Hi! I’m Terra and I blog over at mama says sew. I’m excited to be a part of the Bag Lady Series! Today I’m going to show you how to make this messenger bag.
I made mine with some fun Free Spirit fabric.
This bag features a front flap with a velcro closure, a roomy interior, and some large front pockets. You could pad this and it would make a great laptop bag. The front pockets would be perfect to organize folders.
You will need:
Main Fabric: 1 1/4 yards
Lining Fabric: 1 1/4 yards
Contrast Fabric: 1/2 yard
Interfacing: 2-3 yards, depending on the thickness of your fabric and how sturdy you want the bag to be
Scrap of Velcro
Sewing Supplies (thread, scissors, etc)
Optional: Cutting mat and cutting wheel
Start by cutting out your pieces. Here are the measurements I used for my bag.
Bag Piece (cut 2 of main fabric, 2 of lining and 4 of interfacing): 18 1/2 inches by 14 inches
Flap Piece (cut 1 of main fabric, 1 of lining and 2 of interfacing): 17 1/2 inches by 14 inches
Base Piece (cut 1 of main fabric, 1 of lining and 2 of interfacing): 45 inches by 4 inches
Strap Piece (cut 1 of main fabric, 1 of lining and 2 of interfacing): 45 inches by 4 inches
Pocket 1 (cut 1 of lining fabric): 18 1/2 by 9 inches
Pocket 2 (cut 1 of contrast fabric): 18 1/2 by 11 inches
Bias strips (contrast fabric): Cut it 2 inches wide. I didn’t measure the length, I just kept cutting until I thought I had enough. 2 1/2 to 3 yards should be plenty. You can also substitute a package of 1/2 inch wide double fold bias tape.
Round the bottom corners of each bag piece, each flap piece, and each pocket.
Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of each corresponding piece. If you have a sturdier fabric (like a home decor weight) you can interface only the main fabric pieces. I wanted my bag to be pretty sturdy, so I interfaced both the main and the lining pieces.
You can cut the interfacing a little large, then trim it once you’ve attached it to your fabric.
Fold your bias strips in half and press.
Unfold and press the outside edges in to the fold line. You can skip these two steps if you’re using packaged bias tape.
Open up your bias strip and match it to the top of one of your pocket pieces. The RIGHT side of the bias strip should be together with the WRONG side of the pocket.
Turn the pocket over and fold the bias strip over the front of the pocket. Topstitch close to the fold of the bias tape to enclose the top raw edge of the pocket. Repeat for the other pocket.
Line up the two pockets with one main bag piece and baste the outside edges of the pockets to the bag.
Match the strap pieces wrong sides together. Sew along each long outside edge, leaving the ends open.
Turn right side out and press. Topstitch along the long edges.
Sew a strip of Velcro to the front through just the top pocket.
With right sides together, sew the main base piece to the front bag piece.
Sew the back main bag piece to the base piece.
Repeat for the lining bag pieces and lining base piece.
Sew the other half of the Velcro to the front flap piece you don’t want to show when the flap is closed.
Match the two flap pieces WRONG sides together and baste together around the sides and curved bottom edges.
Finish the edges of the flap with bias tape, the same way you did for the pockets.
Here is the front flap. The top edge will be enclosed in the bag, so you don’t need to finish the edge.
Turn the main bag right side out. Pin the raw edges of the strap to the raw edges of the top of the base on the main bag. Make sure the strap doesn’t twist.
Pin the flap to the back edge (the side without the pockets) of the main bag with the velcro side showing. Baste the straps and the flap to the bag.
Insert the main bag into the lining.
Sew around the top edge of the bag, leaving the front open to turn.
Turn the bag right side out and stuff the lining down inside the bag. Fold the raw edges along the top in and topstitch closed, to finish.
Enjoy your new bag!
Visit my blog for other fun tutorials.
Thank you Terra! This is such a wonderful and super cute bag! It is so functional and fun! You are so talented, and I am so happy to have you with us today for our first project in our Bag Lady Series! Thank you again Terra!
For more amazing tutorials by this talented lady, stop by to tell her hi at mama says sew. She will inspire you to sew, sew, sew!!! 🙂
It is only day two, and I am already in LOVE with our brand new Bag Lady Series! This fun series is just bound to get better and better as we continue to have AMAZING bag tutorials, just like today’s, brought to us by our awesome Contributors. For more fun and FABulous bag tutorials, check out our 20+ Brilliant Bags! post where we share 20+ terrific bag projects that are beyond adorable!
See you tomorrow for another brilliant bag in our Bag Lady Series!
Happy Creating & Happy Bag Ladies!
10 Comments
Nice work! love the material. Would love to try this tutorial sometime. I
Hi and thank you so much for your sweet comment! Have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
Thanks! This is perfect for the current charity project at Hopeful Threads! Shared!!!
Hi Kristy! Thank you so much! So glad you like this awesome bag! Have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
What a fabulous bag Terra created. Great tutorial as well!
I am loving this bag ladies series!! What a great way to start out the new year… 🙂
hugs x, Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Hi Crystelle! You are so awesome and so sweet! I have loved this fun fun series too and can’t wait to make all of these bags and add them to my bag collection!!! 🙂 Have a wonderful day and thank you so much for stopping by! Michelle 🙂
Perfect design I love floral handbags. Thank you for sharing with us..
Hi Grace Tee! Thank you so much! I am so glad you love this fun bag! It is so cute and so fun to make. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by! Michelle 🙂
I love this site!!! I can look at it all day! I just turned 29 an have been sewing only 2 years an it’s not easy for me but I try! I have a 4 yr old an make her lots of blankets and pillows and bookmarks. Not much experience! This bag confused me becuase I don’t know what interfacing in an the right an wrong side?
Could u plz break it down for me it’s hard to learn an it would mean the world to me if you helped me make this;)) I have seen much easier totes but this tote looks Amazing! And everyday use;) I have fabric for the outside but need in on interfacing!
I’ll read it several times an I have all day so I know I can do this;) do u have any other tips for me;)
Biggest fan
Kate
Hi Kate! Thank you for your question! Terra says “Interfacing is a stiff fabric you can use to make something sturdier, like a bag. I like to use iron on interfacing so it stays in place. When I refer to the right and wrong side, I’m talking about the right and wrong sides of the fabric. Hope this helps!” Good luck sewing this fun bag Kate! It is so cute…you are going to love it! Have a wonderful day and thank you again! Michelle 🙂