Weekend designer

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August 17, 2009

PUSH THE ENVELOPE

Posted by Don under accessory design | Tags: DIY, patterndrafting, sewing |

[57] Comments

Featured: Messenger Bag by Ecolution

Originally created for hard-working couriers, the classic Messenger Bag has been in circulation for
several decades. Known for its long-lasting rugged durability and distinctive “envelope” styling, the
classic Messenger has been adopted around the world as the everyday all-purpose carryall. Make a
simplified version for yourself in hemp, similar to the featured tote from eco-friendly, Ecolution.

You will need:

1 ¼ yds. [1.2 m] of hemp or organic cotton canvas, 54″ [137 cm] wide.
½ yd. [0.5 m] of cotton sateen lining, 54” [137 cm] wide
1 ½ yds. [1.4 m] of fusible interfacing, 45″ [114 cm] wide.
1 closed zipper, 12” long *
1 buckle slider, 2” inner dia. *
1 belt tip hardware, 2” wide *
matching cotton thread
grid paper

* Match zipper to colour/metal of hardware.

BAG DIMENSIONS: approximately 4″ x 11.5″ x 14″.

[10 cm x 29.5 cm x 35.5 cm]

PATTERN

Scale: 1 square = 1 inch (25mm)

 Add seam allowances to all pattern pieces.

CUTTING

Bag Body – cut 1X self; cut 1X fusible

Shoulder Strap – cut 1X self

Strap Tab – cut 1X self

Flap – cut 1X self; cut 1X fusible

Flap Facing – cut 1X self; cut 1X fusible

Zipper Facing – cut 1X self; cut 1X fusible

Bag Lining – cut 2X lining

Patch Pocket – cut 1X lining

Pocket Bag – cut 2X lining

ASSEMBLY

1. Iron fusible interfacing to back (wrong side) of bag pieces following manufacturer’s directions,
except for strap pieces.

2. Make up bag straps. With right sides together (RST), fold strap pieces in half lengthwise and sew
along long edge. Press seam open. Align the short ends so that the seam is centered in the middle of
the strap width. Stitch across one end only. Trim corners. Turn straps RIGHT SIDE OUT. Press flat
with long seam at center. Topstitch around perimeter of straps if desired. On open end, attach a metal
belt tip on long strap and a buckle/slider on the short strap. Set aside.

3. Prepare bag lining. On the patch pocket, turn under the top edge ¼” [6mm] and press. Turn top
edge once more: ¾” [20mm] and stitch down. Turn and press seam allowance on remaining three
sides.

With one of the bag lining pieces FACE UP, center the patch pocket and edge-stitch along pocket
sides and bottom.

With RST, center-align and match flap facing to top of body lining piece.

With RST, align and match remaining bag lining piece to this lining section. Stitch side seams and
press open.

Stitch 2” [50mm] on each end of the bottom seam; then align the side seam to the bottom seam and
sew across the seams to create a miter. Set aside.
4. Prepare flap pocket. Begin by aligning the zipper facing with the top of the flap, right sides
together. Stitch an outline of the pocket opening equal to the length of the zipper teeth X half the
zipper’s width.

(eg. 12 inches X ⅜” + seam allowance)

Carefully clip diagonally at the corners of the stitching and turn the zipper facing FACE UP. Press
seam flat.

With the flap piece FACE UP, align and center the zipper FACE UP in the indentation. Edge-stitch
around pocket opening to secure the zipper.

With RST, sew one pocket bag piece to the bottom edge of the zipper facing.

Flip the lining downward and topstitch along the seam.

With flap piece FACE DOWN, align and match remaining pocket bag piece to top of zipper. Stitch
zipper to lining; then stitch sides of pocket bag.

Trim the excess from the lining on the bottom of the pocket bag and sew bottom seam. Set aside.

5. Construct the body of the bag. With RST, fold the bag body together and match up the side
seams. Sew side seam and press open.

Miter the bottom corners by aligning the side seam in the center of the bottom edge and stitch across
the seam. Turn bag RIGHT SIDE OUT.

With RST, align and match top of body to flap. Stitch across top edge, ensuring the catch the zipper
tape in the seaming. Grade seam allowance and press seam away from zipper. On the FACE SIDE,
topside along the zippered seam.

6. Assemble the bag. With RST, insert bag body into bag lining. Align and match up outer edges of
flap and flap facing. Line up the raw edges of the bag opening. Stitch around the opening and the
flap. Grade and trim seam allowances. Turn bag RIGHT SIDE OUT through opening in bottom of
lining. Press the perimeter of the flap and the opening edge flat. Top-stitch around flap and opening.

Slipstitch opening in lining closed.

7. Complete the bag. Align the square end of the straps to each side of the messenger bag. Place each
approximately 4” [10 cm] from the top edge of the bag opening and sew an X-stitch through all
layers. Hook the shoulder strap into the buckle slider and adjust the desired length.

UPDATE: Though this blog is closed now, I have been getting inquiries about this simple zipper
application. Here are the steps:
 Advertisements

57 Responses to “PUSH THE ENVELOPE”

1. ~Michelle~ Says:

August 18, 2009 at 12:44 am

Um…thanks! Wow! I’m excited to try to get all of my other sewing commitments done ASAP, so I
can try to get this sewn before Thursday for my hubby!

2. Pettymys « puikkomaisteri Says:

August 18, 2009 at 10:32 am

[…] Linkkivinkki: tässä on käypä ompeluohje olkalaukulle. […]

3. Nancy Says:

August 18, 2009 at 6:51 pm

thank you for sharing…….. do you have the directions saved in a PDF file?

Thanks!

nancy

1. wkdesigner Says:

August 19, 2009 at 4:21 am

Sorry Nancy..this is it

2. LeeAnn Says:

August 19, 2009 at 11:10 pm

When I find directions and there is no PDF file I create my own. If you use Open Office it is
easy – copy/paste the instructions and export it to a PDF. I always make sure to include a link
to where I found the instructions. I have always just used these for myself, but if you share be
sure to give credit and or get permission from the creator depending on how it is shared.

1. wkdesigner Says:

August 20, 2009 at 12:32 am

 There you go Nancy & thanks Lee Ann…looks like Open Office is the solution.
WD

4. dja. Says:

August 19, 2009 at 7:48 pm

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing!
i love the detaail of your instructions and thee high fashion women’s styles PLUS great men’s
styles.
i love to make clothes in my spare time & these patterns & instructions will help me as i learn how
to make less mistakes & waste less fabric!
esp. excited to try the men’s jacket for my husband!
grazie!
obrigada!
gracias!
merci!

5. upstatelisa Says:

August 21, 2009 at 10:36 pm

wow! thanks! I think this is what I have been looking for!

6. CAROLYN Says:

August 22, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Love this pattern. I also appreciate the good directions. Check out the discounted fabrics and
other supplies on my blog,

1. wkdesigner Says:

August 22, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Thx Carolyn

FYI: CAROLYN’S DESIGNS & CATALOGS

Shop Location: 2000 Meadowlark Ln. Madisonville ,Ky.42431 Open: 10-5 or by Appointment M
–F
Carolyn’s Designs offers: 4 Mail Ordering Catalogs #1 LACES #2 RIBBONS #3 GENERAL
CRAFTS #4 HOMEMADE ITEMS

7. wholegrain Says:

August 22, 2009 at 5:28 pm

First time reader. Yikes! – awesome post. Thanks =)

8. bimbi Says:

August 23, 2009 at 7:29 am

 wow, so nice and cool
thank you so much for sharing
i will try to make one for my husband

9. Marlene Says:

August 30, 2009 at 1:11 pm

Love the pattern, thanks. Have been looking for something like this to make my son, an avid biker
and university student.
I’m a quilter and am going to try and make this one from batiks, my favourite fabrics.
I also create PDF files from web pages, and I “Print to PDF” from my web browser. And the site
URL is included, for attribution and reference. Thanks again for the detailed instructions.

10. ana Says:

September 4, 2009 at 9:43 am

thank you so much for this one!!

11. Julie Says:

October 6, 2009 at 3:34 pm

I’m wanting to make this, but I’m having some difficulty understanding step 4. After you have
made the diagonal cuts, you say to turn the zipper facing face up and to press the seam flat. Do
you mean here that the long seam between the diagonal cuts should be pressed flat?

Then when aligning the zipper in the indentation, is this aligned along that seam that was just
pressed flat? I guess I’m confused as to where the pocket opening actually is, since it seems like it
has been stitched shut…

Any help on ending my confusion would be much appreciated. Thanks for the awesome pattern,
saved me from having to make my own here.

1. wkdesigner Says:

October 7, 2009 at 3:57 pm

The zipper is sewn to the flap portion of the bag. You must realize that there are only 3 sides to
the opening; the zipper will make the fourth side. You will begin by sewing a facing piece
centered on the top edge of the flap portion. Stitch as described creating a “u” shape (face to
face) I_____I then you will cut diagonally to the corners I/_____\I , follow this step by turning
the facing to the inside of the flap creating an indent along the top edge. Press down the edges
flat.

You have 1 long side and 2 short sides. This is the zipper opening. Place the zipper face up
behind this “opening” to create the 4th side to the rectangle. Topstitch around the indentation
to attach the zipper. Once you have done that, you now have a complete top edge to attach the
flap to the bag.
 1. michal Says:

November 12, 2009 at 12:05 pm

sorry to get you back to this, but i still don’t understand how do i get the indention. i sewed
the u shape and clipped the corners, but i still have the 2 pieces stitched to each other.
where do i put the zipper? how do i turn the facing to the inside of the flap??

2. Don Says:

November 12, 2009 at 5:48 pm

Hi Michal Flip the small piece to the wrong side of the big piece. Press. Lay zipper face up
behind the opening (U-shape) and topstitch. Follow my diagram.
Don

12. Julie Says:

November 12, 2009 at 6:12 pm

Michal,
If you are still having problems with this and want to give me your email address, I can send you
some pictures of how it works. I had to try it out with paper first to get it and I still have it laying
around on my desk. Essentially you are flipping that small front piece back behind the larger
piece, so that the wrong sides of each piece are touching each other.

13. Tiernae Says:

December 10, 2009 at 10:22 pm

Hello, I have a question… I am trying to make a messenger bag out of hemp and it is shedding all
over me. Is there any possible way to make hemp not shed? If not I may not be able to use that
material which is a bummer.

1. Don Says:

December 11, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Hi Tiernae: Hemp fabric is often a loose weave much like linen and it will fray easily. To
prevent this, you can ifuse the wrong side of the fabric with Knit-fuse interfacing. It is a low-
heat fusible interfacing that will bond the fibers and keep them stable without adding stiffness.
Unfortunately, the Knit-fuse is a synthetic man-made fiber if you were trying to keep your
project “naturally-organic”.
WD

14. You reap what you sew : Sassa's tas Says:

December 26, 2009 at 2:47 pm

[…] hebben.Ik kan geen plaatje vinden maar het is een rode messenger bag met een gele ster er
op.Op de weekend designer vond ik een patroon voor zo'n tas. Ik heb m verkleind, achteraf niet
zo'n strak plan: dochterlief […]
15. Pick A Free Bag Pattern! Says:

January 1, 2010 at 10:27 am

[…] Messenger Bag Tutorial […]

16. emma Says:

January 3, 2010 at 5:49 am

Hi there,
i am also having difficulty understanding how to attach the zip. I have read the previous
comments and they have been of no help. Thanks

17. Lauren Says:

January 27, 2010 at 5:58 am

Hi Don,
I am excited to have found this pattern, I want to make a diaper bag that i can wear. So far it has
been going ok – for a novice like myself. However, i have been caught with the zipper in step 4
and can not seem to figure it out (even with your “easy” instructions).
Once i sew the I____I (u-shape), there does not seem to be an indentation there, just a seam where
a zipper can not go. I don’t know if you can make the instructions any easier or help clear up my
confusion- but that would be a great help.

Thanks!

18. ati Says:

January 27, 2010 at 7:10 am

wow, i love this pattern. Thanks so much. I will to make one for my girl

19. » Blog Archive » Messenger Bag Says:

March 31, 2010 at 1:40 am

[…] Found here! Bookmark Idea […]

20. Cale Says:

April 18, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Really nice, and very clear. But wouldn’t it be easier to just cut out a large rectangle for the body
and square the corners?

1. Don Says:

April 18, 2010 at 5:13 pm

sure thing…make it your own.

21. Idalia Says:

 April 23, 2010 at 2:22 am
Gracias por el paso a paso y las instrucciones
Idalia Reyes

22. Get Your Bag On: 25 Free Superbad (in a good way) Bag Sewing Patterns Says:

May 4, 2010 at 12:48 am

[…] Push The Envelope Messenger Bag by Weekend Designer Hint: Add a few pockets, patches
and pins and you have a military style bag. […]

23. Azumi Says:

May 30, 2010 at 1:36 am

this was the most fun i’ve ever had on a saturday afternoon!

spent the whole day just working on my bag from start to finish…. and even though i made a
couple mistakes, they’re not visible.

I’m a fairly un experienced sewer, so this step by step guide was still a bit difficult for me…. but it
turned out great any way

as a note for other people: making a design on the front of the messenger bag is a great way to
cover your mistakes… believe me, I’d know

24. Sadie Says:

July 5, 2010 at 7:48 pm

Hi. My question is about the fusible interfacing. I had seen a comment above about the hemp
shedding and how to fix it with Knit-fuse interfacing. Is this the kind of fusible interfacing listed
in the list of supplies? I want to make my bag from denim, so I want to know if the fusible
interfacing is required or optional.

25. Leila Says:

July 29, 2010 at 6:57 am

hi there! This bag looks awesome and I chose to make it for technology at school. I was wondering
if I could make it without the zipper on the front because I need to paint over it. Could you please
tell me how to do this because I have never really made anything like this before. Thank you so
much!

1. Don Says:

July 29, 2010 at 9:25 pm

You certainly can do that, Leila…. just glue the 2 pattern pieces together and cut it as one in
your fashion fabric.
WD
26. limoncellodituscany Says:

August 8, 2010 at 6:15 pm

This is really great. I would love to see some more pictures of the bag

27. Weekend Top Ten « Dimensions & Verticals Says:

August 20, 2010 at 4:26 pm

[…] Stephen a messenger bag using this tutorial as a […]

28. Adrian Says:

October 10, 2010 at 1:56 am

Thanks for the tutorial. I made one today for a friend to use as a diaper bag. She is going to love it.
It turned out so cute that I am going to make myself one out for cord for my fall purse.

29. Carole Khan-White Says:

October 15, 2010 at 9:10 pm

I cannot believe this cape pattern and skirt. I have the identical cape, design, color, length and all,
which I purchased during the early 1970s at a major department store in Cleveland, Ohio where I
lived at the time. The cape had a matching skirt which I chose not to buy, but the cape has served
me well over the years and is still wearable and beautiful. I will be pulling it out to wear this
season again.

I also have a cape made of the same fabric as beige trenchcoats which I also bought during the
same period of time, It is outstanding because it has a gorgeous drape of macrame which extends
from shoulder to shoulder with tassels that fall gracefully to the hem. This was handmade and
sold in a store on Coventry Road (Cleveland’s version of Greenwich Village) near a store named
“The Generation Gap”. I understand that was the original name for what we now call “The Gap.”

This is my first time reading your webpage but I am truly enjoying it. Sorry that you are ending it.

30. Adeo Breaux Says:

October 30, 2010 at 4:41 am

Hello-

This is my first time ever working with fabric or a sewing machine, and so far I am doing a pretty
good job with this bag. The directions are easy enough to follow, and I am enjoying making it.

I am having some problems with step three, and I am hoping someone can help me out! 3. Prepare
bag lining. On the patch pocket, turn under the top edge ¼” [6mm] and press. Turn top edge once
more: ¾” [20mm] and stitch down. Turn and press seam allowance on remaining three sides. The
following steps I am having trouble understanding:

“With RST, center-align and match flap facing to top of body lining piece.
 With RST, align and match remaining bag lining piece to this lining section. Stitch side seams and
press open.

Stitch 2” [50mm] on each end of the bottom seam; then align the side seam to the bottom seam
and sew across the seams to create a miter. Set aside.”

Could someone help me out? my email is adeobreaux@gmail.com

Thanks!

31. Courtney Says:

November 7, 2010 at 2:52 am

Great thanks a lot. This is just what I was looking for. How do you miter the corners, though?

32. Keith Says:

November 18, 2010 at 3:24 am

I’m having trouble with step 3 as well. Can someone help me understand how to assemble this
part?

33. PUSH THE ENVELOPE (via Weekend designer) « My life begins Says:

December 1, 2010 at 4:14 am

[…] Featured: Messenger Bag by Ecolution Originally created for hard-working couriers, the
classic Messenger Bag has been in circulation for several decades. Known for its long-lasting
rugged durability and distinctive “envelope” styling, the classic Messenger has been adopted
around the world as the everyday all-purpose carryall. Make a simplified version for yourself in
hemp, similar to the featured tote from eco-friendly, Ecolution. You will need: … Read More […]

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