Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Day in the Park Backpack/Tote

Liesel and Co. ran a sale recently on the Day in the Park Backpack/Tote pattern and I had to snatch it up - the picture looked too cute and the versatility was appealing. As it turned out, it took a while for me to gather the requisite materials but once the fabric and interfacing was procured and the rings and grommets ordered, it went incredibly quickly.

The pattern pieces are clearly numbered and marked, as are the instructions. I loved the "hints" provided in the instructions to make life a little easier for the absent-minded sewer like myself :)
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When it was all said and done, I managed to get the stripes lined up on the corresponding pieces and also managed to not break my not-very-strong sewing machine in the process, as the layers of interfacing made it a bit dodgy at times. Part of that problem was mine though, because I had used such lightweight fabric I overcompensated with the heavy-duty interfacing. It is a nice, sturdy bag now though. Tried it out in the city today both as a tote and as a backpack and both were marvelous.
Day in the Park Tote
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The interior is roomy, yet with the zippered pockets and patch pocket inside things are always within easy reach
Day in the Park Backpack/Tote Interior

The result of all of this careful planning on Liesel + Co.'s part is a fantastic bag. Can not sing the praises of this pattern enough. If you do try it out, but aren't sure if you have access to grommets and rings go ahead and order the kit from the website. It will make your life that much easier!