kraft-tex Pocket Pal

One of my stocking stuffers this past Christmas was a package of kraft-tex (thanks Jess... er... Santa!). It's something I'd heard of before but had never had any, so I was eager to give it a try. It's actually made of paper - "a kraft paper that performs like fabric" - and is good not only for sewing but for all sorts of craft projects. Here's a good video to learn a little more about it. It's washable, doesn't tear, and has sort of a leather look and feel to it.

I decided to give it a try with the Pocket Pal pattern that I've used before. It has all raw edges, which made it perfect for the kraft-tex. It sewed nicely, although not as smoothly as fabric or leather, but still totally doable. I took a risk and did contrast topstitching (without practicing because I didn't want to waste any) and was quite pleased with how it turned out.

I used some scrap fabric for the lining and inside the card slots, and a KAMsnap for the tab.

I wasn't totally thrilled with the puncture holes on the back side of the seam, but it wasn't a deal breaker. However, just look at that cool texture!

Here's a Pocket Pal I'd made before in leather for comparison.

I like it! It's very sturdy and should hold up for a long time.

Kraft-tex isn't just for sewing projects, but for many kinds of paper crafting, too. It'd be great for scrap-booking, if you're into that. If you're interested, Amazon has lots of it for sale. Give it a try and (or if you already have) let me know what you think. I'm open to project ideas, too. Since you can print on it with an inkjet printer, I'm thinking of maybe making some labels, for one thing. There are endless possibilities! 

LindSport Mini Backpack

Last week I finished up another pattern test for Linds Handmade Designs (note that she has a brand new website!). Even having had a baby in between the last pattern and this one, it didn't slow her down much. She's still writing great patterns!

This is her latest, the LindSport Mini Backpack. I made mine in all waterproof canvas (WPC). I don't know that I would actually recommend doing that, as it did make it somewhat more challenging. But I do love how it turned out! Here's the front:

The back...

... which has a nice sized zipper pocket with plenty of room for your phone and/or other things. There's also a key clip to hang your keys, a mask, or whatever you like. With all of this up against your back when worn, they are pretty secure from anyone sneaking up behind you.

Inside that front pocket, there's a divided slip pocket for pens, lip gloss, sunglasses, notebook... whatever you choose... plus the pocket itself has a small gusset which gives it a little extra room, and the zipper doesn't go all the way to the bottom, so it prevents your stuff from falling out when you open it. She thought of everything!

The main compartment has a double zipper to make it more convenient to open.

Inside there's one more slip pocket. The seams inside are pretty easily bound with the same WPC that's recommended for the lining, which gives the bag a bit more structure.

It's a good kitty size, although I didn't actually try it on her, as a tester friend did with hers. I think her cat is much more tolerant than mine. Ha! Annabelle prefers to just 'look'.

If the fabric looks familiar, you've seen it before here. It's the same WPC from which I made the H2O 2GO Sling, also by Linds. Here they are together.

Once again Wonder Clips proved to be invaluable, holding those curved seams together!

An even bigger challenge for me was that back pocket. I wouldn't have had to line it, since I used WPC for everything, but I chose to because once having made a welt pocket with a faced zipper, I can't not do it anymore. :)

Nothing sticks very well to WPC, and since you're not supposed to iron it, I had quite a time holding those edges down until I got my zipper sewn in. I ended up hand basting them, which did the job well, even though it was a pain.

So that's the gist of it. I was very pleased with how it all turned out! Besides her well-done patterns, Linds always makes a very helpful YouTube video to demonstrate how it's done and add a few nice tips. The one for this backpack can be found here.

I'm sorry for not getting this post done in time for you to take advantage of the pattern's discounted price over the weekend. It was a birthday gift for Miss Courtney herself, and I didn't want to take a chance of spoiling the surprise. Her birthday was yesterday (how can she be 14 already?!), so she has it now, and here she is modeling it

I hope she'll find some good uses for it. Maybe an outing with friends. Or a trip to Disney! (How about that idea, Dad?😉)