"Hot Hues" Convertible Crossbody Fooler Bag Design

Ever since I started sewing again, my mom has been my biggest fan. She's an avid supporter of my efforts, rejoicing in all of my little successes. When I made my first wristlet as a gift for a friend, she said that she could use one too, so I made one for her. Later, she indicated that having her hands free would be better, so I added a crossbody strap onto her wristlet. When I saw how stuffed her little bag was, I knew that I would eventually create something a little roomier for her to carry on her walks. With Mother's Day coming up, I think I'm going to have to put some jets on my sewing efforts to realize something that I've been thinking about for several months.

What Mom actually needs are pockets when she is not wearing something that has pockets. On our all too scarce summer days when the temperatures soar, she will be out walking without a jacket and will not have pockets to carry her phone, a packet of tissues, her keys, and a small coin purse.

So my idea is to create something that is basically a set of zippered pockets on a crossbody strap. That is to say, it will not open up at the top as one normally expects a bag to "open". (A bag that doesn't open? Has she lost it ??) Actually, I want the top part of the bag to serve another purpose.

You know how every season, some "hot hue" makes it to the top of the fashion file?

Well, I know that I sometimes want to be part of the fun, but I'm not going to go out and invest in the equivalent of lime green rubber boots every year. (I actually have those, but they were on sale and I needed a pair of rubber boots.) It would be ideal to be able to switch up something — cheaply and easily, of course — and still be somewhat "fashion forward", don't you agree?

My idea is to have a removable — and therefore changeable — flap at the top of this crossbody bag that attaches with buttons. You can then make different flaps with other colours and prints to complement the body and swap them out as trends dictate... merely by buttoning and unbuttoning! (Yes, that means we will have to make friends with that buttonholer thingamajig. And of course, if you use interesting buttons, you can create a third look for the bag: sans flap.)

Proposed "Hot Hues" Convertible Bag design...

The mock-up that I have shown here is a front and back view of a floral print bag (with zippered pockets on both sides) and a contrasting flap. If you go with a patterned body like this, you may not have as many ways to change things up as you would if you were to make the bag a basic black and/or white and then add either neon or patterned accents via different flaps. (But who knows — those of you to whom price is no object when it comes to buying fabrics will be able to find all sorts of prints that match one another.)

So just to be clear, my mother isn't needing this particular bag. But, I do see the opportunity — if I were to make a similar, basic version for her — for me to turn the project into a unique new pattern design for my portfolio.

What do you think? Would this be something that you would like to sew up for yourself? I feel a tutorial/pattern coming on...