Slabtown Instructions Preview

Hello, maker!

I'm Ellie. I've been designing and making bags professionally for over twenty years. I started Klum House to share my passion and invite others to work with their hands, make high-quality finished goods, and gain confidence through making.

Klum House bag designs are informed by my roots in the industrial sewing industry. Our patterns will teach you to harness the full power of your home sewing machine to achieve professional results without industrial equipment. We pride ourselves in making premium bags that are built to last with natural materials like waxed canvas, leather, and metal.

This is your guide to creating the Slabtown Rolltop Backpack, a stylish and highly-functional bag designed for adventurous makers. The Slabtown features a spacious main compartment with a quick-access side zipper, a front zip pocket, snap closures, adjustable leather backpack straps, and an additional 6" of carrying capacity with the rolltop fully opened. To set you up for success, I highly recommend making this bag with our online class, where I’ll walk you through the entire process, step-by-step.

You’re about to embark on an epic bag making adventure. Take this project one step at a time. There’s no need to rush. Enjoy the process. Be sure to take breaks and eat snacks when you need them—mistakes are most likely to happen when you’re tired or hungry! Most importantly, have fun! We can’t wait to see what you make. Share your finished backpack with #YaySlabtown

YOU GOT THIS. XO

ROLLTOP STRAP

GET TO KNOW THE SLABTOWN

SNAP CLOSURE

HIDDEN 12" ZIPPER

FRONT POCKET

HANDLE

SIDE PANEL

ROLLTOP

SNAP TABS

ZIPPER PULL

SIDE POCKET

FRONT POCKET 12" ZIPPER

BACKPACK STRAPS

BACK MAIN BODY

TUBULAR RIVETS ADJUSTMENT STRAPS

BUCKLES

REINFORCEMENT FABRIC

BUCKLE STRAPS

GET EXCITED!

This bag was designed with you in mind. The Slabtown combines function and style in equal parts. Whether it’s a day on the trails, your daily cycling commute, or a weekend getaway, this bag will keep up with your active lifestyle and hold up to years of wear and tear. Pack your gear—there are adventures ahead!

This pattern will push the limits of what you thought was possible on a home sewing machine, teach you heavy-duty sewing techniques, and turn you into a leather and hardware boss. Get excited! This is going to be fun.

MAKE IT YOURS

There are lots of ways to personalize your Slabtown and create a one-of-akind bag that reflects your personal style. In addition to choosing your fabric, leather, and hardware colors, you can also add sew-on patches and labels, stamp messages into your leather straps, and add pops of color with fun zipper choices! The possibilities are endless.

TIPS + TRICKS

HEAVY DUTY SEWING

CAN MY MACHINE DO THIS?

The answer is almost certainly yes. You do not need an industrial or even heavy-duty sewing machine to make the Slabtown. Most home sewing machines that have been well taken care of will power through. Make sure to use a sharp needle, take your time, and follow these heavy-duty sewing tips. They will set you up for success. When you see , it’s time to put one or more of these techniques into action!

AVOIDING A TENSION HEADACHE

A common problem that arises when heavy-duty sewing on a home machine is skipped or wonky stitches. In both cases, this is likely due to tension issues. You may need to adjust your machine's tension multiple times throughout this project for optimal stitches. As a general rule of thumb, tension should increase slightly as fabric thickness increases. We also find that a longer stitch length (around 3 mm) is helpful for bulky sewing.

THE HANDWHEEL IS YOUR FRIEND!

• On thick stitches, manually use the handwheel of your sewing machine to set the needle down into the fabric before pressing the foot pedal.

• Begin stitching a bit further in from the edge of the fabric than normal so the feed dogs have plenty of traction.

• If your machine struggles to make it through a thick seam, turn the handwheel forward a few stitches until you’ve cleared the bulk.

WALKING FOOT + JEAN-A-MA-JIG

This project can be completed with a standard presser foot, but these tools will help give your machine an extra boost through bulky seams.

A walking foot , also called a “quilting foot,” is a sewing machine accessory with built-in feed dogs to help guide layers of heavy-duty fabric through the machine.

A jean-a-ma-jig, also called a “hump jumper,” is a tool used to lift up the presser foot of your sewing machine to help it sew through thick seams.

TWO WAYS TO TOPSTITCH

Some steps in this pattern call for all-purpose thread and others call for topstitching thread. Topstitching is highly recommended to give you the strongest stitch and most professional look. You can use a topstitching needle and all-purpose bobbin thread for the entire project. There are two options for topstitching. Test both to see which works better for your machine. You may have to adjust your tension to create even stitches. When you see , you’ll know it’s time to make a thread switch.

OPTION 1: Klum House Style

• 2 Spools All-purpose Top Thread

• Topstitching Needle

• All-purpose Bobbin Thread

» At Klum House, our preferred method that it yields the highest success rate on the widest range of machines. Add a second spool of all-purpose thread to the second spool holder on the top of your machine. Treating the two threads as one, thread the machine with both threads, inserting them both through the eye of your needle. Change the stitch length to 3 mm (if not already on it), and stitch as normal.

OPTION 2: Traditional

• 1 Spool Topstitching Top Thread

• Topstitching Needle

• All-purpose Bobbin Thread

» Switch your machine’s top thread to topstitching thread (a heavy-duty polyester thread). Change the stitch length to 3 mm (if not already on it), and stitch as normal.

For more advice on heavy-duty sewing, take the Slabtown online class!

GATHER

Snap Tabs (2 pieces)

Snap Reinforcement Tabs (2 pieces)

Med. 3/8" Tubular Rivets (4 pieces)

Line 24 Snap Eyelets (2 pieces)

Line 24 Snap Studs (2 pieces)

Side Panel / Pocket (2 pieces)

TOOLS

Tubular Rivet Peening Tool

Mallet + Hard Surface

Line 24 Snap Setter

1. Thread an eyelet through the center hole of a snap tab from the wrong side. Then, from the right side of the tab, place a stud onto the post.

2. Working on a hard surface, the snap setter so its bottom point is resting in the center of the eyelet post. With the setter straight up and down, strike the setter with a mallet 3–5 times with medium force. When set correctly, the post will flatten and the snap will be secure. If the snap can spin at all, strike it again. Repeat steps 1 + 2 to for the second snap tab.

3. Thread two tubular rivets through the other two holes in the snap tab from the right side. Place the tab right-side up on top of the right side of one side panel, threading the rivet posts through the pair of pre-punched holes in the fabric. Tip » If at any point in this project you have trouble fitting a post into a leather hole, re-punch the hole or widen it using an awl.

SETTING LINE 24 SNAPS Find videos for how to set (and remove!) snaps on our blog.

We're setting these now.

We'll set these later.

4. Keeping the rivets in place, turn the fabric over and place a snap reinforcement tab right-side up onto the rivet posts from the wrong side, sandwiching the fabric in between.

5 To set the rivets, use a tubular rivet peening tool and a heavy, non-rubber mallet on top of a hard surface. Vertically align the peening tool with the first rivet and strike with the mallet, beginning with medium force and increasing force for a total of 8–12 strikes. When fully set, the rivet’s spokes should dig into the leather. Don’t be afraid to really hit it. Repeat for the second rivet.

Note » Tubular rivets should more force than Line 24 snaps. Take care to vertically align so everything is straight up and down before setting.

BAM! BAM!

6 Repeat steps 3–5 to attach the other snap tab to the other side panel.

SETTING TUBULAR RIVETS Find videos for how to set (and remove!) rivets on our blog.

NAY!

Your tubular rivet is not fully set. Hit it a few more times, hard!

YAY!

Your rivet is fully set!

2. Move the side panel lining out of the way and topstitch along the left side of the hidden zipper (on the left-hand side of the bag) using an 1/8" seam allowance, capturing the seam allowance underneath. ! Don’t stitch other side of the zipper.

Tip »

magnify moment of zipper

magnify moment of zipper head

3 Switch to one spool of all-purpose thread and a bobbin that matches your lining. Flip the exterior fabric, separating it from the lining. Stitch the seam allowance to the lining. Then flip the front pocket back over, right-side up. Stitch

magnify moment of zipper head

4. Open the front pocket zipper half-way. Align the top, bottom, and side edges of the right side panel and front body lining and clip in place. Beginning at the top of the front pocket zipper, hold the two ends of the zipper tape together, side by side, and edgestitch them to the lining. (See diagram on next page.) Continue edgestitching the side panel to the lining along the top, right, and bottom edges, pivoting at the corners. When you approach the bottom of the front pocket zipper, hold the zipper tape ends together and stitch across them.

Front Pocket

Front Body Lining

magnify moment of zipper head

5. Tug the left side panel lining so its raw edges align with the side panel above it and clip the aligned edges in place. Edgestitch the side panel to the side panel lining with an 1/8" seam allowance along the top, left, and bottom edges.

Step 5 Stop Start

Step 4

Start Stop

magnify moment step 4

Clip zipper tape ends

6. Switch to topstitching. On the right-hand side of the bag, make sure the seam allowance under the righthand side of the front pocket zipper is pressed to the right, away from the zipper teeth. Topstitch the right-hand side of the front pocket zipper with an 1/8" seam allowance, capturing both the seam allowance and the front body lining underneath.

ATTACH

FRONT + BACK OF BAG

GATHER SUPPLIES

Back Main Body (1 piece)

Back Body Lining (1 piece)

Front of Bag (Panels / Pocket) (1 piece)

All-purpose Thread (x2 for Topstitching)

Walking Foot (optional)

1 Align the long, bottom edge of the back main body with the bottom edge of the front of the bag, right sides together, and clip in place. The edges of the fabric should be the same length. If they’re not, split the difference and/or pull the shorter fabric to ease it as you sew. Tip » If you have a walking foot

Sew the back main body to the front of the bag with a ¼" seam allowance.

2. Align the bottom edge of the back body lining with the bottom edge of the front body, linings together, and clip in place. The front body (and the zippers) should be sandwiched between the layers of fabric. Sew the layers together with a ½" seam allowance, easing the fabric if necessary.

Step 2

Step 1

3. Switch to topstitching. Flip the exterior back body open. Topstitch along the bottom edge of the back main body, ensuring the back body lining is out of the way and capturing the seam allowance underneath.

4 Switch to one spool of all-purpose thread. Align all the raw edges of the exterior back body and back body lining wrong sides together and secure with pins or clips. Edgestitch around the whole perimeter of these pieces with an 1/8" seam allowance, pivoting at the corners.

Back Body Lining

Topstitch

Step 3

Step 4