Gideon is about to go on his first overnight backpacking trip, and needed a little backpack that could carry a few snacks and a water bottle. I was going to make him a pack from scratch, but spotted a pair of his outgrown overalls and decided to see if I could whip up some upcycle magic.
First, I cut off the legs just above the crotch curve. The back of the overalls didn’t match the shape of the front, I opened up one leg to cut a piece that could fill in the missing area.
I serged the raw edges and turned under the seam allowance on the sides, then sewed the patch to the back, leaving space around the sides and top to attach the zipper.
I used a long separating zipper that I got at the Pendleton Woolen Mill outlet store in Portland for something like ten cents. The separating nature of the zipper made it very easy to apply. I just had to make sure I lined up the corners of the front and back. I used the three-step zig zag to attach the zipper tape, mitering the corners. I probably should have changed thread colors, but, let’s face it, I’m making a backpack out of overalls.
I tucked in the ends of the zipper tape and tacked them down, maneuvering around the studs.
Finally, I sewed the bottom closed and sewed across each corner at pocket level to give the pack a rectangular bottom.
And here it is. Less than an hour from start to finish, and virtually free.
