Backpack No.2 - The Summer Version

Ah, Easter is such a great time to catch up on my posting. Don't worry, I'll quiet down again soon...

Maybe you remember my blue backpack that I made a while ago. Well, it was a winter version, and I used it A LOT.

So I decided it would definitely be worth making a summer version. Here it is:

It was such a quick sew, especially since I already had the pattern ready to go. HERE is my post about the first version I made. It got a lot of compliments from people. The pattern is from  CUT Nr. 8 01/13. This is what the winter version looks like:

I really like backpacks - they are so much nicer to carry than bags, and since I bike around a lot they are perfect for me. However, I don't wan't the sportive ones - those are great for hikes out in nature. I want city backpacks that are cute, stylish and don't have a lot of side pockets (those only invite people in crowded subways to reach right in and empty them out...). This one is the perfect size, too, so there wasn't much to alter.

It has a little leather pocket on the inside, perfect for a smartphone, or pens/pencils, kleenexes or the likes...
I also made the flap out of leather this time, since the rest of the material isn't rain-proof. And I lined it, because this time I used a material which frays:

What I omitted this time were the faux-closures on the front. I just placed big buttons over the magnetic closures, for better handling.

What I improved since the last version are the shoulder straps. This time around, I padded them. I cut some foam rubber from an old pillow (works easily with scissors) and made a fabric casing for them.

They are much more comfortable now! They are adjustable in length, too.

As you see in the above picture, the bottom is made of leather, too. I used a regular sewing machine and it worked like a charm. The previous backpack post has a lot of information about working with leather and preparing the paper pattern, so again, HERE is the link to it...

Isn't it cute?

Alright then, that's that for now. Tomorrow, we will re-visit winter for just a quick little funny thing...
Have a great day,

Katja