Purple Batik and Blue Grunge Wayfarer Sling Backpack

Wayfarer Sling Back Pack - Front

Wayfarer Sling Back Pack - Back

 

Fabric Choices

The snowflakes and the purple batik are leftover from quilt backs.

 Video Demo by Siah Swag.

This video demo was very helpful.  Even though I've been sewing most of my life, I picked up a few good tips here. 

The designer had a number of testers make up the Wayfarer sling back pack, so you can see a variety of fabric choices and how it comes out.  

Although I like the way it turned out, I don't think I would make this bag again.  The supplies were more expensive than you might expect -- Although most of the fabric was leftovers from other projects, the woven interfacing stabilizer (SF101) is quite pricey--and you need a lot of it.  Having the right zippers made a big difference this time -- the right width and suited for bags specifically.  This bag has 6 (count them!) 6 zippers.  And they all went in pretty well!  Buckles, and swivel hooks, and D-rings.  Foam padding.  Some of the stuff had to be mail-ordered, which adds to the total cost. 

After a certain point, the layers get so thick, my domestic sewing machine had a difficult time working through all the layers.  Ideally, you'd use a dual feed / walking foot, but the foot was too wide to get into the narrow seam allowances, and it kept sliding off.   The last layer (the back panel) was so thick, I had to hand baste it to keep all the layers together and in place. As soon as I took off the little clips, it shifted, and the needle veered off it's path.  

In the video, she recommends binding the seams inside, instead of using the "birthing" method in the pattern.  I used the binding method on the denim backpack, and it gave it some nice structure, but I had such a hard time with the seam, I'm not sure I would have been able to bind through so many layers.

Pockets Galore!  I love all the pockets.  It was hard to imagine what pocket I'd want where, until it was in front of me, ready to use.  If I were to make it again, I might re-arrange some things.  But I'm not making this one again.

The 2 headed zippers are versatile, and let me hang it from either hip, and the openings won't let my stuff spill out upside down. 

I made the strap longer than recommended so that I can wear it as a hipster bag instead of a backpack.