Medieval Fair of Norman. I had been playing a princess for many years, but decided on changing it up this year. I wanted to be a Bard, a poet/singer/general performer. Naturally, I could not wear the Princess gowns of years past.  It came in a timely fashion. I knew it had a booklet of historical notes, I didn't know it was going to come with a textbook! Seriously, this booklet is 15 pages long (including historical notes, bibliography, actual construction, and a section on period stiches) and is in an easy to digest format. The pattern is on regular paper, not the usual tissue paper, which I appreciated. I had trouble with setting the sleeves, but it was my own fault. I made it oversized purposefully to adjust down to my exact size, and didn't quite adjust the sleeves to match correctly the first time. My own fault. I will pos...

Pirate Belle, part 2

YouTube video associated with this blog The base pieces for this costume are not complicated. I used Simplicity 3677 for the blouse and the pants. The fabric I bought at Joann Fabrics and was exactly what I was hoping to find. It's a light and airy cotton gauze-type fabric. Also, I am in love with the delicate lace I found at Hobby Lobby that I used to trim the wrists. The blouse has elastic bands at the cuffs and a drawstring neckline. It is incredibly over sized, but the fabric gathers under corsets and pants nicely because it was so soft and light. The pants are a tan corduroy and also have elastic in the cuffs. (Did I mention Historical Accuracy TM was not a priority for this costume?) I still think it's beautiful. And now, for a few accessories. These make or break a costume, especially for a pirate. So many little things must be present for the costume to really say “Pirate”. This little hat was such a blast to create. I used a Yaya Han pattern, McCall's 7643. It ha...

In My Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room Dress

My Youtube video associated with this blog post  I am very pleased to present my Tiki Room dress. The Dress Shop brand from Disney has a 1950's-inspired sundress in this fabric. I do like it, but I don't wear sleeveless dresses. So, I thought I would make my own in a slightly different style. I still wanted a vintage dress, with a tropical vibe as was popular mid century. After much deliberation, I decided on Butterick 5880. It's a reprint of a 1951 pattern. I was so anxious to begin this dress. I don't know why exactly. It's not like I'm heading to Disney any time soon. But sometimes I just “get a bee in my bonnet”, as they say. And I can't do anything else until I scratch that itch. So I thoroughly cleaned my sewing studio, AKA the corner of my bedroom, and set to work. For my first run, I used a 101 Dalmatians bed sheet from the thrift store. It's old and worn, but it was less than $2 and it's a big piece of fabric. For my mock-ups, I don't ...