Slabtown Backpack Pattern - Klum House

The Slabtown is a heavy-duty rolltop backpack, built for adventurous makers. 
It features a spacious main compartment with quick-access zipper, front zipper pocket, adjustable leather backpack straps, and side pockets for water bottles

• Bag Dimensions: 17 1/2" H (rolled down) / 24 1/2" H (extended) x 11" W x 5.5" D
• 24.3 liters max capacity
• Heavy-duty, water-resistant waxed canvas exterior
• Fully-lined with natural army duck canvas
• Spacious main compartment with quick-access zipper
• Front zipper pocket
• Side pocket for water bottles
• Snap closures
• Adjustable leather backpack straps
• Additional 6" of capacity with rolltop extended

This project won't just help you make a badass, professional quality bag. It's also designed to teach you new heavy-duty sewing techniques that you can apply to all kinds of future bag making projects. In particular, the Slabtown will push the limits of what you thought was possible on a home sewing machine and turn you into a leather and hardware boss. You'll discover that you and your home machine are capable of more than you ever thought possible!

By the end, you'll be a pro at techniques like:

• Trace pattern pieces and cut fabric
• Sew layers of heavy-duty waxed canvas on a home machine
• Sew a zipper with lining fabric
• How to set line 24 snaps
• How to set extra strong tubular rivets
• Construct boxed corners
• How to finish seams with binding
• How to create adjustable leather backpack straps
• How to sew a hidden zipper compartment
• How to install buckles for adjustable straps

While you can sew the Slabtown Backpack on a home sewing machine (heavy-duty recommended), constructing the bag does require some specific tools for working with rivets and hardware:

• A tubular rivet peening tool and mallet to set the tubular rivets into the leather straps. Set rivets on a hard surface like concrete or stone for best results. Do not substitute for double-cap rivets or your bag will fall apart!
• To set the Line 24 snaps, you’ll need a Line 24 snap setter and a dot anvil.
• A 1/8" drive punch and mallet to punch clean holes in the fabrics. Use on a punching board.