Sewing For Back To School Part 1

Hi everyone! Are you ready to bring some fun and creative ideas into your "Back to School" wardrobe? Shari and I are excited to bring you a variety of different tutorials to do just that in this course. I'll kick things off in Part 1, with a tutorial to sew up an adorable backpack for your 18 inch doll. In Part 2, Shari is also going to share a tutorial bringing in vintage flare to some of those back to school looks. In Part 3, I thought I'd cross over a little bit and bring in some crochet! I have loved discovering this hobby. It might surprise you to know that I didn't know how to do this until just a couple months ago and I have jumped in full force. I'm pretty much totally obsessed and I love the simplicity of using a granny square to create a variety of different things. Together we'll take a look at how to bring in some interesting ideas from across the pixie faire pattern collection to round out your Back to School looks. We're both really excited to pull this together for you and invite you to join us for this course!

Are you ready to get started? Let's jump right into Part 1.

As we think about Back to School, and creating a well rounded wardrobe, the first thing that pops into my mind is the backpack! I know that might be the opposite of what you might be thinking, but for most of my early memories, the backpack is always the thing I looked forward to choosing the most! It goes beyond the outfit you wear on the first day, this stand-out accessory is something that has to coordinate with every outfit for the whole year! It's something that likely captures the personality of the wearer and creates connection with other classmates!

Here are a few examples, check them out close up on my Pinterest Board Back To School 2024

Follow along in this tutorial sew-along for the Miche Designs Heading to Grandmas Backpack pattern. I'll walk you through choosing the fabrics, pattern placement, using fusible interfacing, clipping seam allowances for sewing curves, and simple zipper insertion. This darling little backpack is pretty simple to sew!

 

In this video I demonstrated using the Malibu Barbie Merch Pixie Pack to make the backpack. You can find that kit in the Pixie packs section (plus get free shipping with the SWC discount when applicable). 

 

Want to make a Star Wars themed backpack? Or maybe Disney, Harry Potter, Paw Patrol, Bluey, or other popular character? Check out the licensed quilting cotton prints available through your local fabric store, or online at shops like Missouri Star or Harts Fabrics.

When making a backpack with a quilting cotton, you'll want to use a fusible interfacing product. I've used Pellon SF101 in my demonstration (there's some included in the Malibu Barbie Merch Kit). This helps to add structure to your bag. If you use a heavier weight fabric, like twill, denim, or corduroy you don't need to use interfacing.

Looking for 9" or longer closed end zippers? Wawak is your place to go! They have #3 nylon coil non-separating zippers in 182 colors, ranging from 3-inches to 80-inches in length! For this project I used a 9-inch zipper.

I also used this same kit with a few additional supplies (one more zipper, clear vinyl, and fold over elastic) when I made the Sewing On The Go travel holder!

Now that your backpack is finished it's time to fill it up with school supplies! Check out this tutorial for making school folders for your dolls.

Or maybe you'd like to add a few classic books. These crafty patterns by Jinjia Mixed Goods are perfect for that too!

4 Comments

Leave a comment

Name *

Email *

Comment