Pocket covering panel
Last week I began working on an update to my trusty backpack which has served me so well on artist dates and other outings. Over the week, I added to last Wednesday’s fabric panel: I fused the fabric leaves to the panel, zigzag-stitched around them with variegated (multi-color) and silk threads, embroidered a couple of additional leaves, and sewed beads and buttons onto the painted leaves. I think I could have done more with embroidery and beading, but my hands got tired, so I decided to stop there.
Embellishment detail
After the panel was finished, I moved on to the tedious work of constructing a more three-dimensional covering for the flag pocket. This wasn’t as difficult as I’d expected, though as I say, it was boring… but within an hour or so I had a nice pocket-shaped sheath complete with a bottom and sides, and was ready to attach it to the backpack. Again, this wasn’t as tricky as I anticipated, so I had a little extra time to further decorate the pack’s exterior.
The backpack and its completed pocket covering, ready to attach
I dug out some yo-yos I’d made earlier this year, stitched them together, and attached them over the Jansport logo on the top center of the bag. Then I pondered the top flap of the pocket. My original idea was to sew a couple of layers of ruffles to it, but I decided this would be too froufrou. Instead, I sifted through my trims and found some magenta lace, a wide cream-colored ribbon, and some of my biggest buttons. By this time my hands were pretty tired from all the hand stitching, so I was feeling more slapdash than meticulous, and I attached these trims to the pocket flap as quickly as I could.
AFTER: The updated backpack!
BEFORE: A sad, hasty fix
I still want to add interior pockets, and maybe some ribbons or charms on the zipper pulls, but I consider the makeover mostly completed, and I’m happy with it. The bag is much more cheerful now and a much better reflection of my personality!
Tomorrow: I muse on what makes great literature, and whether the distinction between “great” and “not” is important to me as a writer.
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
i LOVE the pocket covering panel! it’s so pretty and intricate!
Thank you! Yes, intricate… it took a long time ;b
Beautiful work! A backpack worth toting around for years to come…..and I’ll bet you will get many compliments on it too.
Thank you, Sherry! My family saw it today and liked it. 🙂
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Oh my gosh, I’m speechless! That is the most unbelievably beautiful backpack I’ve ever seen. The colors and the patterns that you chose are absolutely stunning!! If you were to make items with those sorts of embellishments for your shop, I bet shoppers would go crazy for them. 🙂 I know I would!
Aww, thank you so much, Mo!! I am definitely considering doing something similar for the shop, but not sure yet — the embellishing takes so much time. I really appreciate your thoughts on the colors, etc, because after working on it for so long I kind of can’t see it anymore, if you know what I mean. 🙂
I have a question about the embroidered edges on the leaves, and yes, this will totally betray my sewing ignorance: Is there a machine setting that will create that effect, or how did you do that? Have I mentioned how much I love your bag? 😉
Hee, no worries, I still marvel at it myself. It is indeed a machine setting: zigzag stitch, set on a very tight distance between stitches. (On some machines, you can change the actual length of the stitches, but on mine I can only change how closely they’re set apart.) It’s the same kind of stitch you use to do buttonholes.
So glad you love it. 🙂 I’m loving it too — just took it out on its first artist date today! 🙂
Wow. Okay, last question: Is is super tricky to manipulate the fabric through the machine with all of those lovely, curvy lines that you embroidered?
I hope you and the bag enjoyed your artist date together. 😉
Ooh, yes, it would be. I did the machine stitching first before tackling the embroidery, because I didn’t want to accidentally catch my painstaking hand stitches on the machine needle… except I discovered that this made the embroidering more difficult, for the sole reason that the appliqués made the fabric too fat to stay put in my embroidery hoop. Otherwise I would probably have done more embroidery or beading!
We did enjoy the date. 🙂 I’ve just posted today’s entry about it! And I think you’ll like it too… it’s right up your alley. 😉
Just occurred to me: you did mean the stitching around the edges of the fabric leaves, no? Not the ones I did by hand in green thread?
Yep, that’s totally what I meant. It sounds so complicated! But clearly worth it, since the end result is so stunning. 🙂
On a random note, I just found an artist that I think you’d like. All of her work is wonderful, but I particularly enjoyed the pieces under the “personal” heading: http://www.misscapricho.com/
It’s not really complicated. 🙂 Give it a try — you’ll be surprised how easily you can do the same. 🙂
What cute art!! Thank you for sharing! Her fashion drawings remind me of things I used to do. Maybe I’ll try some again sometime. 🙂
Hmm…well, I should probably start with basic sewing first. 😉 But thanks for the vote of confidence!
Oh…one more artist: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lucileskitchen. I love her work! 🙂
Learning to use zigzag stitch can be part of basic sewing, since it’s good to test out all the stitches your machine can do when you first start. 🙂 Maybe you won’t use it right away, but maybe it’ll just feel right, right away, and then you can embellish away happily! 🙂
Aw, what a cute shop! I wonder if she’s sent anything to theydrawandcook.com?
That’s not a bad idea! I’d love to do something like that on the yoga mat bag that I still haven’t made time to learn how to sew. 😉
OMG, I am loving theydrawandcook.com! 😀
[…] and the Japanese garden, and though we didn’t expect to stay out long, I brought my trusty backpack full of my usual paraphernalia. Hello my […]
[…] these unexpected additions to my supply closet is that they encourage me to experiment. During my backpack makeover, I used some of the silk thread I’d obtained from sales; in today’s sale, I got two […]