Janee Makes a Buckthorn Backpack

Instagram: @thejaneedoe
Pattern made: Buckthorn Backpack by Noodlehead from our Holiday Lookbook Bundle!
Materials used: Waxed Army Duck Canvas outer fabric, Essex lining fabric, 1.5" webbing, Zipper and zipper pulls, Fusible Fleece interfacing, Fancy Tiger Crafts Buckthorn Backpack Hardware Kit, Thread. Pattern must be purchased separately.

 

One fun perk of behind the scenes of our annual lookbook is having the chance to use and try out our lookbook items before their release. When we decided to make kits for the Buckthorn pattern, I was excited to try another Noodlehead bag pattern.

I primarily make garments but I've made a few bags over the years and most recently made the Noodlehead Redwood tote. I was nervous to work with waxed canvas since I had never done that before and any mistakes would leave their mark. I also learned some of the upsides of using waxed canvas. Marking the middle is super easy by just folding and creasing. I also appreciated not having to bring out the iron since the seams can be finger pressed.

The trickiest part for me was sewing the curved base on the body of the bag. Waxed canvas can be challenging to wrangle into a curve! Luckily, Anna’s instructions come with a lot of helpful tips and she has created several video tutorials to assist with her patterns including one specifically showing how to sew the base to the body when using waxed canvas! I am excited to have my new backpack to carry things to and fro. The waxed canvas is perfect for being out in Colorado weather due to being water resistant.