Here in BC, kids get 2 weeks of Spring Break, yes you read that right! March is not my favourite time in the Fraser Valley – too much rain for my liking, but I didn’t want that to stop me from taking the kids out for some fun activities. I wanted to make sure I also had fun and participated in our activities, so I needed a bag that would allow me to be hands-free. Last summer,I made the Beatnik Waist Bag, and it was perfect for then, but this time, I was looking for something a bit bigger, to accommodate a few snacks. There are plenty of cute backpack purses out there (maybe I’ll do a roundup one of these days) but I chose Swoon’s Lucy because it looked fairly quick, and even had some options I could skip to speed up the sewing. Another plus for me was that I already had the pattern, as part of the Vintage Collection from Swoon Sewing Patterns, such a great buy!

My latest fabric purchase from Fabric Spark included these fun Echino Motorbikes and I really wanted to use them right away. Like many of the fun Echino fabrics, this one is printed on a cotton/linen blend. Now just to pick the accent and lining fabrics. I knew I wanted something bright to bring out the fun of the motorbikes, and when I saw the corner of this Dottie Bandana (now sold out) peek out from from my stash, I knew it would be perfect. Next was the lining: silly as it sounds, I wanted something that matched the theme of the activities I had planned with my kids. I planned “field trips” with lots of built in learning, so I already had an inkling I would choose a text fabric, and just like the Cotton + Steel, this Encyclopedia Galactica print practically jumped out at me.

To make the bag a bit quicker, I had already planned to skip the grommets and make a casing instead, and I was happy to find that the pattern already included that option, which made me happy since I didn’t have to do math. I also skipped the interior pocket, but I kept the back pocket and it’s perfect for my phone. The pattern has an option to use a zipper on the straps, but again, I went with the quicker, separate strap option. I will only use the bag as a backpack, so didn’t think in this case it was worth the extra steps to add the zipper.

As for size, I’m thrilled, it’s exactly perfect for my needs. It fits my large wallet (Necessary Clutch Wallet), keys, garage opener, extra zippered pouch (for girly stuff) and plenty of room for a water bottle and some snacks, but it’s not too big and it doesn’t weigh me down. The straps are adjustable so the bag can fit over a few layers if need be.

PDF Sewing Pattern: Lucy Backpack, Swoon
1″ Adjustable Sliders and D rings: Emmaline Bags
Fusible woven interfacing and fusible fleece:  Paccana 
Thread: Rich Navy & Tea Dyed, Connecting Threads
Lining Print: Andover Encyclopedia Galactica, Hawthorne Threads
Accent and Straps: Cotton + Steel Basics Dottie Bandana, Fabric Spark (sold out)
Exterior Fabric: Echino Motorbike, Fabric Spark 

Did you make something for Spring Break? What inspires your fabric choices? Let me know in the comments!