Darling friends, show me mercy! Pretend it hasn't been weeks since I showed my face around these parts! I can only blame it on finishing the nativity and realising it was nearly Christmas...eek!

I've got a friend who loves to sew who's blog I follow. She's been so incredibly kind to me this last year that I really wanted to make her a special Christmas present to show her how much I appreciate her friendship.

Nothing says that more than a week long bag making session combining some beautiful linen with some much fondled Echino (kindly sent to me by Sara) ending with a bookbag backpack, right?

Here are the pics from it when it was finished. Fortunately the lovely lady LOVED it! If she hadn't I may have had to hunt her down and steal her fabric stash as punishment!

 I used a dark zakka linen for the main body of the bag, a light zakka linen for the interior of the bag and the purple panther Echino given to me by Sara for the front pocket, long strap, top handle tabs & the back strap support. I've got none left, I used up every last morsel of Echino!

Inside the front pocket is a hidden zipped pocket.


I made the long shoulder strap adjustable as well as it being removable by the swivel clips. My sister in law tends to not use the shoulder strap very much on hers, so this way my friend can un-clip it if she doesn't need it.


 The size of the bookbag backpack is perfect for a small laptop, or for an A4 ringbinder even. I suspect this one will be used for work purposes, so I'm glad it's big and sturdy enough to withstand a fair bit of abuse!


I used rivets on the top handle tabs, the shoulder strap tabs and all along the shoulder strap any time I'd done some stitching to keep it secure and strong!


As you all know, I love pockets. I'm a pocket fiend, but on this pattern I've chosen to leave the lining bare save for one little zipped pocket. If you're pulling folders and books in and out of a bag, I think it's annoying to have to watch that you don't catch it on a pocket. That's why there's a slip pocket and hidden zipped pocket on the front, so that you don't need so many pockets inside. I'd never do without a zipped pocket inside though, where would we ladies put our lipgloss?!

Don't forget that the Bag of the month club starts tomorrow, if you want to sign up it's $5 cheaper to do so before 1st January...that's TODAY...sign up today for the discount! Even full price it's only $40 and you'll receive 6 brand new exclusive bag patterns in your inbox. I can't wait to see what the other designers have been up to, all I'm telling you about mine is that you'll need 2 x 1" swivel clips.
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