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Safety Notice: Handmade items made from this pattern may contain small parts or long cords that pose choking or strangulation risks. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Please see the full safety disclaimer at sewmag.co.uk/safety.
Cute and capacious, this bag is perfect for swimming lessons and trips to the beach. The large nose to tail zip makes it easy for children to pack their gear and the unique style and fabric means it won’t get lost in the changing room!
Create a fish rucksack
Download and print the templates for this project. Use them to cut out all the pieces for the bag, attach them to the fabric with low tack tape then cut out.
Place the two fin pieces right sides together and pin, being careful to place pins near the edge of the fabric, and sew around the edge, leaving the base open. Turn right side out. Fold under the base edges and top stitch around the fin. Sew three lines radiating out from the base for detail. Create the tail in the same way.
Using the image as a guide, sew along the baseline of the fin to attach it to the front piece of the body. Turn under the edges of the front piece of the body by 1cm, tape, then sew the tail in place. With right sides facing, pin the base of the bag around the bottom of the front piece of the body, from the nose to the edge of the tail, and sew together. Trim any excess.
With one top bag piece facing the right side of a zip, align the edge of the oilcloth with the far edge, pin, then sew in place. Fold back the fabric to reveal the zip and repeat with the other top piece on the opposite side. With right sides facing, pin the body of the bag to the top, ensuring the zip is positioned so it will open from right to left. Sew around the top.
To make an inside pocket, turn under the top edge of the pocket front, tape and sew in place. Fold under the edges of the back of the pocket and, with wrong sides facing, tape to the middle of the back body piece. Turn under the other edges of the front pocket and place on top of the back pocket (the wrong side of the front of the pocket will be facing the right side of the back of the pocket). Align the sides and bottom edge. Tape and sew to the inside back.
With right sides facing, pin the base to the back of the fish. Open the zip and with right sides facing, pin the top of the bag to the back of the fish. Fold 20cm of heavy webbing in half to create a loop. With edges together, slide it between the back and top of the bag, in the centre. Pin in place. Cut the remaining heavy webbing in half, and half again. Fold over the ends and sew to prevent fraying.
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