Ruffles Backpack – American Sewing Guild

Today I’m taking a break from all our new products to share with you some good news. One of our free Fabric Editions website projects, the Ruffles Backpack was mentioned in the American Sewing Guild’s Summer 2016 magazine!  It’s really exciting for our company – the designers, product development and sales teams love to see our projects in print!

The backpack was designed as an accessory to our Little Dress Boutique line at JoAnn Fabrics. This is an un-lined, drawstring backpack and grosgrain ribbon is used for straps. Straight forward cutting squares and rectangles makes it easy. Download your free Ruffles Backpack instructions here.

ASG notes that it’s perfect for the young sewer – we couldn’t agree more! Some guidance is still recommended, mostly because of the gathering on three rows of ruffles. Even if you have experience, these are good basic skills to know – making ruffles and knowing how to thread backpack straps.

So why am I so excited about the American Sewing Guild? Mostly because I believe creative people need to be around each other for support and to grow their love of sewing.  Just go and see what’s happening at small local meetings or national events the inspiration is amazing,  you’ll love it!  Find out how to participate in your communities – one chapter sewed 86 yards of red velvet fabric into a theater curtain, how cool is that!  If you want to design on your own, the guild would give you some confidence, new ideas, and even contests to enter.

If you’re a sewer or quilter you can find brand new products and patterns in the Summer quarterly, learn tips for sewing dresses (and so much more) and this month there’s an in-depth article (4 pages long) on making ruffles. Which brings me back around to our Ruffles Backpack — take a look at the instructions and make one,  you’ll only need 2 fat quarters for the backpack and 2 for the ruffles. It finishes 15” x 16”, just right for a change of clothes and maybe a teddy bear. Put together your own combinations – have you seen the ‘Blush’ and ‘Aqua’ Creative Cuts we have in Walmart? Our Fabric Palette collections where the 10 fabrics coordinate? Or the fat quarter displays at JoAnn’s? Even Michael’s has some sweet Loops & Threads fat quarters in dots and chevrons!

So here’s a big thank you to American Sewing Guild for sharing our Ruffled Backpack!  Look for an ASG Chapter or Neighborhood Group in your area.   Keep sewing –  try something new. Be creative with fabric!