Backpacks and baby carriers

These are my fourth and fifth versions of Made by Rae’s Toddler Backpack. Obviously, I love this pattern.  The story behind these began one morning, well after I made Lucia her’s (pictured on far left above).  We were on our way out the door and she wanted to take her baby doll with us.  I decided that before we went out she needed an emergency baby-carrier attached to her bag.  We delayed our departure to make this necessary tweak.  

That day I drafted the bottom portion of this carrier and quickly sewed it to the front of the backpack.  The doll flopped forward and out.  Later, I added the elastic.  

Some months later I was planning two more backpacks, this time for Elena and her cousin "Lucky Ducky", when I had another idea.  What if I attach Oliver + S Little Things to Sew bear carrier to the front of Rae’s Toddler Backpack pattern? 

Guess what?  It worked! 

These are the modifications I made:

1. Shorten the bottom of the bear carrier by  1 inch.
2. Add 1 inch to each of the side pieces and leave them open.  I didn’t have enough fabric, so I just added about an inch of elastic 2 inches for seam allowance on each end.
3. Cut 2, 3 ½ in squares  for the button, fold in half, sew on three sides and flip it right side out.
4. Sew the finished carrier piece and two rectangle pieces to the front piece of the backpack before adding the piping and sewing it to the zipper/middle piece.  (Actually, I find it easier to sew the piping to the zipper piece since it is straight, than the curved front and back pieces.)

Another idea I had is to lengthen the two top sections of the carrier (the pieces with the button holes) and put the buttons on the straps.  Elasticizing these pieces somehow would probably work even better.  But these are just theories that I’m throwing out there for someone else to try.  Let us know if you do!

All of the fabric is designed by Heather Ross, from her Far, Far Away and Nursery Versery lines. Can't get enough.

And, because someone asked last time, I used cotton canvas to interline the entire backpack to make it a little sturdier.

Big thanks Rae, Liesl, and Heather for making such inspiring products!