Look Out! I'm Packing!

I recovered from "The Month of Pants" just in time to start on "The Month of Backpacks!" 

You may remember back sometime in the spring I made myself...yet, another travel pack. (read about HERE.)  It was part of my never ending search for the perfect backpack.  The one that does everything short of packing itself!!!   I'm thinking all this pack making may actually qualify as a 'disorder' at this point....there may even be medication that I could get...Hmmmmmm? 

It surprises me as much as anyone!  I have never been much for sewing home dec stuff, or quilting, or anything that didn't end up on a hanger in my closet, so this fascination  (alright, obsession!!!!) with backpacks came out of nowhere!  But it has hit hard!

The quest for the perfect combination of pockets, and figuring out how to connect the straps and the HARDWARE!!!!  OOOO, I really love hunting for hardware.  I have been haunting every Ace Hardware in three counties!  Did you know that horse bridle D-rings and hooks make great backpack hardware??? 

And don't even get me started on marine hardware!  Yes, I think we are definitely into 'disorder' territory.

So when my Sewing Guild pals asked if I would help them make backpacks....duh!!!  Let's go!

Once the date was set and everyone had the instructions for cutting out the thousand pieces for their packs, I started to get nervous.  I realized that there are a lot of things that I do automatically when I'm sewing that I was going to have to 'splain to people so they could do it.  That's when the "Month of Backpacks" really heated up.  I decided the best way to figure out how to explain it was to DO it!  Several times!

My son had requested a pack and since his birthday was just around the corner, I made a 'guy-ish' version for him....

          

A sewing buddy wanted to try it, so we made 'matching' packs.  We both fell in love with the same fabric, so we decided we would just have to call each other and flip for who gets to bring their pack when we go out together.😝

And yes....matching the print was an issue!

I realized that one of the things that the ASG members were interested in was the front pockets for maps and water bottles.  I needed to try them out again....I thought this high contrast, raincoat fabric version would be easy for people to see the different parts and pieces...

          

This one is made with fabric that came from my first trip to London, eons ago.  It was supposed to make covers for my dining room chairs, but we moved before I got to them and the fabric has been following me around ever since.  Please check out the matching on the back pockets!  Pretty proud of that!

          

You might think that I would have it down by now.....but, after the sewing session with the ASG folks, I had a whole bunch of new ideas and changes that I thought would make it easier to construct, sooooo, I had to try them out....

All the pieces cut and ready to go.....

And the finished pack complete with map and water bottle pockets!

(and yes I will have to call my son if we decide to travel together!  I used the left overs from his backpack.)

          

BUT!!!!!!  Here are the packs that I am most proud to share!  These are the ones that were made by some of the ASG members during our backpack sewing session.  There are several others that will be finished later in October when we get together again, and I will add them to this post when they are completed and ready to travel.  

It was a really long day and we still have some work to do to get to the finish line.  But everyone is really hanging in there.  This is not a beginner project!!!  It takes lots of 'splaining and major levels of patience with their 'teacher,' but we are getting through it.  I love how each one is a reflection of the maker's personality.  Sew much fun!