Mending An Old Friend

I’m getting things together for an upcoming cruise and Dad or Mary sent an email talking about having a bag or back pack with you when you go to shore or on the boat, something you can carry a few items in.

So I set off looking for an old friend, a rucksack that I made years and years ago.  I don’t even remember exactly when I made it but I think it was 1999!  I made it for the 4th of July Festival I was volunteering at.  I used it A LOT and it even went to Germany with me in 2008 which I think must have been the last time I used it.  It was beginning to fall apart, I knew that, but just how bad was it?  I had to find it, I remember telling myself I could fix it.

So here it is.  All weathered and faded.

So 4th of July right?  It is torn.  the flap and one of the straps is busted…

Can you tell the ruck sack is quilted?  That’s right, it was one of my very first quilted projects…

So a problem in fixing this was getting to the insides.  I needed to open up a seam in the lining…

…and work my way up through the bag and sandwich back together the strap, the flap and all the front and lining pieces…

…and stitch down good.  You can see below how much I sewed back and forth!

Then I sewed back the lining…

Turned it right side out again and Ta Da!!!  New life to my old friend!

All fixed…

I think this will work just fine in the tropics!

Happy Sewing!

Happy Repairs!

~Cathy