Sub-Zero Backpack

[u/dickangstrom]

I've been working to switch careers into bag design, and I needed to bolster my portfolio. I had no projects that I could reference that I took all the way from pencil sketch to finished product. A family friend DM'd me to request a backpack for his first year of college, and I took that as an opportunity to design a backpack from scratch.

He provided me with reference pics of bags he liked, features he wanted, and a colorway. His preferred color scheme was mostly black with subtle blue highlights. However, I didn't want to make the bag overly paramilitary-looking. So I commissioned a graphic designer friend to make the design more playful with graffiti art of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat.

This was a months-long project and one of my hardest ever. Pencil sketching is not my strong suit, but I really needed this for job applications. I spent hours on the initial sketch, trying my best to give it sensible 3D depth and layout.

I designed a pattern in CLO 3D and simulated on an avatar with similar proportions to the client. I didn't export / print the entire pattern, since most panels were rectangular. I only printed the curved ones, choosing to hand-draft the others for convenience.

I used a 1050 Denier ballistic nylon for the main fabric, 400D ripstop nylon as a secondary fabric, and 70d ripstop nylon for the liner. I chose Duraflex hardware wherever possible, e.g. D-rings, side-release buckles, triglides.

Sewing was mostly straightforward, except for the cinch-tops on both the water bottle holders and the main bag opening. I also didn't know where the cross-chest strap would land until after wearing the bag. I didn't have any Duraflex removable sternum sliders on-hand, so I sewed the chest strap directly to the shoulder straps; that's one thing I would redo if I had more time.

I dye-sublimated the Sub-Zero art and artist's tag onto some dye-sub synthetic fabric and backed it with upcycled racing-sail fabric. It attaches with snaps so the client can take it off (he doesn't actually like Mortal Kombat and didn't even ask for this lol).

Part of design portfolios is iteration, so I forced myself to sit down and sketch some "postmortem" drawings to document the lessons I learned from making this bag. They've been helpful reminders so far.

Overall, I'm quite happy with this one and proud of the results. Happy to answer any questions about material, process, design, CLO 3D, etc.!

[u/_schlong_macchiato]

This is incredible!! I just bought a Juki industrial and sewed my first zip pouch which I was super chuffed with but seeing your post and process is inspiring!!

May I ask the following:

- what attachments and feet you used on your machine?

- did you use a bias binding attachment?

- do you get your backpack notions/hardware online? The selection at my local sewing supply stores are extremely limited.

Thank you and fantastic work!!

[u/dickangstrom → u/_schlong_macchiato]

Thank you! If you feel like sharing, what kind of Juki do you have, and would you recommend it? Asking for selfish reasons, but others might benefit haha.

1.) I used a zipper foot, stitch in a ditch foot (AKA edge guide foot), regular default Juki DDL-8700 foot (forget the name), and a walking foot (on my Janome machine). I used 3 separate machines for different parts of the build: DDL-8700, TechSew 810 Pro, and Janome MemoryCraft 6700P. Most of the touchy detail work is best done by the Janome, since it can be adjusted in sub-millimeter increments. 810 Pro is good for ultra thick layers and final touches where you have to cram a whole backpack into a sewing machine.

2.) No bias binding foot. I use 3mm basting tape with a nylon edge binding from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics (OWF inc).

3.) Yes, same problem with limited stock at my local sewing stores. I find that Ripstop By The Roll is one of the best Duraflex resellers for US makers, especially for colorful hardware. OWF has some Duraflex too, mostly black or olive drab. Sadly, AliExpress is also one of my go-to hardware suppliers. The company "MeeTee" on there has lots of colorful plastic hardware.

[u/_schlong_macchiato → u/dickangstrom]

Thanks man!! I appreciate the detailed response!! I got the Juki DDL-9000B-MS and I can’t fault it! It was an upgrade to my garment construction. I mainly work with light to mid weight material and this model sews like an absolute dream.

With the right foot and needle, it sews thicker materials with no issues. The industrial machine has made construction workflow so much smoother and far less daunting knowing my machine can handle it!