Charm square backpack PDF pattern

Whoever dreamed up the idea of fabric charm packs was a marketing genius ... and the nemesis of every fabric addict! The addict enters a fabric shop, and no matter her level of determination to resist, those little sample packs just draw her in. And she says to herself, "If I just buy one of these, it's cheaper than yardage, and I'll have a little bit of every fabric in the range. Win, win!" And so I have an untold number of random charm packs in my stash. 

I set myself a challenge to come up with a pattern to whittle down this collection. Something practical, something quick to make, and that can make use of a single random charm pack. I'm happy to say that I have written up a pattern for my Charm Square Backpack.

I have designed a drawstring backpack, made from a single charm pack, combined with a half metre of lining fabric.

At approximately 18" square, it is a perfect size for that quick trip to the shops, or a swim at the beach. It would also be great as a kid's library bag, or for their next sleepover with friends.

The backpack is fully lined, has an external zippered pocket for safe keeping of valuables and a loop for hanging.

I've made four of these backpacks now, and I confess they are quite addictive! But then it seems I'm prone to addiction :) The backpack on the left is made from Bonnie and Camille's 'Happy-Go-Lucky' range, while the one on the right is Zen Chic's 'Sphere', both by Moda of course, the leading culprit in charm pack world domination.

I also made two backpacks for some entomological friends of mine, using 'Bee My Honey' by Mary Jane.

I was lucky enough to find some fabulous braided cord at one of my local quilt shops. It is apparently an 'end of line' item, so is not readily available. If you find some, I suggest you buy it all (like I did). It just seems to blend with any fabric combination you can think of.

The Charm Square Backpack pattern is available as a PDF download in my shop.

If you happen to subscribe to my Newsletter, you will find a discount code for this pattern in your inbox. If you don't subscribe, but would like to, there is a newsletter subscription link at the top right of this page.

Daybook entry #15

Outside my window ... it is cold and dreary, but inside I have a beautiful pot of hyacinths to brighten my day. Their delicious fragrance fills the room and makes me very happy!

At the farm ... our lupin crop is looking really good. But we have learned not to count our chickens before they're hatched! The last lupin crop was as good a crop as our agronomist had ever seen, and heavy late season rain and wind blew them all over. 

At my machine ... I am playing with charm packs. I am working on a new pattern, designed to bust your charm pack stash! I can't bring myself to count how many charm packs I have ;)

I am inspired by ... Nicole Mallalieu's book, The Better Bag Maker. I have always loved Nicole's patterns. She has a wonderful sense of style, but also has pattern making and design credentials that make her projects stand out from the rest. I have grand plans of working my way through her book, and making each of the bags in succession, from easiest to most difficult. 

I am thinking about ... books. Beautiful, old books ...

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... with letter pressed bindings and covered in dust. 

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I have a book-themed commission for Australian Homespun that is proving to be quite a challenge, and has me a bit stumped at this point. I would ask for your help if I was allowed to! Perhaps this will spark some inspiration:

Have a good week. Bloom x