two peas in a pod ~ pattern review ~ giveaway...

I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to review a pattern for Trish Preston of Two Peas in a Pod... she's a sweet gal with lovely looking patterns... have you ever checked them out? Quick, go have a peek at them... here.

The pattern I chose to review was the St. Mary Backpack. It looked so fun and functional for my house full of teenaged girls. The fabric I went with is Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket and it was a true winner! And check out the zipper I found...

The pattern pieces were easy to cut, with measurements clearly given, and pocket pattern pieces available. Here I am sewing merrily along... wearing a ring that obviously blends with the 'salt air' vibe!

One change I did make as I went along, was to make my straps from strips cut 5" wide, adding my interfacing, ironing down the middle and then both sides into the center before topstitching... I felt that this would give them a little more thickness and durability.

I have quite a bit of experience sewing bags, but most of those that I make do not have zippers. I found that zipper knowledge was a good thing in making this backpack so I'd recommend a little prior know-how.

Love the pockets! The outer with a magnetic snap is a great size...

...and the interior is no slouch either!

Already this backpack is being put to good use as a bring-a-magazine-or-3-or-4-to-the-beach-tote.
And yes, I do love Country Sampler!

Thank you, Trish, for the chance to make this pattern into something I know we'll use for a long time! And thank you also for offering a wonderful GIVEAWAY here on my blog!

Trish is offering a surprise two pattern combo pack to one of my readers... yay! To enter, visit her etsy shop and let me know which pattern is your favorite... maybe it'll be among her choices for you if your name is drawn!

 I'll draw the winner on Monday, July 23. Please make sure you are not a 'no-reply blogger'... I need to be able to get in touch with you if you're the lucky one!