Ash Ketchum's Pokémon Journeys Backpack • Recycled Materials Notes

 

Outer shell: 

Green material and carrying handles: $1.99 grocery tote

Black material: Leather from a broken office chair

Logo: Free rubbery fabric swatch that came with something I ordered

Inside lining: Black satiny fabric from an evening gown

Ash Ketchum Pokémon Journeys Costume

Here is a little guide I put together in case anyone wants to make an Ash Ketchum costume:

Ash Ketchum Outfit:

Cap

Ash has a red baseball cap with a white bill.

I used a red baseball cap and painted the bill white. For the logo I traced the image off my computer screen to make a pattern and then cut it out of black and green felt. I stitched it on with my sewing machine, which was a challenge, but it can easily be glued or hand-stitched to the front of the cap.  An embroidered logo would look great too! 

Shirt

White cotton t-shirt in a thicker weight with a painted red stripe.  Mask off the stripe with painter's tape and insert a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to prevent bleeding to the back of the shirt. 

Vest

Blue vest with yellow twill tape stitched on as a trim.

Gloves

Black fingerless gloves with stretchy red cuff fabric.

Shorts

Blue shorts with black stripe on side.  I just used jeans because it was chilly out, but blue shorts with a stripe of removable matte black tape or 2" black cotton twill tape added would work well during warmer seasons.

Footwear

Black sneakers with white string/shoelaces in an X and blue gaffer's tape for the blue details.

I haven't personally tried the gaffer's tape, but it is supposed to come off easily without leaving a residue unlike duct tape.

If you are going all in... I also saw that you can order custom shoes!

Ash Ketchum Backpack:

Outer shell: I cut apart a green bag that I purchased for $1.99 and upcycled black leather from a broken office chair seat.

This green canvas fabric looks like a good color match and weight and can be combined with black canvas/leather/faux leather for the base of the backpack.

For functionality I added a zippered front and side pockets and also added in the original shopping bag handles.

Lining: I used some black satiny material from a party dress that I had no chance of fitting back into. Black ripstop would be a good choice if I were going to make something similar again. 

Zipper: I used a 18" purse zipper in black. The on screen zipper looks light gray like the buckles and extends all the way down to the black part of the bag, so depending on the size of your backpack, you might be using something like a 27" zipper. 

Logo: I cut the logo from a black, non-fraying material using the same pattern pieces from the hat. I had a square sample of rubber-ish fabric in my stash that I was able to use. 

Black Straps and Silver Buckles: I used 1.25" cotton webbing but any 1"-2" polypropylene webbing will work fine too with coordinating silver slider buckles.

If you don't want to make the backpack from scratch, you can customize a green backpack like this one –

Extras:

This Pokémon Poké ball tin dents easily, but it still makes for a decent prop. 

...and don't forget your best buddy Pikachu!

Storage Bag for Clover Mini Iron

 

My first attempt at doing a triple zipper. My seam ripper got a lot of action during this project, I kept sewing the pieces together in the wrong direction 😫. I also had to attach the iron to the outside because it was just a bit too large to fit inside. I’m storing the cord inside the middle pouch, so I guess it worked out okay.

I watched this YouTube video a gazillion times to help create this- https://youtu.be/7tlPLdkFz5k 

Now that I have the general idea of how to make one, I'm excited to make other ones in different sizes.

First Attempt at Tufting

Reupholstered my kitchen chair with a stretch velvet, which is probably just suited for Christmas dresses for 5-year-old girls, and some vintage brass buttons.  Documenting it here before it gets covered in Nutella fingerprints and spilled milk. 

House slippers for my son made from cotton twill cat fabric that I designed a few months ago.  I might remake these (for myself) with some interfacing, lining and stiff heel support. I upcycled his underwear elastic for the green band around the ankle :)

Testing out a piping presser foot with some recycled gift bag handles and scrap wool felt. I am thinking this would look cute as a pocket detail.

Découpage canvas

My first try at découpaging paper napkins to a piece of a scrap canvas. I love how it looks like it is printed directly on to the canvas!

2 designs added to my Spoonflower shop

Lollipop Panda and Black Sprinkles on Mustard. I had these printed on satin fabric and they came out like silver and gold.

Reconstructed headphone ear pads

Reconstructed using a swatch of organic cotton jersey of my "tribal lines" print. 

Above is a pic of the UrbanEars headphone ear pads taken apart. I reused all the components other than the top fabric with the peeling paint. These ear pads are great because they click right back in easily.

My son thought I was making donuts while working on this :), so keep away from hungry toddlers.

Slipcover for child's sofa chair

I made this slipcover last year for the P'kolino Little Reader chair.  Very wrinkly from a year of toddler abuse but overall in decent shape still.

Presenting... Lime Green Lantern

Sewing Pants from my own pattern- Round 2

Testing out my 80's prom dress neon pink fabric on a modified pattern. The waist is much more comfortable and there is less of the "front butt" situation, but unfortunately still suffering from "wenus projection" (censored in the photo for your protection).  Next round I will try a front zippered fly and figure out exactly where I have to deduct from to get the projection under control.

My first pants!

 I guess these are my first "proper" pants. In the past I've made leggings for my Blythe doll, and a pair of leggings out of my sweatshirt jacket for me, so these are the first dressy-ish pants. They came out okay, a little snug on the waist after I added the waistband in the inside, and unfortunately I drafted the front piece too high so it looks like I have 2 butts. If 2 heads are better than one, maybe 2 butts are better than one as well?

Meh... back to the drawing board! I will have to modify the pattern today and try again. I definitely want to make another one with side pockets and use the new neon fabric I purchased to make piping. My seam binding tape actually got used for binding seams, which was very exciting. I usually just use it for wrapping packages!

...and a pair for me

Made out of a lightweight polka dot fleece fabric with a green wool lining and leather sole (sueded side out).  I used the sole of an unworn pair of flip flops my aunt gave me as "the filling".  Any part of my body + thong = not gonna happen.  I ripped out the thong part, trimmed the toe area a bit to make it rounder and then used it as a template for the rest of the pattern.

Although it feels good on the skin, I don't recommend using fleece for something like this. It already started to pile from just making it. [Insert "did I just waste 10 hours of my life?" sad face here] Even though I interfaced all the pieces I feel like it is not going to hold up that well and will collect dirt and dust easily.

For the top part I used the pattern piece from the other pair, but adjusted the pattern to make it longer lengthwise for more footsie coverage.

Neon fabric in da house yo!

After years of resisting the neon and neutral trend,  I finally purchased a yard of neon satin yesterday from a local fabric store. I'm thinking futuristic space bunny hat for Mr. Tadpole and/or a black or tan skirt for me with a strip of neon on the bottom and on the piping of the pockets....hmmmmmm...also I think it would work well for a bag/ backpack lining.

Reupholstered Ikea Skruvsta Chair

I took apart the chair and removed the fabric, carefully unstitched it and then used the pieces as a template. A combo of clear tacky glue and fiberfill was used to fill up the hole in the foam. When this fabric wears down I will try making a slipcover instead of taking the whole thing apart again (gazillion staples, achy fingertips).  No more gaping foam holes, yay! Next office chair will definitely be armless.

Work Apron Completed!

(click photo to enlarge)

It was on my to-do list for months.  I guess all the elements needed time to get together. I used the zipper from the hoodie that I recycled into the leggings to make a double pocket in the front and a pair of suspenders that I purchased in Italy made out of a cellulose material that has both the appearance of a paper bag and strangely, leather. Unforch I made the pattern before the storm/pre-halloween candy chewfest 2012 and it is a little snug on the hips. With some leggings underneath I think I can ease a little of the stress off those poor red snaps. I think a few laps around the block could help too. Also, I am very happy to finally use the cute red riding hood ribbon trim designed by Rosa Pomar that I had stored away from a few years ago.

Hoodie -> Leggings

I tried it...converted one of my zip up hoodies into funky leggings! After disassembling my hoodie I started to build up the leggings with the arms first and then stitched all the pieces together until they looked like m.c. hammer pants.  A few hours of cutting stitching darting and gusseting and I have some wearable pantaloooons.

I recycled my shrunken wool J. Crew sweater :(  into some new slippers for Sal :). I took apart his raggedy old slippers to try to salvage what I could and to trace the existing material to make a new pattern.  I took out the foam insert, washed it and used it as a guide for the shape of the sole pattern. I added a seam allowance to the traced pattern and then cut it out of the sweater. I cut open the sleeves for the top parts and used the front of the sweater for the foot beds. I stitched on a piece of nubuck leather left over from my peasant booties onto the sole to avoid any super slippage and used tan wool left over from making Timmie cocoons for the lining. I added some more padding to the foam inserts with these:

Easily available at pharmacies, and saw them here for 99 cents.

I left an opening by the toes to slip in the foam insert and then flipped it inside out and hand stitched it closed.