Dismantling the Crossbody Sling Bag

There's a certain satisfaction in doing this...

When I finally decided to make a new crossbody sling bag, the plan was to open up my project bag, lay out its contents and start from scratch. (The project bag had been loaded up with everything needed to make another of these since the fall of 2020.)

The next step was to review my PDF and refer back to old blog posts to help me figure out how to make this again. After cutting most of the fabric and still not getting the right feel for the project — i.e., I wasn't in the zone this time out — it dawned on me that what I probably needed to do was dismantle the existing bag. (There's nothing like taking apart something to figure out how it should go together.)

After all, in absolute honesty, there would be no reason for me to use that bag ever again, given that I'd have a new one. Originally, I wanted to have two to switch back and forth with, but the condition of the one that I've been using for two and a half years does not merit keeping it in any rotation.

There was another reason to go this route, evidence of which you saw a couple of weeks ago: some of the old elements (zippers, card slot/pocket assembly, the reverse side of the flap pocket made out of ribbon, and of course, the entire strap) were still in excellent shape to be recycled into the new bag.

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The final reason for the dismantling was for any of you who might still be looking for a bit of assistance on this project.

First item to harvest for reuse: the little zipper... 

I took photos as I ripped this apart, so today's post should be helpful for anyone who has been struggling to make this without an actual tutorial.

This is what piece H (upper zippered pocket) looks like from the inside...

I found during the remake process that it helps to have a clear understanding of how the bag is formed. What I mean by that is that when we follow a tutorial, we don't always have to know why we are doing something; we can just do as we're told and have faith that in the end, we'll get the desired outcome.

This is the card slot assembly (pieces G & F sewn together) after being removed from piece D...

When we make something without instructions, our ultimate success comes from understanding how the pieces fit together, so that we know what to do and when to do it.

Removing the flap pocket assembly (essentially piece E),
revealing that it was attached by some binding to the top of piece D...

It's helpful in this case to know that the front and back of this bag are identical (but mirrored, of course). All of the pockets (except the upper zippered one) are added to the top of these panels. The back is simple and flat while the front is three dimensional by virtue of the darted panel (the D pieces) that forms the exterior of the main compartment.

Components of the flap pocket with actual pocket (top exterior and lining) on the left;
bottom exterior (sewn with ribbons in this case) on the right...

Understanding how the use of bias binding changes a project is also important. When things are bound, the pieces are assembled and sewn together with right sides out; i.e., there's no "turning" required.

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The back slip pocket and the receipt pocket/card slots are the only exceptions to the "mostly bound" construction of this bag.

The velcro should be sewn onto the back exterior of the flap pocket before being bound...

You should feel comfortable with installing zippers before you attempt this bag, as there are three zippered pockets to put in.

The most complex zipper installation of the three...

The three are also done in three different ways. The upper one is a standard "draw a zipper box and sew around the lines" type of pocket. The flap pocket features a more sophisticated zipper sandwich type of installation.

Continuing to deconstruct the flap pocket...

The third zipper that accesses the main compartment should be done with a zipper sandwich on the bottom part of the zipper tape, but depending on your choice of lining fabric, you could "cheat" like I did.

Looking into the main compartment by removing zippered panel
formed by piece D x 2 (exterior & lining);
top (bound) part of this zipper is sewn directly onto joined pieces B (exterior) and C (lining)...

Since my ripstop nylon lining is so thin, I just sewed it onto the bottom half of the zipper along with the exterior fabric. The top half of the zipper, however, is wrapped in some binding and then sewn down on top of pieces B & C.

Back slip pocket, made from piece C (exterior & lining)
and laid on top of the back joined pieces B (exterior) and C lining...

The top part of the back slip pocket is sewn with two pieces of fabric, right sides together, seamed across the top, flipped right side out and topstitched. (One of those exceptions that I described earlier.)

The foundational halves of the bag, created out of pieces A, B & C;
front of bag (left) and back of bag (right)...

Back to understanding the foundation of this bag: front and back halves are the same; addition of the pockets is what differentiates them. In terms of how each half is put together, pieces B and C are sewn together first, pockets are then added to the mix, and piece A is sewn last.

I recommend basting often to keep the various layers together.

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The most time consuming part of making this bag was manipulating piece D, the one that needs darts along the bottom to create the space required by the main compartment. One side of that piece has to be sliced in order to fit against the straight edge of piece A.

Exterior view of the disassembled bag
back (left) and front (right)...

If you want to see my updated photos of making the new bag, download this PDF file. The document is only guaranteed to be there until the end of April. At some point afterwards, its contents will only be available via the enhanced (paid) version of the pattern available in my shop.

Before I sign off, I'd like to reaffirm my love for this bag's design. The worst of the pandemic may be behind us, but my attachment to this sling bag has only grown over the past couple of years. Its ease of use and body conforming shape — I've made this observation before, but the vast majority of crossbody bags end up being too bulky to sit comfortably across one's body — has made me reluctant to give it up and go back to my "regular" purses.

Oh, and in terms of having a hands-free way to tote your belongings, it sure beats wearing a "bum bag" over your chest... can someone explain to me the stylistic decisions behind that fashion statement??

'Til next...

Crossbody Sling Bag 2.0

No, it's not an April Fool's joke; I'm remaking it!

In my second "bucket list" post, I indicated that I wanted to make another one of my crossbody sling bags before retiring this blog.

It became apparent to me when we flipped over into a new year that I'd have to to make that bag sooner rather than later, plans for this blog notwithstanding. The ribbon and fabric pieced front flap had begun to separate along a seam, adding to the general signs of wear and tear that have become more and more noticeable to me.

Given that I've been using it almost exclusively since July 2020, it's actually held up well. (Avoiding future separating ribbon problems will be a priority, however, on the new bag.) On an unrelated note, it's surprising how well I've adapted to carrying so little with me.

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Actual sewing doesn't take long...

Since offering up the pattern free to all comers in August 2020, it's a mystery to me how many times it's been downloaded. (Because the file is just stored on Google Drive, there's no default way to track access.) However, an enhanced version of the pattern — enhanced with construction photos; still no actual "tutorial style" instruction — was also being sold in my Makerist shop for a few dollars and I do know how many sales I've had there. The number is not insignificant and yet I've never seen anyone's actual finished bag. [Edit March 2026: With the closure of Makerist, the paid version of this pattern is now available in my shop, along with a photo of the bag made up in denim by a customer!)

Perhaps it's more of a challenge than I anticipated? Could be. (I'll admit that I had to get help from my past self for this redo.) But then there are pattern hoarders out there just as there are fabric hoarders. The number of people who have attempted the project is likely quite a bit smaller than the number who have downloaded/purchased it.

By way of a yardstick, apart from testers' efforts, I've only ever seen people's renditions of my MyTie, Hot Hues, Crafty Cosmetics Caddy, MIY and Wave Purse Organizer projects; nothing else.

To that end, I thought that as long as I was making another one, why not take photos along the way? Perhaps with that extra bit of help, my chances of seeing someone else's crossbody sling bag will increase.

A more subdued version than the first...

The fabrics used for this new bag are my own creations from Spoonflower. The main one is Untangle My Zen (Micro) in a lightweight cotton twill; the binding is Spirogr*phing in petal signature cotton. (Check out the origin story behind the zen fabric here; it was one of my favourite creative experiences.)

The lining is — just as with my original bag — a thin black ripstop nylon. I complained about the crinkling noise after I made the first bag and can now confirm that it does go away with use. But now I'm crinkling again!

Back view... can you see the two lower pockets?

Given the opportunity of new construction, I decided to add two pockets to the back of the bag. The first one is just a piece of ribbon at the top, underneath where the swivel hook is installed. The cart coin that hangs there often falls off (the coin itself; the obvious problem being that the holder is not tight enough), so this pocket should alleviate that issue while I'm carrying the bag.

Mini pocket to keep my cart coin in place!

The section of ribbon is only sewn down along its bottom edge. During the final binding of the bag, the sides are secured. (Kinda like adding a pocket to a bag gusset.)

Ironic point to make about this pocket, having now used this bag for over a month. I actually lost my cart coin recently! I think the token itself was the problem; I've since replaced it with a loonie (Canadian dollar coin) and it fits much more tightly in the holder.

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I am still masking up when grocery shopping (among the five to ten percent who do, but I've managed to avoid getting Covid and still don't want it) so this back slip pocket is where I store my mask. My grocery list has also occupied that same space up to now. With the opportunity for some reimagining, a new patch pocket was created for the back.

The main slip pocket in the back...

It wasn't deliberately fussy cut, but when it came time to place it, the pocket fit perfectly on top of an identical section of fabric, in a position that was also more or less centered. How serendipitous!

A serendipitously matched up pocket!

The fabric for this additional pocket was left over from the original fat quarter, so with this remake, I can confirm that a single (wide width; the cotton twill FQ is 18" x 29") fat quarter with a non-directional print — that's important, as this fabric has been used both right side up and upside down here — should suffice for the exterior of the bag.

Erk... why do I have straight binding??

On a side note, I'm not sure what happened with my supply of binding. Usually a regular (18" x 22") fat quarter will produce more than enough continuous binding, but something happened between the fall of 2020 and the near spring of 2023 in terms of the type and amount of binding that was in my project bag. (I actually made the binding some time ago.)

Always one to confirm whether or not there's enough of whatever before going forward with a project, I did the basic "lay the binding around the parts that are to be bound" and discovered that I had just enough.

That was a bit weird, considering I thought I should have more than enough. But that wasn't the most serious of my problems. Just before finishing off the flap pocket, I realized that one of the two sections of binding was straight; i.e., not cut on the bias.

Straight binding is not a substitute for bias!

In hindsight, I could have opted to bind the flap pocket in a different fabric altogether, but in that moment, a decision was made to make do. The corners would certainly wind up with a wrinkle or two, but since the print on both fabrics is so "busy", it likely wouldn't be obvious in the final finish.

As of this writing, I still don't know what happened to my supply of binding. I have a vague memory of having gone into that project bag to take some, but without doing an extensive search through my blog archives or my sewing room, I can't think of what it might have been used for prior to this... or why I ended up with some straight binding.

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Anyhoo.

Here is the interior of the flap pocket. You can see my almost origami card holder inside. I still keep my "older than old" cellphone in there.

The first day that I used this new bag, I realized that I'd reversed the direction of the two zippers. It felt slightly odd, but after a few days, I got used to it.

View inside flap pocket...

The next photo is of the main interior compartment. (You'll clearly notice in this photo that I forgot to account for the fact that when you split up a section of fabric to put a zipper in between, a diagonal pattern — in this case, the piece of ribbon — no longer has the illusion of continuing smoothly. D'oh!)

Main compartment...

To address the ribbon problem of the original bag, this one was directly sewn on top of the fabric. I also glued it first. Of course, all of this generally prevented me from easily fixing the off-centered-ness of the diagonal trim. (For those of you wanting to create the illusion of a smooth break, do not sew the ribbon all the way to the top corner of the underlying fabric. Stop at the point where the piece is marked to be cut for the zipper. After the bottom half of the zipper is attached, move the remaining ribbon segment to the left — a 1/2" or so; depends on the width of your zipper and how closely you sew it — before stitching it down onto the other piece of fabric.)

I was somewhat surprised by how much I needed to refer back to my "instructions" (such as they were) in the first couple of days. That was the main reason I decided to take apart the old bag after I started cutting fabric for this one.

Not only did it give me the chance to reuse certain components...

Does this look familiar?

... it also acted as a refresher course on how to make the bag!

If you've been stumped by this project and would like some additional help, I suggest you come back in a couple of weeks for the dismantling of my original bag.

'Til next...

Tiny Tote Bag... With Lessons to Learn

A tiny tote for my reusable makeup remover pads...

After I made myself a set of reusable makeup remover pads last November, my next thought was how to store them.

My single use cloths are tucked away in a drawer packaged in their original dispenser. It seemed to me that these new pads were pretty enough to be stored out in the open.

One of my fabric origami projects was already sitting on the side of the tub in my bathroom. I found a spare corner and tucked some of the pads in there.

This origami basket holds some free skincare products that I received
from Shoppers Drug Mart last year...

Looking across the tub, however, I spied my Purl Bee Penguin standing in the corner with a little purse hanging from its beak.

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I could only fit three of the pads in this tiny purse, but I took to the idea. (After all, I started this sewing journey a little over nine years ago by making a tote bag.) And it didn't take long for the right project to pop up on YouTube.

But it was this that gave me the idea to make a tiny tote...

My tiny tote bag is based on a tutorial from a channel called Tendersmile Handmade. It's called DIY How To Make Open Wide Zipper pouch and was uploaded on November 30, 2021 if you want to search for it. And yes, as the name suggests, the original version was made with a zipper, as shown here.

image courtesy of Tendersmile Handmade (YouTube)...

A zipper would just get in the way for my needs, so I made a modified (and therefore much easier) version without one. I also left the bag with a tapered body — i.e., wider at the top than at the bottom — by omitting the pleats that were sewn into the sides at the end.

This holds all ten of my pads...

The original style of the pouch is certainly appealing and well worth it, however, especially if you're a beginner bag maker. (I'll expound on that later.)

My finished tote hanging from my magnifying mirror...

It took me less than two hours to watch the video, cut pertinent parts to a Word doc, and make the thing.

For fabric, I looked to my baskets of Eclectic Elements fat quarters, figuring that I could find some suitable scraps to patchwork the required rectangles. Turns out that I had a discarded piece from something that I obviously changed my mind about making that I could use.

an abandoned WIP having a second life...

Forgot to take a "before" picture, but you can see how this was a series of squares sewn up in a diamond patchwork fashion. (The gray-toned fabric is a Boundless DECOdent selection from the original Craftsy.)

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The lining pieces came from my old standby of a beige bedsheet, while the bag straps were yet another remnant of an Eclectic Elements fabric last seen on this match box.

Changed the installation of the straps...

Instead of sewing the straps onto the bag, I fastened them with rivets. When I topstitched around the top, I angled the straps and sewed them down as well, since they were otherwise a bit floppy.

Practice making a regular sized bag by making a mini one...

What I want to highlight about this particular video tutorial, however, are the lessons that can be learned about bag making.

The process of making this miniature tote is totally representative of how a full sized bag is constructed. For example, if you've never done boxed corners, you get to see how the technique creates considerable depth and width.

Big and roomy boxed bottom...

At the same time, it also demonstrates what boxed bottoms do to an otherwise rectangular shape... the resulting container has a tapered opening unless you add "pleats" at the top to form defined corners.

A boxed bottom bag can hold a lot!

Also, you get to see how much of the panel gets used up forming the base of the bag. (I must admit that whenever I make a boxed bottom item, I typically forget that a large part of the fabric will end up unseen or hidden underneath.)

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Another lesson to be learned is how to install zippers. (Again, I didn't put one on this bag, but the original project includes one.) A zipper with an exposed (tabbed) end is a professional looking finish. Practice it here and it'll be perfect when it comes time to do it on an actual purse.

Side view...

I think it's great that sewing skills like these can be learned while making something small that won't break your fabric budget.

A fun and functional project!

That said, I didn't need all the lessons and wanted my tote to fit my particular needs, so I made it my way. ◕‿↼

'Til next...