Might as well share the Buckthorn TOTE that I made! This is my Buckthorn Tote – Riverbend style! Hope you spotted the Buckthorn Backpack that I shared earlier. I had so much fun putting these together!

Buckthorn Tote – Riverbend

I love the Buckthorn Tote for a smaller bag! It is perfect for using as a lunchbox, a knitting/crochet tote, or whatever else you might need. I like making these for kids gifts, too. They love the top zipper to secure their favorite things and is easy to tote around.

I’m excited to put another one of these together soon. They don’t take as much fabric and have less pieces than a lot of my patterns, so there’s a definite time and cost savings right off the bat. I think I’ll try another one of my Riverbend Canvas prints for my next sample. It’s so fun to combine fabrics and webbing! Who knows though, I might dig through my stash of older canvas or maybe even do some quilted panels (like this one, or this one).

Exterior Fabric Options

It doesn’t take up too much fabric, and is a super satisfying sew. I’ve made quite a few now with a variety of substrates for the exterior:

• dry oilskin
• waxed canvas
• quilted to fusible fleece (batting scraps work great, too!) – here’s the quilted backpack version as well
• cotton canvas

With so many choices, I’m sure you’ll be able to pull something from your stash that would be perfect!

I also love that you only have to pick out two fabrics to make it! One for the exterior and one for the lining. I know it can be a challenge when a bag is made of several different fabric that you have to coordinate. I love how that process can be part of the fun, but the Buckthorn keeps it simple!

Project Details:

• Pattern: Buckthorn Tote (pattern available in PDF and paper)
• Fabrics: Riverbend Canvas for the exterior, Riverbend Essex for the lining
• Hardware & Supplies:
  • 14″ zipper (in Sand)
  • cotton webbing in Cognac (this is the 1″ webbing and you’ll need two yards to complete the Buckthorn Tote) – hoping to get some Cognac back in stock soon! It looks really great with this print!

Kicking things off for Riverbend with this Buckthorn Backpack! Riverbend is my newest fabric collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics – this is my 5th fabric collection with them!

I’m super happy with how this Buckthorn Backpack turned out. I use my own personal Buckthorn as an everyday bag for work. It’s perfect for biking and bringing my lunch, water bottle, and Haralson bag in. Plus, I can always fit extras if I need to.

This sample uses my Riverbend Canvas for the exterior and Riverbend in Essex Yarn Dyed for the lining. I really love a rust and blue combo so this sample comes at no surprise.

I used my Hazelnut webbing (available in my shop) — it’s such a great match to this Canvas print. The best part of a backpack with handles like this is how easy it is to hang up on a hook when not in use. And when I am using mine, the top handles come in very handy for tossing in and out of the car. Plus, it’s really handy to use the short handles when I don’t want to take the time to wear it as a backpack (again, those pesky errands when you’re constantly in and out of the car).

And of course the top zipper is a personal fave. I really love this installation method. I’m thinking this might be a fun sew-along. Would you be interested in joining along?

Project Details

• Pattern: Buckthorn Backpack (available in PDF and paper)
• Fabrics: Riverbend Canvas for the exterior, Riverbend Essex for the lining
• Hardware & Supplies:
  • Backpack hardware kit (I also have a hardware plus webbing kit)
  • Zipper is from Zipper Valley, this is their Cappuccino color I believe. I also have the recommended 16″ zip in my shop as well.
  • Cotton webbing is Hazelnut and is available in my shop here (you’ll need four yards of the 1.5″-wide webbing for the Backpack)
    

*Riverbend will be starting to arrive in shops any day now! Yay! Be sure to check with your favorite shop! Or try an online search for “Anna Graham Riverbend” or “Riverbend Robert Kaufman” and check out the #RiverBendFabric hashtag on Instagram. Can’t wait to see what you make!!!!