FoldNZip Backpack
Reference
WOW! Testers team really amazed me this round! Their fabric combination is FANTASTIC! It showcases the uniqueness of FoldNZip perfectly! Hope you are as inspired by their unique creations!
Testers rated mostly "Advanced Beginner comfortable with curves/bulk" and Intermediate.
Machine used - Industrial Juki 1181N
Size Large
Tula Pink Cotton Woven in Daydreamer/Butterfly Kisses; BoDeeOh Black Vinyl, and waterproof canvas interior
Size Petite
Backstitch Sew Sketchy cotton woven, BoDeeOh Vinyl, and water resistant canvas
"I love the easy storage when folded and size versatility. The straps are some of the best I’ve ever made, and they are very comfortable to wear." @Amber McClane
Machine used - Brother CS5055PRW, domestic
Size Petite
Exterior: OSP CL (Alchefuse interfacing & Geekyfuse Poly Firm), OSP CW (Alchefuse interfacing). Interior: OSP CL (Alchefuse interfacing), WPC. Zipper pulls: Alchemats
"This is a fantastic backpack pattern with a lot of options for size, function, and design! The instructions take you step by step through making a next-level backpack, and the end results will have you saying, "I MADE this!" I have yet to see a design that functions in the same way, and Sewfisticated offers sizes for every use. I highly recommend giving this pattern a try and you will LOVE the results!" @Nikki Schmidt
Machine used - Juki TL 2010
Size Petite
Cotton woven and cotton canvas from Kammie Lou Lou’s Fabric Shop. Pellon sew in foam, SF101, decovil light, decovil heavy
"I really love the fold flat feature of this bag, it’s not something that you see too often and I’ve never seen anything collapsible that still has a nice structure like the Fold n Zip." @Colleen Davis
Machine used - Domestic, NV180K
Size Regular
Size Petite
Exterior: Vinyl from OhanaFabric, interior: woven, Stabiliser: Soft & stable foam.
"It has a unique construction and has lots of pockets. My favourite part is that the bag can be folded flat for easy storage. Also, if you zip up the main compartment and position the zippers at the middle on top, it would be right at your neck and the backpack would be anti-theft." @Geraldine Tan
Machine used - Domestic Brother strong and Tough
All from Fabric Therapy Exterior - Smooth textured Vinyl w/canvas backing Interior - Waterproof Canvas Interfacing - therafuse seatbelt webbing 1”.
Fabric Cotton Canvas - Fabric Therapy - Wizarding World; interfacing - Therxfuse - Fabric Therapy
"It’s such a cute pattern. It’s got an amazing amount of space and can even hold a Yeti / Hydroflask Bottle. The Pattern is a great pattern for all ages and it’s amazing how even the regular size bag can hold a 3 ring binder. Perfect for school age children. ". @Jennifer Chun
Size Large
Fabric - hobby lobby canvas, mypunkbroidery vinyl, wpc interior. Interfacing - sf101 on canvas, S&S foam, decovil
" It’s such a unique design! I love the ability to zip all the way down! The regular FoldNZip is the Goldilocks of backpack sizes…it’s just right! I’m going to go ahead and say it…this is my favorite pattern yet! The way it unzips is so unique. The large would make a great baby bag. Just unzip the zipper and you have a built in changing pad!! An idea for suggested uses. The size would be perfect as a DSLR camera bag…would just need to add some dividers! @Jessica Lehman Patole
Size Regular
Exterior: Polycanvas and WPC, interior: waterproof material from SMH, interface: S&S foam and stiff interfacing (SMH)
Machine used - Domestic Singer HD 6800C
Size Regular
"I love how Jassie takes an ordinary thing (a backpack) and makes it into a new & different shape that even folds to store easily when not in use. The FoldNZip has the unique ability to fold flat & I love that! Plus a lot of storage options." @Rebecca Hills
Machine used - Domestic - Brother Innovis, Industrial - Techsew 2750 pro
Size Regular
"I loved creating a Backpack unlike any other pattern design I've seen available in the bag making community. The large size of the FoldNZip backpack was easy to assemble. The backpack sewed together quite nicely using the recommended fabrics listed in the instructions. I really liked the fact that most of the pattern pieces were uniform in shape and the dimensions were listed for each pattern piece. Therefore, block interfacing and cutting the fabric was fairly quick and simple. I can see myself making several more FoldNZip backpacks.
I added a personal twist to the FoldNZip backpack. I opted for the Regular size. I figured I would give this new design a test to see if the pattern was able to be used for those individuals that sew custom leather bags. The pattern itself is amazing and goes together like peanut butter and jelly. Now, here is the catch, if you want to attempt to use all leather while making the FoldNZip.
1. You need lots of patients.
2. Must use an industrial heavy duty sewing machine.
3. STRONGLY, recommend thoroughly skiving the edges of every single pattern piece that is cut in leather (I did skive my leather but not enough so if left the seams extremely large and was a definite challenge when it came to attaching the final piece to the zipper). I believe this pattern can be adapted nicely for leather, cork, and vinyl. " @Shonda 'Ferguson' Andrews
Machine used - Industrial Juki DDL 8700-7
Size Regular
"I love this design that is unique and fun to coordinate. It is really useful and I can see it used as a diaper bag for that instant changing pad for a baby. I made the petite and the large and I feel like my 3 year old can fit into a large! Haha great support in the Facebook group of there's any difficulties. Best investment! And many great skills/tips to learn in the pattern!" @Linda Kolb
Machine used - Semi-industrial Juki 2000Qi
Size Regular
" I love this bag! This is such a fun sew! I love that it unzips and collapses down so that I can store it and not take up a lot of space in the closet. The instructions are excellent and are stuffed full of pictures, which is great for us visual learners. It looks intimidating, but it comes together so easily. The finished bag is a great size. I can't wait to make more! You'll want to make a million of these!" @Jennifer Laughlin Nassar
Machine used - My new Juki dnu1181n
Size Regular
"This pattern is truly amazing. It is a labor of love but worth the love and work. It fits so much and stands strong and tall. I’m so proud to be able to make sturdy and useful backpacks!" @Susi Schuegraf
\Machine used - Singer 403
Size Large
Rockerby CL, Kanga Care changing pad, fabric wholesale vinyl and wpc
Size Regular
"The FoldNZip is worth the elbow grease. It pieces together nicely and makes for a great travel and everyday make. Absolutely love that it doesn't take up space when storing or traveling. This is a great pattern that comes together nicely. The large can feel overwhelming at the start, but it's so amazing once its together." @Jennifer Morawski 
Machine used - Janome HD9
Size Large
EB fuse from Emmaline, Rex faux leather from Emmaline, sonic fabric can’t remember been in my stash a while
"Love the unusual design and that it can flat pack. Very unique twist. I love that when this bag isn’t in use it can be folded away easily. I think the different sizing options are a genius idea, and means you can kit out the full family with a back pack with just one pattern. The way the bag is designed means it’s perfect for panel prints. There are so many pocket combinations to choose from you’ll be spoilt for choice!" @Tanya Louise Ruffles
Machine used - domestic machine with my Toyota SuperJeans J34
Size Petite & Large
I used lightweight waterproof canvas for outside and inside and only used foam (Style Vil -it's like by Anni's Soft and Stable) as interfacing, and plus decovil light at the bottom.
"I fell in love with this pattern! It's a very easy to sew project and if you make one you'll definitely want to make more! I love that the bag can be fully unzipped and folded if I want, making it easy to store, and barely takes up space in the suitcase while traveling. The instructions and pictures were clear, easy to follow and understandable to me, so I rate it 10!" @May Dee
Machine used - Brother PQ1500SL
Size Petite
Cotton + Vinyl + Clear Vinyl from Bombsheller
"Another amazing pattern from Jassie! Once again don’t get intimidated by the how it looks! Easy to follow instructions, key here is patience and perseverance! Another new skill unlocked with this pattern! Really love how it turns out! Great as a vacation bag with ‘an anti-theft pocket’! Overall 10/10 👍👍!" @Karen Tay
Machine used - Domestic Pfaff Creative 2134
"The lay-flat design is genius. I also love that it's created in such a modular way - like building blocks." @Tamara Kerelchuk
Machine used - Singer HD6380 heavy duty domestic
Size Petite
Pellon 931TD, Pellon foam, & Pellon fusible fleece, fabric used Stitch Fabric is WPC from Fabric Therapy, lining is cotton woven, and side panel color changing vinyl is from Bob & Jen’s odds and ends. Pastel rainbow webbing from Bob and Jen’s
Size Regular
Interfacing and stabilizers: Pellon 931TD, Peltex, and pellon fusible fleece. Fabric used: Better homes and Garden cotton canvas in watercolor pink and navy with a CW lining.
" Very different and unique. I loved the design because it’s nothing like what I have seen on the market and the bag itself is very comfortable to wear. A unique and fun design to challenge an advanced beginner. I felt very accomplished by finishing this because it was my first backpack and first time I have done binding. A great challenge to my skills and to build on the ones I already have. ! @Thien Ai Hartop
Machine used - Domestic
Size Large
Marine vinyl exterior; cotton woven interior; fusible fleece on the interior pocket for extra padding to the “laptop” pocket; flex foam for the front panel and sides and extra firm for the back.
"This bag design is unique from the outside and would make a great diaper bag. Unzipping the front panel to easily access items on the bottom without taking everything out is so nice for a busy mom or just anyone on the go! My occupation specializes in ergonomics and this bag allows weight to be well stacked vertically preventing painful pulling and strain on your back and shoulders." @Mary Wiess
Machine used - Juki TL-2000 Qi
Cotton woven- Ohana, Vinyl. Alchefuse, decovil
Size Large
Bombsheller- cotton woven. Ripstop and waterproof canvas and vinyl. Light Foam backing.
"Great pattern for all my panels. Big or small this showcases the designs. I feel like there is a size for everyone and I think each size can have different uses. Perfect for kids and adults. So roomy with loads of pockets and very easy to store. Best feature is the fold flat design. I can have so many bags and this one is great for storage and access. Instructions and pictures are awesome. Cutting/prep does take some time to do but in the end it is all worth it. I finally dug into my hoarded panels for this test and I couldn’t be happier with the results." @Theresa Janke
