Action hero drawstring backpack!

My daughter and her companion are heading out to San Diego for the big Comic-Con on the 16th – I just had to make something for the trip. How about matching drawstring backpacks using Marvel action hero fabric. Really neat!

The San Diego Comic-Con is in its 44th year and is the country’s longest continuously run comics and popular art convention. DD and DDC (my acronym for dear daughter’s companion 🙂 go to comic-cons all over the country, are very immersed in the pop culture and collecting scene, and have wonderful friends everywhere. It has opened a whole new world for me as well, I love the art and fantasy.

The backpack – I started with a free pattern and tutorial by Debbie Colgrove on about.com. I liked Debbie’s pattern because (1) it has doubled reinforcement on both sides of the bottom corners, where the grommets are attached, and (2) the drawstring casing at the top of the backpack is constructed separately and attached to the bag. The result is a very sturdy backpack. Who knows what will jump in there!

Here’s a look at a completed backpack before cording. The finished size is 17″ wide x 18″ long, which is a bit larger than the pattern – I wanted a roomy bag.

Sizing difference in cut materials pattern mine

bag 15″ x 17″ 18″ x 18″
casing 16″ x 3″ 19″ x 3″

I’ve never done big grommets before, only little eyelets. These really test your bravery…all that sewing and it comes down to putting a big hole through your work.

I had tools on hand for this project, since I attach gripper snaps to garments fairly often. The 3/8″ grommets were easy to find. My tool kit includes a Costa Rican hardwood bread board and a meat tenderizer. The large, flat side of the latter is wonderful for setting snaps and, now, grommets!