Baby Yoda...

Unbelievably adorable, and all the hype since he made his debut in Star Wars, The Mandalorian.

This backpack brings his adorableness to a whole new level, plus it's functional to boot!

"Very wise, you are." -Yoda

So if you love Star Wars, or have children who do, making this backpack should be your next big mission!

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." -Yoda

Supplies

For this awesome backpack, you will need:

1/2 yard Yoda-Green faux suede (I wanted pleather for all the fabrics, but there wasn't any at my available stores, so I stuck with the next best textured fabric: faux suede)
1/2 yard Dark Brown faux suede
1/2 yard Cotton lining fabric (I found a cool cork-looking tan cotton fabric that has a design on it that reminds me of textures you see frequently on Star Wars)
1/16 to 1/8 yard Tan faux suede
1/4 yard Burlap
1/16 to 1/8 yard Dark Green home-décor or outdoor fabric (or faux suede if you find it) This is for the middle of the ears, so make sure the color matches the color family of the Yoda-Green you chose (both of mine were a warm olive-ish color).
Matching green all-purpose thread
Matching dark brown all-purpose thread
Matching tan all-purpose thread
A 5mm (teeth width) 22" long zipper (with black, tan, or matching green zipper tape)
A 5mm 12" long zipper (with either the same color of zipper tape as the other zipper, or a tan zipper tape)
1/4 yard 1/4" thick Flex Foam (1 side was fusible, but I didn't fuse it)
1/2 yard Pellon 926 Extra Firm sew-in washable interfacing
4 D-Rings (at least 1-1/4" wide on the flat side)
Yoda-Green embroidery floss
Black embroidery floss
Embroidery Hand-Held Needles
OPTIONAL: 2-3 matching zipper slides (Fix-A-Zipper)

TOOLS:

-Sewing Machine with a sharp/new Universal needle in it

-Fabric Scissors/Rotary Cutter

-Measuring Tape

-Binder Clips and pins

-Iron

-OPTIONAL: Cutting Mat, Straight Edge

NOTE: Originally, I thought I might need embroidery hoops, but I didn't end up using them. I also never used the decorative zipper pulls seen the supplies picture. I ended up using entire zipper slides, and you'll see why later. Lastly, I switched out the white zipper for a black one so it matched my long zipper.

Step 1: Welcome to the School of Faux Suede

First things first...with faux suede you need to know the nap. Now, Jar Jar Binks may want to take in a good nap, but that's not what we're talking about here.

When I chose faux suede as my fabric for this project, it was both out of desperation (because my store didn't have pleather in the colors I needed), and because I wanted a textured fabric (and real suede is a type of leather so faux suede was my best bet). I had never worked deliberately with this material before, so I didn't know it was considered a fairly difficult fabric to work with. Not to mention it requires lots of pre-knowledge you need to understand before starting a project with it.

I'll save you the hours of research and countless videos I watched, and just summarize the information I learned for if you choose to work with faux suede for your project, too. You can thank me later!

What is "nap" (also known as "pile")?

Nap is the texture of a fabric with the raised fibers of the fabric going in a particular direction (this property of fabric is woven into it). To get the nap, a secondary yarn is woven through the cloth which creates that raised fibers property.

Why is it important to know the nap?

When using a fabric with a nap (such as the faux suede I'm using), knowing the nap is important to determining how you set out and cut your pattern on the fabric. When cutting fabric with a nap, it is important to keep the pattern pieces going in the same direction: either "with the nap" which means the fibers will feel smooth and are in a downward direction, or "against the nap" which means the fibers will feel rougher and not as smooth and are in an upward direction.

In the first two pictures of this step, the first picture is "against the nap." You will see the fibers are raised up and rougher looking. The second picture is "with the nap." You will see that the fibers look smoother. If you cut "against the nap," the effect will be a richer, darker look. If you cut "with the nap," the effect will be a softer, lighter look.

How can you determine the nap on your fabric?

You can feel the nap of a fabric by running your hand on the surface of the cloth. If the fibers stand up when you run your hand in one direction, that's "against the nap." If they lay down smooth, that's "with the nap."

Which way should you cut the fabric?

Ultimately, this is up to you. However, to get the shaded look of real suede, you should cut on the cross grain of the fabric.

What's the Cross Grain?

Cross grain, also called the Crosswise Grain, is the grain that runs crosswise (at a right angle) to the selvage. The third picture in this step shows a clear layout of how to determine the different parts of the fabric (selvage, cross grain, and bias). The fourth picture shows how to cut out pieces to cut on the cross grain. Just make sure all the pieces are cut in the same direction as the first one.

Do I need to pre-shrink my fabric?

Faux suede isn't known to shrink too much, I've read, so it's really only necessary to preshrink the interfacing IF you want to be able to wash your bag without trouble. If you are wanting to wash your bag and are scared the faux suede may shrink, feel free to pre-shrink all your materials (except the foam padding).

How do I clean faux suede?

You should spot clean faux suede, or wash it on a gentle cycle and hang dry or spot dry. When washing, use cold or warm water with little detergent and little softener. Because this bag has interfacing, DO NOT put it in the dryer! Steam press if wrinkles occur with a damp pressing cloth.

Any other helpful tips before I begin?

You can mark an arrow on the back of each piece pointing in the direction of the nap if you think you might get confused about which way is which. But, I found that as long as I kept the selvage on top of the fabric every time I cut a new piece, and then cut on the cross grain each time, marking the direction of the nap was unnecessary.
If you are using faux suede like I did, use a rotary cutter and a cutting mat to avoid the shredding sides that I got because I cut the faux suede with fabric shears.
You can use homemade fabric scraps-and-rice weights to hold down the pattern on the faux suede while you trace it or cut it. This keeps everything from moving around.
Be sure to use only sharp, thin pins in faux suede (if any) as it is pretty unforgiving as far as larger holes go. Therefore, it's actually best to use binder clips (or the like) instead of pins.
Faux suede tends to pucker when you sew it. To avoid this, pull the fabric taut (but do not stretch it) as you sew. If the machine foot is pulling at the fabric too much, put a piece of tape on the underside of the machine foot so the smooth side faces down toward the fabric-- the smooth side of the tape will help the fabric slide under the foot better.
Avoid backstitching on the faux suede wherever possible. Instead, you can hand-tie knots at the beginning and ends of the thread before cutting off the excess.
Set the tension to a weaker setting to avoid making tons of holes and, therefore, weakening the fabric.
Always press the seams from the backside of the fabric using a press cloth (or a lightweight white cotton tea towel, napkin, or even a T-shirt). Press 15-20 seconds and use the lowest setting ("synthetic" setting).
Topstitch seams whenever possible to reinforce them, especially around things like zippers.
ALWAYS TEST YOUR MACHINE SETTINGS ON SCRAP FABRIC BEFORE SEWING ONTO THE ACTUAL BAG. Do this every time you change up the fabrics or add in another layer.

FINAL NOTE: This may all seem like a lot to take in or remember; don't worry, I thought so too. I was actually SUPER anxious to even begin this project after I found out about working with faux suede. But after I started sewing, following some simple straight-forward tips from here, I found out it really was no big deal to work with and it turned out great! So, don't be afraid to give it a go!

Step 2: The Journey Begins

To begin the front of the backpack, I cut two pieces (one green, one dark brown) making sure to curve the top of the green fabric. I used an extra large, round Tupperware top to accomplish this. Then I sewed the two fabrics together at the center, keeping the RIGHT sides of the fabric together, and sewing with a 1/2" seam.

I didn't backstitch anywhere because when I sew all the pieces together later, it will reinforce the places where I started and stopped (plus, as aforementioned, you should try to avoid backstitching on faux suede so you don't weaken the fabric).

When it was finished, I pressed open the seam with my finger before going to the next step.

Dimensions (to Cut):

The top piece (green) is 6-1/4" tall x 10-1/2" wide (This includes 1/2" seam allowance on all sides). NOTE: the height will be shorter on the curved edges, but the middle of the top of the curve should be 5-3/4" tall.

The bottom piece (dark brown) is 6-1/4" tall x 10-1/2" wide (includes 1/2" seam allowance on all sides)

Step 3: Press

Press the seam open from the backside of the fabric, using a press cloth (or a white cotton cloth, I used a tea towel). Make sure to press it using the "synthetic" setting (or lowest setting) on your iron.

Also, be sure to only press it for 15-20 seconds.

Step 4: Add Interfacing

I got washable, sew-in interfacing for this project. It added the strength and stability I needed, but was easy to sew and maneuver.

Trace the front of the bag to the interfacing and cut it out. DO NOT add any seam allowance!

Sew the interfacing to the BACKSIDE of the fabric (using the green and brown sewn together pieces as one) along the edges only. When you're done, trim back the interfacing so that it is really close to the sewn edge. This will reduce the bulk when sewing the seams together later.

Step 5: Chalk It Up

Did you know you can sharpen a regular piece of chalk in the larger hole of a regular sharpener to make fabric chalk? Who knew!?

Using an inspiration photo (the fourth picture shows my inspiration for this entire backpack -- granted it's Yoda, but I "babied" him up with slightly bigger ears and a younger looking face, making baby creases instead of wrinkles), trace your desired face on the front top portion of the backpack with sharpened chalk.

Then using the Yoda-green and black embroidery flosses, embroider the design using a variety of stitches.

NOTE: Embroidering by hand will take you a LONG time. It took me 4 hours to do. Whether it's because I'm a noob, or because I don't yet know how to do embroidery with my fancy doo-dah sewing machine, it still took me awhile. Be patient, throw on a good movie or TV series, and get to embroidering!

Here are the stitches I used:

Mouth: Satin Stitch to fill in the middle, plus a Back Stitch to create a cleaner border around the mouth (do the border stitch first, then fill in)

Eyes: Split Stitch

Facial Creases: Split Stitch

Nose: Horizontal Satin Stitch plus a Split Stitch around the border (do the border stitch first, then fill in)

Eyebrow Creases: Stem Stitch

Have no idea what any of that means? Neither did I, as this was my first time embroidering! So, here are some links to what I used to learn the different stitches -- don't worry, they're super easy!

P.S. Make sure to have added the interfacing BEFORE embroidering the fabric (don't skip it!) as it makes the fabric tougher so it can handle all the close stitches.

Step 6: Sew the Zipper Gusset

The last thing we need to add to the front of this backpack is a zippered front pocket/pouch.

To start that process, we need to add a gusset (aka: the fabric that extends from the zipper on either side). Take your 12" zipper and sew it right sides together with the first piece of fabric. Your seam allowance should be 1/4". MAKE SURE THE FABRIC IS CENTERED ON THE ZIPPER SIDE (the zipper will hang out both ends of the fabric).

Open the seam and topstitch down the fabric (close to the fold).

OPTIONAL: You can do a second topstitch (aka French seam) if your zipper tape is wide enough to hold one. If it's not, you can try using a thin paper under your machine to sew a for-show second topstitch (removing the paper afterwards). Otherwise, you can omit the second topstitch altogether.

Repeat this with the second piece of fabric to get what is in the picture.

NOTE: Your finished piece will be different from mine. I got too small of a zipper, but it was all I could find since this pandemic has limited what's in stores. So, if you can get ahold of a 12" zipper, you will be good to go (and will avoid the problem I ran into later)!

OPTIONAL: If you were able to find 3 matching zipper slides, you can cut off the bottom end of the zipper BEFORE proceeding with this step, and change out the zipper slide (the zipper head/pull) so all your zippers match. If not, it's better if this one is the zipper head that's opposite and the other two match in the coming up step.

Dimensions (to Cut):

Both strips of gusset fabric (tan) will be 1" x 9-1/4" (includes the seam allowance).

Step 7: The Top of the Pocket

Sew the top piece of fabric (dark brown) to the tan gusset fabric (right sides together). Then open the seam and topstitch it down as you did before.

To make the pocket/pouch pop out from the bag, fold the corners in so the straight edges line up to make a pointy tip (see pictures for clarity), and sew a straight line across each triangular corner. Trim the excess off, and when you flip it right side out, you'll be left with a pushed-out corner.

Dimensions (to Cut):

2" x 9-1/4" dark brown top piece (includes seam allowance)

Step 8: The Bottom & Attaching the Pocket

Sew the bottom dark brown piece on to the gusset piece in the same way as the previous step. Also, sew and cut the corners the same way so the finished pocket pops out.

Now, because you used a 12" zipper, you shouldn't encounter the problem I did for using a 9" zipper. You should be able to simply snip off the zipper ends, throw on a couple of tan side pieces, and call it a day.

But because my zipper was too short, I had to cut off the ends and sew it all directly down to the front of the bag. It doesn't look bad in any way, it's just not typical.

To sew your completed pocket/pouch to the front of the bag, first mark where the center of the bottom of the bag is (mark it with a binder clip or with a disappearing fabric marker). Use this to line up your pocket so its centered, and put the top of the pocket on the first seam you sewed (just under Baby Yoda's mouth). Tuck under the fabric 1/4" or so around the pocket, then topstitch it to the bag front as close to the folded edges as you can (maybe 1/8" or less?).

Now your pocket is ready to use!

NOTE: I didn't line mine, but if you were hoping to line yours, line it BEFORE you sew it down to the bag.

Dimensions (to Cut):

3-1/4" x 9-1/4" dark brown piece (includes seam allowance)

Step 9: Sewing the Back

The back of my inspiration backpack is three different materials: the green top of Baby Yoda's head, a burlap middle, and a dark brown bottom.

So, cut out these pieces and sew them together by sewing the top and middle pieces RIGHT sides together, then pressing the seam with the iron from the backside and with a press cloth. Then sew the middle and bottom pieces RIGHT sides together, and pressing the seam in the same way.

Trace the completed back piece onto the interfacing (Do NOT add seam allowance), and sew the interfacing to the backside of the piece, trimming away the excess interfacing as you did before.

NOTE: The extra dark brown piece you see in the first picture that has curved edges will be used in a future step. So cut it out for now using the dimensions below, then set it aside.

Dimensions (to Cut):

6-1/4" tall x 10-1/2" wide top green piece

5-1/4" tall x 10-1/2" wide middle burlap piece

2" tall x 10-1/2" wide bottom dark brown piece

2-1/2" tall x 10-1/2" wide (with curved edges matching the sides of the green top piece, or trim it to the shape after sewing the seams) dark brown piece, set aside

(All measurements include the seam allowance.)

Step 10: Make a Double Zipper

I wanted to have a double zipper on my backpack, because the best backpacks always do!

Did you know it's super easy to make one from a single zipper!? No? I didn't either!

Here's how to do it:

Buy a zipper slide (as seen in picture 1). Usually they will be called a "Fix-A-Zipper" in places like Walmart.

Cut off the bottom end of the 22" zipper. Yes, cut off the stopper, so it's only teeth there. With the back end of the zipper slide backed up to the zipper teeth, slide the teeth into the gaps in the slide (make sure the tape stays even so you know the zipper slide is on both sides of the teeth evenly). Hold the two ends of the zipper tape with your first and middle finger of one hand, and with the other hand pull the zipper slide up the zipper teeth. With any luck, you've reached picture #4 (it may take a little maneuvering and re-trying to get it right).

If your zipper slides match (in color, shape, style), then you're done with this step. If they don't, buy yourself another zipper slide that matches. Cut off the TOP side of the zipper this time. Put the back of the zipper up to the zipper teeth and repeat the process. NOTE: The zipper slides will be facing opposite each other. When you're done, the final result will be a double zipper!

NOTE: Be sure not to pull the zipper slides off the zipper tape as both ends will have no stoppers. When you sew the ends into the seams of the bag, this will become your stoppers.

Step 11: Sew the Zipper Gusset

In the same way as you've already done, sew the 22" zipper gusset to the zipper. Don't forget to topstitch and/or double topstitch (aka French seam). This will complete your zipper panel.

Because I have never made a backpack before, I did a lot of research as to how to sew everything. One Instructable that helped me understand how to do the zipper and side panels, the lining of the bag, and the D-rings was this one: here. Thanks, Vikalpah! You made it easy to understand!

Dimensions (to Cut):

2" wide x 17" long (x 2 pieces) of Yoda-green fabric.

Step 12: Prepare the Side Panel

This side panel will also be the bottom of the bag. Cut it with the dimensions below.

Dimensions (to Cut):

4" wide x 24-1/2" long dark brown piece

Step 13: Sew the Zipper Panel to the Side Panel

Sew the zipper panel to the side panel, RIGHT sides together.

Then fold back the seam to the dark brown side, and topstitch (as shown).

Sew this same way on both sides to make one long 4" wide loop.

Step 14: Adding Side Pockets

My inspiration backpack had burlap side pockets (well, actually, on the inspiration backpack they just looked like design additions). But, I wanted them to actually serve a purpose (granted, this is essentially a mini backpack, so the pockets are mostly for smaller items). However, they look cute and add functionality, so on they go!

Cut out the burlap fabric for each pocket. Fold in 1/2" on the left side, and topstitch it down with a close-to-the-folded-edge stitch (1/4" seam allowance). Make sure the beginning of the folded over burlap edge is 1/2" from the left side of the side panel fabric (dark brown) so it won't be sewn shut in the seams of the bag. Also make sure to keep the top of the pocket 1/2" down from the side panel's seam (between the green and dark brown pieces).

Do the same thing on the right side of the same burlap pocket. Allow the fabric to pop out in the middle.

Then fold in 1/2" on the bottom, making the bottom fold push in flat. Topstitch the bottom of this burlap pocket to the side panel going over it multiple times. I went FORWARD ONLY three times over the bottom (no backstitching).

Repeat this entire process for the second burlap pocket on the other side of the side panel.

The finished pockets should look as shown in the pictures.

Dimensions (to Cut):

5-1/2" tall x 5-3/4" wide burlap pieces (x 2, includes seam allowance)

Step 15: Onward and Upward

Yoda and Baby Yoda have one big important detail that makes them the cute little creatures they are: their ears!

Cut out 4 pieces for the ears. Two pieces will be facing in opposite directions so they sew RIGHT sides together to make one ear. And the same goes for ear number two.

Sew one ear piece from each ear (2 pieces of the four) to a piece of interfacing. So, to clarify, two front pieces of the ears will get interfacing on the backs. Make sure the ear pieces are facing in opposite directions to make a right and left ear that are mirrors of each other.
Cut out the inner dark green pieces and zigzag topstitch them on the pieces with the interfacing on the backs.
Then sew the top and bottom parts of each ear together, RIGHT sides together, leaving an UN-SEWN EDGE on the bottom of each ear, and then flip out to reveal the finished ears.

NOTE: The ear shape is organic, so use my photos here to guide you, or design your own shape from an inspiration photo of your own.

Dimensions (to Cut):

4-1/2" tall x 6-1/2" wide Yoda-green pieces (x 4, organically shaped, opposite front and back of each ear, mirrored left and right ears)

2-3/4" tall x 5-1/2" wide dark green inner ear pieces (x 2, organically shaped, mirrored left and right ears)

3-1/2" tall x 5-1/2" wide Interfacing (x 2, matching the shape of the front ear pieces of both left and right ears)

All measurements include seam allowance, except for the interfacing which doesn't get any.

Step 16: Clean Up on Aisle Ear

If you experience a problem such as this: after sewing all the parts together and flipping it open, the one side of the inner ear piece pulled away from the Yoda-green ear fabric...follow these instructions to fix it (this will save you from seam ripping it all open!)

Thread a hand-held needle with Yoda-green thread.
From the inside of the ear, push the needle up through a current hole (made by the machine) in the light green fabric.
Working in the same zigzag style (but making the stitch longer to grip both fabrics properly), sew in and out all the way up the ear.
Knot the end by wrapping the thread a few times around the needle as you pull it through.

It won't look as great as the machine, but it will hold and be unnoticeable in the final bag.

Step 17: D-Ring Straps

Cut 2 pieces of dark brown fabric to 1" x 2" each.

Fold in half lengthwise, and sew down the edge with a 1/2" seam allowance (but you can do 1/4" if you prefer a wider finished strap).

Turn it right-side out.

Fold each strap over 2 D-rings and sew a tight edge at each end. Each strap holds 2 D-rings (making 4 D-rings used total).

Dimensions (to Cut):

1" wide x 2" long (x 2) dark brown pieces, includes seam allowance.

Step 18: Padded Shoulder Straps

NOTE: You can make your shoulder straps longer if needed. I just used this size because it worked well with the size of the bag.

Cut two pieces of dark brown fabric using the dimensions below, or longer.
Fold the fabric lengthwise, and sew with 1/2" seam allowance along the raw edges (keeping the RIGHT sides together). Do this for both pieces. This will make a "housing" for the pads to slip into (therefore, avoiding any extra seams on the long side, except the one). DO NOT sew the two short ends of either piece. Also, KEEP THE FABRIC WRONG-SIDE OUT.
On the designated bottom of each shoulder strap, add the D-ring straps into the middle so they sit against the right-side of the fabric. Align the middle of the D-ring strap with the seam you just sewed (which should now be placed in the center of the shoulder strap). Make it so the D-rings sit INSIDE the "housing" and the end of the D-ring straps sit flush with the to-be-sewn short side. Repeat for both pieces.
Sew the bottom short sides of each piece (leave the top ones OPEN)
Turn the whole thing right-side out. It should look like picture #3 on the bottom.
Slip the padding in each "housing."
Leave the tops open until they are sewn into the bag's seams.

Dimensions (to Cut):

7-3/4" wide x 11-1/2" long (x 2) dark brown fabric pieces

3" wide x 10" long (x 2) pieces of foam padding

Step 19: Handle / Hanger & Extender Straps

To make the top handle/hanger:

Cut your pieces of dark brown fabric and interfacing.
Fold over the dark brown fabric, RIGHT sides together, and sew with 1/2" seam allowance.
Turn the long strip right side out. NOTE: You may need a chopstick (or the like) to assist you. And you will definitely need some patience, it's a bit of a tedious process.
Slide in the interfacing like you would elastic. I used a safety pin on the end of the interfacing to help guide it through the long tube.

Leave the tube open on either end, as the ends will be sewn into the bag's seams later.

To make the Extender Straps (un-pictured, sorry!):

Simply cut two 3" x 24" dark brown pieces. Fold each over lengthwise with the RIGHT sides together, and sew them around the two long sides and only ONE short side (leave the other short side open). Flip them right-sides out and voila, extender straps! (Note: no interfacing is needed)

Dimensions (to Cut):

2" wide x 11" long dark brown piece (hanger/handle)

1/2" wide x 10-11" long interfacing piece (for the hanger/handle)

3" wide x 24" long (x 2) dark brown piece (extender straps)

All dimensions include seam allowance.

Step 20: Adding the Straps and Handle

Remember that curved-edged dark brown piece I mentioned awhile ago? It's finally time to use it!

First, you are going to place it along the top of the backpack (as shown) matching the curves of the piece with the curves of the backpack. Fold over the top and bottom of this strip 1/4" (NOT the sides). You can press the "hems" down if needed before adding it to the bag.
Slip the handle/hanger under it (at least 1/2" on each side of the handle/hanger should go under it). You will even this out with the shoulder strap's middle seam lines (as seen in picture 3).
Fold over the top of the shoulder straps and slide those under the brown horizontal strip too, as shown. I had the seams of the straps facing outward, because it matched my inspiration picture. Plus, it made a great way to line up the hanger/handle with.
Sew down the top with 1/4" seam allowance over all the pieces (over the horizontal strap, the shoulder strap tops, and the handle/hanger). I DID backstitch over the shoulder straps and handle/hanger pieces, to really secure them down (the added interfacing/padding made it possible to do this without hurting the faux suede fabric).
Lift up the shoulder straps so they're out of the way, and sew 1/4" seam allowance along the bottom of the horizontal strap.

Now is a good time to pin the extender straps to the middle edges of the burlap piece (the raw open edges of the extender straps should match the edges of the burlap piece). And, yes, you CAN use pins here.

Step 21: Sew the Side Panel to the Front

To prepare the front of the bag for sewing, fold the ears in and hold them together with a binder clip.

Clip the zipper/side panel RIGHT sides together to the front of the bag.

Tips for clipping the side panel to the front:

It helps to match up the side burlap pockets (so they are directly across from each other -- I had to seam rip the ENTIRE bag, front and back, from the side panel as the finished bag didn't have the side pockets matching up! -- so do this first!)
Next, match up the side seams (where the green and brown fabrics collide on both the front of the bag and the side panel)
Then, put a clip at the top center and bottom center
Lastly, add clips around all the other directions from there

NOTE: You WILL backstitch to start and stop sewing.

HOW TO SEW THE CORNERS:

To get that designer boxed bottom, sew the corners this way...

Fold over the corner so that the straight edge of the bottom matches the straight edge of the side (see pictures 4 and 5 for clarity). This will make a triangular piece pop up. Add clips to either side of this piece to prepare for sewing (as in picture 7, the last picture).
Sew along the straight side until you get to 1/2" away from the bottom of a corner. Make sure the triangular piece is on the opposite side of the side you're sewing (so you don't sew it down to the bag).
Put the needle down in the fabric and lift up the machine foot. Flip the flap over to match the side you just sewed, and pivot the fabric like you would to go around a regular corner, then put the machine foot back down.
Continue sewing along the edge and repeat the process at the next corner.

Step 22: Sew the Side Panel to the Back

BEFORE YOU COMPLETE THIS STEP: Make sure you open the zipper up all the way. If you don't, you won't be able to open or flip your bag right-side out later!

Pull in the shoulder straps, handle/hanger strap, and the ends of the extender straps (the ends that won't get sewn onto the sides), and clip them together so they are sure to stay out of the seams!

Clip the side panel around the back of the bag, RIGHT sides together. Replace the pins that are holding the extender straps with clips.

Also, it's a good idea to pull the extender straps 1/2" BEYOND the edges so you're sure to sew them into the seams. It's easier to clip away the excess than to seam rip and redo it (believe me, I know!).

Sew around the bag as you did on the front side, and be sure to keep those boxed corners.

Flip the whole thing right-side out. You're almost done!

Step 23: Topstitch the Ears

After you've sewn the side panel to the front and back of the bag, open the ears up. Topstitch them so they stick up and don't flop down.

Step 24: Where We're At

This is where you should be at right now (isn't he just the cutest!?). Go ahead and stop here if you don't want lining in the bag.

If you want lining in the bag (it's actually super easy!), then continue on...

Step 25: Add the Lining

This part is actually much easier than everything you just did. And now that you've sewn the bag together, this should be a much simpler duplication of that process. Also, you will only make the lining go up HALFWAY up the sides, as the zipper panel's raw edges won't be noticeable once the bag is turned right-side out. However, you can make a lining that covers up the zipper panel's raw edges, too, if you want (if you choose this approach, you would sew up to the zipper instead of just half way).

Cut a front and back piece of lining fabric the size of your front and back pieces you currently have (plus 1/2" on all sides for seam allowance). It should be the same as your first pattern pieces, but somehow my bag got BIGGER! So to be safe, I traced around my current bag's front and back to be sure the lining was just the right size. (NOTE: Dimensions will be dependent on your actual bag size at this point, or you can re-use previous dimensions from before.)
Cut a side panel that is the height of both sides (each of my sides were 6" tall), plus the length of the bottom. This will match the width of the bag plus 1/2" seam allowances around all sides.
Sew these pieces together (as you did previously) to make an all-lining "bag."
Flip the lining "bag" RIGHT-side out.
Turn the actual backpack WRONG-side out, and slide it into the lining "bag." (Recap: wrong-side out backpack of faux suede inside a right-side out lining "bag")
Sew the lining to the backpack, the only change is you should sew down the side panels to the bag FIRST (the little 6" tall pieces, sew those down first across the tops (picture 3), because it's harder to do it after sewing on the front and back panels), then sew the front and back panels on along the pre-existing seams.

Turn it all right-side out, slip the ends of the extender straps through the D-rings, and...

YOU... ARE... FINALLY... DONE!!!

NOTE: If his ears still won't stay up after being bent inward all these times, simply iron them and pull them into place. After a bit, they'll stay there on their own. :)

Step 26: Admire Your Hard Work!

Everyone says that (to admire your hard work), but it's so true! Take time to admire your hard work!

YOU made that! YOU spent a ton of hours on it! YOU deserve to take a break and brag about it!

NOTE: I would highly recommend spraying it with Scotch Guard (for fabric) to help protect the faux suede from the weather and from stains.

Step 27: Flaunt It!

Show off your adorable backpack! He sure will bring a smile to yours (and everyone's) face because he's bursting with cuteness!!!

Step 28: Fully Loaded

Just how much can this Baby Yoda Backpack really hold?

How about...

3 composition notebooks
2 medium sized books
2 small books/notebooks
A phone
Keys
Markers/Pens
A can of Altoids (because who wants stinky breath!?)

This is just a sample of what I loaded the backpack up with--and it could still hold more!--but as you can see, what this backpack lacks in size, it fully makes up for with holdability!

"Small you are, but strong you have become." -Yoda