Ever since I started having to travel further and longer for work, I have been keeping an eye out for a backpack that is big enough to carry all my daily essentials and cute enough to brighten up my work day. I have a mini backpack that’s too small to fit everything I need, and a huge haversack that is too bulky and cumbersome for everyday use. After realising the great difficulty I have in finding the “right” bag for myself, I knew that the only way for me to have a bag I am happy about is by making one myself!
The pattern
The Raspberry Rucksack by Sarah Kirsten is a pattern that I have been following for a while since its publication. There are 2 different sizes offered in the pattern – Big Raspberry and Little Raspberry.
After finding out that the Big Raspberry is the perfect size for my project, I also got lucky and found the perfect fabric for the outer layer of the bag. This white laminated cotton with black polka dots packs a lot of sass and kitsch! I love the smooth feel of the laminated cotton and the haphazard design of the polka dots.
The fabrics
For the lining of the bag, I used the leftover fabric from making my Burnside Bibs. It is a polycotton blend in black and white vertical stripes. I think that the greatest benefit of sewing your own things is the ability to choose funky linings for your projects. I am so in love with this monochromatic party packed in this bag!
As both the laminated cotton in polka dot print (outer layer) and striped polycotton (lining) are lightweight fabrics, I decided to use a very stiff, sew-in interfacing to add more structure to the bag. This combination has proven to work beautifully together. I have added the stiff interfacing to every element of the bag except for the top part of the pop-up pocket.
Final thoughts
To be honest, this sewing project took a bit longer than usual because of my unfamiliarity with sewing bags. Making the pop-up pocket for this project was a real mental workout for me. I haven’t done so much 3D visual-spatial thinking since I was in high school! Before embarking on this sewing project, I was also afraid that I would have issues with the plastic side of the laminated cotton and my metal sewing machine foot. This didn’t turn out to be an issue at all. However, if you feel that you’re fighting the “tackiness” of the plastic side of the laminated cotton and the sewing machine foot, you can try using a Teflon sewing machine foot or simply adding 3M tape to the underside of the sewing machine foot to reduce the friction between the plastic side of the fabric and the sewing machine foot.
Other tips for sewing with laminated cotton fabric:
- Be mindful of the use of pins
Pins will pierce and create a hole in the fabric, so use clips to hold pieces of fabrics together, or place the pins within the seam allowance.
- Avoid creases in fabric
After cutting out the fabric pieces you need for your sewing project, avoid folding the pieces when putting your project away, as this can create creases in the fabric.
- Ironing the fabric
If there is a need, you can iron the cotton side of the laminated cotton. Use a low-heat setting. Always test the iron with a scrap piece of laminated cotton. Never iron the plastic side of the laminated cotton fabric.
#minervamakes #minervamakers #isew #memade #memades #sewing #sewist #sewists #sewinginspo #sewinginspiration #sew #sewcialist #sewingproject #sewingprojects #sewingideas #sewingprojectideas #sewingpatterninspo #lovesewing #ilovesewing #sewsewsew #sewersgonnasew #makersgonnamake #sewaholic #sewaholics #shareyoursewing #sewinglove #bagmaking #sewingbags #ricofabrics #spots #monochrome #polkadots #sewingwithpvc #pvcsewingprojects #raspberryrucksack #sarahkirsten #sarahkirstenpatterns #sarahkirstenraspberryrucksack #sewingwithvinyl #vinylsewingprojects
The pattern
The Raspberry Rucksack by Sarah Kirsten is a pattern that I have been following for a while since its publication. There are 2 different sizes offered in the pattern – Big Raspberry and Little Raspberry.
After finding out that the Big Raspberry is the perfect size for my project, I also got lucky and found the perfect fabric for the outer layer of the bag. This white laminated cotton with black polka dots packs a lot of sass and kitsch! I love the smooth feel of the laminated cotton and the haphazard design of the polka dots.
The fabrics
For the lining of the bag, I used the leftover fabric from making my Burnside Bibs. It is a polycotton blend in black and white vertical stripes. I think that the greatest benefit of sewing your own things is the ability to choose funky linings for your projects. I am so in love with this monochromatic party packed in this bag!
As both the laminated cotton in polka dot print (outer layer) and striped polycotton (lining) are lightweight fabrics, I decided to use a very stiff, sew-in interfacing to add more structure to the bag. This combination has proven to work beautifully together. I have added the stiff interfacing to every element of the bag except for the top part of the pop-up pocket.
Final thoughts
To be honest, this sewing project took a bit longer than usual because of my unfamiliarity with sewing bags. Making the pop-up pocket for this project was a real mental workout for me. I haven’t done so much 3D visual-spatial thinking since I was in high school! Before embarking on this sewing project, I was also afraid that I would have issues with the plastic side of the laminated cotton and my metal sewing machine foot. This didn’t turn out to be an issue at all. However, if you feel that you’re fighting the “tackiness” of the plastic side of the laminated cotton and the sewing machine foot, you can try using a Teflon sewing machine foot or simply adding 3M tape to the underside of the sewing machine foot to reduce the friction between the plastic side of the fabric and the sewing machine foot.
Other tips for sewing with laminated cotton fabric:
- Be mindful of the use of pins
Pins will pierce and create a hole in the fabric, so use clips to hold pieces of fabrics together, or place the pins within the seam allowance.
- Avoid creases in fabric
After cutting out the fabric pieces you need for your sewing project, avoid folding the pieces when putting your project away, as this can create creases in the fabric.
- Ironing the fabric
If there is a need, you can iron the cotton side of the laminated cotton. Use a low-heat setting. Always test the iron with a scrap piece of laminated cotton. Never iron the plastic side of the laminated cotton fabric.
#minervamakes #minervamakers #isew #memade #memades #sewing #sewist #sewists #sewinginspo #sewinginspiration #sew #sewcialist #sewingproject #sewingprojects #sewingideas #sewingprojectideas #sewingpatterninspo #lovesewing #ilovesewing #sewsewsew #sewersgonnasew #makersgonnamake #sewaholic #sewaholics #shareyoursewing #sewinglove #bagmaking #sewingbags #ricofabrics #spots #monochrome #polkadots #sewingwithpvc #pvcsewingprojects #raspberryrucksack #sarahkirsten #sarahkirstenpatterns #sarahkirstenraspberryrucksack #sewingwithvinyl #vinylsewingprojects