"Hot Hues" Convertible Crossbody Fooler Bag [Pt 1]

Hot Hues Convertible proof of concept bag...

A couple of weeks back, I mused about a design for a "pockets on a crossbody strap" kind of bag that I wanted to make my mom for Mother's Day. After spending a few hours cutting out pattern pieces to create a crude test bag with an old bedsheet, I dove right into the project and made a basic version (without the interchangeable flap) that I am proud to say, looks pretty darn good and definitely serves the purpose.

Always one to upcycle and repurpose and cut costs where I can, I looked to an old pair of dress pants to contribute the black fabric and even the straps to this bag, the latter being the two skinny belts that came with the pants. (Can one actually have too many pairs of black pants? Yes.)

The geometric black print fabric is from the same IKEA pillowcase that I used for my Make It Yours proof of concept bag. It was by sheer luck that one of two small pieces that I had was suitable for the front face of this bag without having to "fussy cut" a larger piece. Mind you, it wasn't absolute perfection; if you'll recall from my post about basting last week, I had to add the two black corners to the front because the piece wasn't quite wide enough at the bottom.

Back side of Hot Hues Convertible proof of concept bag...

The opposite side of the bag is all ready to receive "the flap treatment" with the addition of three yellow buttons. These bright babies are from a bag of assorted buttons that cost me $1.25 from a Dollar Tree shop.

The two pockets on either side are the only openings into this bag (i.e., the top does not open up), hence the "Fooler" part of the bag's name. (The lining for the pockets is from a $2 set of pillowcases from Dollarama.)

The only two openings into the Hot Hues Convertible Crossbody Fooler Bag
are these two zippered pockets...

And finally, the two zippers were about 12 cents each, as they were part of a set of 30 that I got on eBay for $3.50. Needless to say, this was a very inexpensive project for me!

I added this little zipper pull personalization for my mother; it was originally a necklace from Avon... funny enough, this is probably the most expensive item on the bag as I'm sure it was at least $5!

A little bit of bling for Mom...

Now that I have actually completed this basic version, my final "proof of concept" step is to create the button-on flap. I'll update you on the flap and about Mom's reaction to her gift next week, as Mother's Day is tomorrow. And of course, on that note, I will wish a great day to those of you who are moms. (A pox on all commercialized "holidays", however.)

So what do you think of my Hot Hues Convertible Crossbody Fooler Bag design so far? Could a full pattern be worth about five bucks? ;-)