Get Ready to Weave kraft-tex!
Posted by Gailen Runge on May 25th 2018
Excerpt from Charlie kraft•tex® Backpack Pattern by Gailen Runge
This pattern is all about the preparation, with much of the work done to individual components before final assembly. That makes this a great project to do in stages. (Of course, if you’re impatient like me, you can stitch it all in one sitting.) Once you have the weaving finished, the pockets added to the lining and outside pieces, the straps sewn and trimmed, the buckles placed, and so forth, sewing the backpack together is amazingly quick!
Blue Iris and Blue Turquoise Charlie backpack has a lighterweight (seven-ounce) denim.
Radiant Orchid and Stone Charlie backpack uses suiting-weight fabric.
Greenery and White Charlie backpack has a heavy (eleven-ounce) denim for the other outer material.
If you are using quilting-weight cottons, I’ve included instructions for additional interfacing to stiffen things up. If you’re using pleather (one of my favorite materials for bags of all kinds!),
I’ve given instructions that eliminate seam allowances on the straps and so forth.
As a bag maker, the single resource that improved my abilities and my final results more than anything else was reading Nicole Mallalieu’s book The Better Bag Maker. What a revelation! I encourage you to check it out.
