A Backpack For Boo

My little guy is turning three in just a few days. In addition to planning his birthday party - A Tiny Foods themed party - I'm getting ready for him to start preschool. What does every little boy need for the first day of school? A new backpack!

I decided to make the Toddler Backpack from Made By Rae. This is my first time using one of her patterns but I read all of the positive reviews on them and I'm excited to give it a try. It's all techniques that I'm comfortable with - piping, zippers, linings, straps - so I know I can muck my way through any unclear instructions. Besides, the pattern is SO CUTE. And I have the CUTEST fabric.

Since my fabric is heavy in weight (a non-woven medium weight utility fabric) but sheer, I decided to flatline everything with a white cotton. I'm so glad I did. The extra heft is pretty nice:

So far I've got the pieces cut:

The zipper inserted:

And the front piece piped:

Doesn't it look great?!