the egg backpack

a sewing pattern by
 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

the egg This bag was inspired by the adorable backpack that appears in the
manga and anime of Cardcaptor Sakura. It’s a simple rounded backpack

backpack
with zipper closure and inner pocket, topped off with golden wings on
the back.

difficulty : makes :
There are some tricky curves and hand sewing to deal one 12” x 15” x 4” bag
with, but if you’re sure to match up all your notches and
guidelines and such you’ll turn out fine.

materials & tools

• 2/3 yd. of 60” wide or 1 yd. of 45” • About 3 yds. of white bias tape for
wide medium to heavyweight white binding seam allowances (handmade
fabric for outer bag (denim or bias tape is fine)
canvas would be good, I used inter- • Matching sewing thread
faced linen) • Basic sewing tools (sewing machine,
• 10” x 15” scrap or 1/8” yd. of light to scissors, iron, needles, pins, fabric
medium weight yellow fabric for marker, seam ripper)
wings (fleece would be good so the
wings look puffy, but cotton would
also do – I used minky)
• 2/3 yd. of lightweight fabric for lining
(white is preferred, so it doesn’t
show through the main fabric -- I
used quilting cotton)
• 20” zipper (at least)

before you begin :

1. Print out the project pattern, pages 4. Mark the fabric pieces with the guide-
10-18 lines from the pattern
2. Assemble the printed pattern pieces
3. Lay out the pattern pieces on your
fabric and cut them out

2
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

1 First we’re attaching the

zipper. Layer your zipper
between one of your top
panel pieces and its corre-
sponding lining piece, lining up the
unnotched edges with the zipper
tape.
You’ll notice that the seam
allowance is ¼” here, that’s to
accommodate the width of your
zipper tape. Use your zipper
foot if you have one, and sew
the three layers together close
to the zipper teeth. Repeat this
with the other side of the zipper
and your other top panel pieces.
Press the fabrics away from the
zipper teeth.

2 Next we’ll be attaching the

bag bottom to the top.
Layer one short end of the
bag bottom on top of your
zippered portion and then layer
the lining portion underneath
with right sides facing. Line up
the edges and make sure the
zipper pull is moved towards the
middle of the zipper. Then sew
across the entire edge. Be sure
to move very slowly when sewing
over the zipper to avoid breaking
a needle.
Repeat this with the other end
of the zippered portion and the
other end of the bottom pieces.
Then press the seams so the
bottom folds away from the top.

3
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

3
Now we’re making the pocket for
the inside of the bag. I opted to
do a cute little pleated pocket,
because I thought it would have
a nice look. You can, of course,
skip it entirely if you wouldn’t like
an inner pocket and just go right
to step 8. In this step, I’m sewing
the two pocket pieces together
all the way around the perimeter,
leaving the opening at the top as
the pattern guidelines indicate.

4
Trim your seam allowances, turn
the pocket right side out, tuck
under the seam allowances in the
opening, and press the pocket
flat. Next you’ll need to hem the
top edge of the pocket. I did a
quick edge stitch about 1/8” away
from the top edge that also
took care of sewing the previous
opening closed.

4
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

5
Next we’re making the pleats.
Fold the pocket in half and
match up your pleat lines. Sew
from the edge of the pocket to
the circle guideline and this will
create your pleat.

6
Unfold the pocket, and you’ll have
a nice pleat down the center, fold
it flat and centered down the
middle and it creates this cute
look. I wanted it to show on the
outside of the pocket, personally,
but you might like it on the back.
Either way, tack down the pleat
on the top and bottom so it
doesn’t move when the pocket is
finished.

5
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

7
Now take one of your bag lining
pieces (I used the back), and
place your pocket along the
pocket guidelines. Sew around
the curved bottom edge and
leave the top free and you’ve got
yourself and functional pleated
pocket!

8
Now to make the next few
steps easier, we’re going to baste
the lining to our main bag pieces.
Gather up your bag front and
back pieces of both main fabric
and lining. Layer one main bag
piece with its corresponding lining
piece with wrong sides together.
Then baste all around the perim-
eter so the layers act as one
piece of fabric. Repeat this with
the other main fabric and lining
pieces you have.

6
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

9
Up next is the straps. For each
of the 2 straps, fold down each
long edge by 5/8” and iron the
fold in place. Then fold the entire
strap in half and iron it flat.
While it’s like this, sew the folded
edges together and you’ve got a
completed strap.

10 Next we’re attaching the

straps to the bag. Decide
which of your oval-shaped bag
pieces will be your back, and
this is the one your straps will
be attached to. Use the pattern
guidelines to line up one end of
your strap along the top and
the other end along the bottom
(make sure it doesn’t get twisted
along the way). Baste it in place
along on the outside of your bag
back (on the main fabric, not the
lining). Repeat this with the other
strap and your backpack straps
are now in place!

7
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

Next we’re going to sew up

11
the sides to the back and
front of the bag.
Line up your bag sides around
the perimeter of the bag back.
You should be able to match
up the notches at the top and
the bottom, and the side seams
should match up with the square
markings.
Next, be sure your zipper is open
a little, then repeat this with the
other side of your bag sides and
the bag front piece.

tip: If you have a hard time stretching your bag sides around the bag back so it
matches the markings, clip into the seam allowances by 5/8” to ½” or so to
make it stretch open and fit.

12
Now to make your bag look it’s
prettiest, we’re going to bind
those raw edges we just made
with some bias tape. I used some
commercial bias tape I had lying
around (whoo! destashing!) that
folded over the raw edges and
curved all the way around the
whole seam. You could skip this
step or do it with hand-made
bias tape. It’s completely up to
you.

8
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

13
Your bag is technically all done!
You should be super proud!
But we still want to add the
decorative wings to the outside.
Start by taking two of your wing
pieces and sewing them together
with right sides facing all the way
around the perimeter. Repeat
this with your other two wing
pieces.

14 Clip the seam allowances

from your wing piece so it
turns nicely. To get it right
side out, we’re going to cut
a small slit in the back of the
wing.
Put both wings in front of you
and have them facing in oppo-
site directions. Clip a small line
towards the bottom center of
each wing, about 1” or so. Then
use that hole to turn your wing
right side out.
Use a chopstick or similar tool to
help define the shape. Then stuff
it lightly with batting so it looks
puffy, but still a little flat (this will
make step 15 easier). Whip stitch
the opening you cut closed.

9
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 the egg backpack
sewing tutorial

15
To give your wing that adorable
little curlicue, put the whole wing
under the machine and sew
along the pattern guidelines to
make the little curved shape.
Now your wings are all complete!

16
To get your wings onto the bag,
place them on the bag front with
the whip-stitched side against
the circular pattern guidelines.
Sew them in place by hand with
a ladder stitch all the way around
the circle. Repeat this with the
other wing and you’ve got your-
self one adorable completed bag!

10
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 Egg Backpac
A1 A2

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INNER POCKET
Cut 2 from lining fabric
5/8” seam allowance
P A T T E R N
Pg. 1/9

B1 B2
stitching line
Egg Backpack WINGS
Cut 4 from contrast fabric
P A T T E R N 3/8” seam allowance
www.cholyknight.com
9 Pg. 2/9

A1 A2 A3 A4

opening for turning

pleat lines

pleat lines

pack
N
t.com
KET
abric
nce
B3 B4
/9 Pg. 3/9

Egg Backpack TOP ZIPPER PANELS

Cut 2 of main fabric
P A T T E R N Cut 2 of lining fabric
www.cholyknight.com 5/8” seam allowance

A3 A4
B5 B6
 B1 B2
Pg. 4/9

C1 C2

t
en
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pla
p
ra
st

wing placement
D1 D2
 B3 B4
/9 Pg. 5/9

C1 C2 C3 C4

st
ra
p
pla
ce
m
en
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wing placement
D3 D4
 B5 B6
9 Pg. 6/9

C3 C4

Egg Backpack
P A T T E R N
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BOTTOM PANEL & STRAPS
Cut 3 of main fabric
Cut 1 of lining fabric
5/8” seam allowance
D5 D6
D1 D2
Pg. 7/9

pocket placement

Egg Backpack
P A T T E R N
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FRONT & BACK
Cut 2 of main fabric
Cut 2 of lining fabric
5/8” seam allowance

E1 E2

st
ra
p
pla
ce
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 D3 D4
9 Pg. 8/9

E1 E2 E3 E4

t
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pla
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 D5 D6
/9 Pg. 9/9

E3 E4