Today's Project: Star Wars Diaper Bag

I'm done with the Star Wars Diaper Bag! YAY! -- the pattern is "Classic for Moms" by Whistlepig Creek. I did a little planning prior to making this. I wanted to test out some new products and alter the pattern a bit.

NEW (to me) PRODUCTS: I used this project to experiment with some new supplies: for interfacing I used Soft and Stable by Annie's and for exterior fabric I used Waverly Sun N' Shade Sun Tile (black/ebony). 

Soft and Stable: Brenda at Among Brenda's Quilts told me about Soft and Stable. When it came in the mail, I realized that I have seen a similar product at the fabric store. I think it is called 1/4" Scrim Backed Foam - it's in the upholstery fabric sections. I've seen it in gray...and it's a lot cheaper that the Soft and Stable. I've also seen it on eBay. BUT, I haven't used it, so I'm not sure. I think it's worth experimenting with. If you try it, make sure you sew it the correct way. The backing should be on the outside so your stitches don't sink in.  Anyhow, this stuff is AWESOME! It gives the bag a lot of shape without adding bulk and weight. See how the bag stands up on its own. It's really easy to sew, too.  

Sun N' Shade Fabric: I wanted something durable and I hope this does the trick. I picked black because it hides dirt better than other colors. And this fabric can be wiped clean...100% polyester. I really like the look of this and, well, it needs to be something a guy would carry (as suggested by some moms).

PATTERN CHANGES: I took some liberties with the pattern: (1) made the flap longer (16 1/2"), (2) made the straps longer by adding some hardware. I had to do this because I didn't have the correct size at home. I prefer a wider strap, so (3) made the straps wider (1 1/2"), and (4) used the Soft and Stable on the exterior fabric and used a lightweight fusible interfacing on the lining and pockets. I also (5) skipped the attached changing pad (feedback from moms indicated that babies outgrow the pad too quickly). Instead, I'll be making changing pads from this pattern.

Filled with pockets!

All sewn together. It has a zipped closure that was fairly easy to install. The inside is lined with pockets that have elastic at the top. Great to hold baby items in place.

I did have to get the big guns out to do the final top stitching across the top. And by "big guns" I mean an 110/18 Jeans Needle! I forgot to cut my Soft and Stable a bit smaller at the top - this removes bulk. I always cut my interfacing smaller...what was I thinking!! Wow... this was thick! Even on my machine, I had to hand walk the stitches. If you run into similar problems and notice skipped stitches and/or your needle won't pierce the fabric, get a Jeans needle and make your stitches longer. 

It has lots of pockets on the outside. Most have elastic at the top. This is a great addition to the bag and it's easy to do.

Here it is as a back pack. Because I made the straps longer, they need to be criss-crossed when turned into a back pack -- or it hangs too low.

I took the label off the sheets and sewed it to the lower left corner of the flap. The flap is quilted with straight stitches. Once I assembled the flap and installed the magnetic snap (reinforced it with Peltex), I fused some Heat'nBond Lite in between the flap exterior and flap lining. The only reason I did this was to prevent the flap lining from wrinkling - that Star Wars sheet fabric wrinkles fairly easily.

I really like the design of this diaper bag. It seems like the perfect size with all the bells and whistles. I'd say that the pattern is more advanced mainly because it's a bit awkward to sew. The pattern directions are OK - because I knew what I was doing, I could interpret them. They've added a bunch of pictures at the end of the pattern to help -- you can see them here. And remember, I didn't make the changing pad, so I ignored all those steps.

The only thing left to do is spray it with Scotchgard. Have a great day!