After going to
Camp Workroom Social last year, a backpack has been high on my to sew list. Purses and tote bags just arn't the best for lugging around your supplies at camp, so this project was a must before returning this October.
I have had the
Desmond backpack pattern by Taylor Tailor on my list ever since it was released. My husband has a very similar backpack that he paid a lot of money for and wears when we do family hikes, so I've been drawn to this style. The rolltop means that it fits lots of stuff, is adjustable, and has that cool retro camping vibe that I love.
The outside of my bag is made up in some really cool
waxed canvas that I bought at Fancy Tiger Crafts. They have a few really great colors including an orange/red and an olive that I almost got, but the neutral vibe runs deep in me so I went for the gray.
The hardware and strapping is all from
Taylor Tailors shop. He sells them as kits which I love. It's so hard to source all of the matching pieces and his is really great quality. They come in navy and black for the webbing and silver for the hardware. I would love to find a brass or matte black kit for the next time if it exists.
For the lining I went with this fun zebra print that I designed and printed a few years ago. It's actually the fabric that I used on my
4 yr old son's backpack so it's fun to have it matching. It's kinda a heavy quilting cotton. I went with this because I knew that the waxed canvas was thick and I was worried about all of the layers. Now that I have made it once, I would go with something thicker for the lining. The only place where you sew the two together is along the top edge (no corners or anything) so you really don't need to worry about the thickness and a more rigid lining would give more structure to the pack which would be a plus.
I really can't recommend the
Desmond pattern enough. The instructions and pattern were fantastic and the sewalong made it super easy to sew up really quickly. I love that it is gender neutral so it would make an excellent gift for pretty much anyone. Now I just need to figure out who to sew one for or see if I can justify a reason to sew up another one for myself.
