Hacking the Drop Style Shupatto Bag

A roomy, self-folding bag anyone can use!

I wish crafters were more upfront about where their inspiration comes from. Sure would make it a lot easier to find things.

I recently had quite a time trying to hunt down a DIY for the "drop" version of the Japanese Shupatto eco bags. The whole search would have been a lot quicker had people described their projects as Shupatto hacks, but nooo.... none of the ones I eventually found used the name in their videos.

It's like they don't want you to know that they got the basic idea from somewhere, as if somehow they came up with it all on their own. I mean, who are they fooling?

Well, not me, mainly because I have been aware of this different take on the Shupatto from way back when. (Over four years ago, around the time I posted about my own project.)

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The Shupatto drop style bag upends the original design and locates the straps at the top, instead of the middle; like so:

A different version of the Shupatto style...

Like the original, this one is very much open to being DIY'd. As soon as you understand the essential parts of the bag and how they work, you can make it in whatever size you want, without a pattern. (I gathered most of my "how to" info from a YouTube channel called tatarapattern2756, from a video that was uploaded October 7, 2020. It's mostly Japanese, but includes pertinent data in English.)

She gives fabric measurements for a large and medium version, but if you're like me and usually work within the confines of what's available in your stash, it's perfectly fine to deviate from them. Generally speaking, a long rectangle of fabric is required, with the bag's finished dimensions being roughly width of fabric x half length of fabric. My fabric was about 55" long x 22" wide.

If you want to know the basics of how to make this bag, read on; I will provide some high level instructions.

Cutting & Prepping Fabric

As I said, you'll need a long rectangular piece of fabric, the thinner the better. Why? It will need to be folded accordion-style and it's easier to sew layers of thin fabric than thick. (I used a polyester microfiber; a rip stop nylon would be great.) Oh, and an important FYI to consider: don't choose a fabric with a directional print or it will be upside down on one side of the bag!

Fold fabric piece in half and find the halfway point along the folded edge. Draw a horizontal line there, about 40% of the length of the folded fabric. (That is, if the fabric was 55" long to begin with, folded in half, its length would be 27.5", and 40% of 27.5" is 11" — so the line drawn should be 11" long.)

At the same time, make marks along the two open edges on both sides; i.e., four marks in total (as shown by the red arrows above) corresponding to the endpoints of that line. With the fabric still folded, cut along the line, thereby creating a "hole" in the middle of the fabric.

Binding the Raw Edge of the Handles

The opening that was just created will be the inside edges of the bag handles. In all of the tutorials that I saw, the crafters used two strips of 1" grosgrain ribbon sewn together to "bind" these raw edges. I sort of did the same, but since my ribbon was 1.25" wide, I just folded it in half and wrapped it around the raw edge of the fabric instead of sewing two ribbons together. Saved me some ribbon and the end result is the same: the raw edges are hidden.

Hide the raw edges of fabric with grosgrain ribbon...

To provide reinforcement and to create a clean looking finish on the outside, two more pieces of ribbon are sewn in at the ends of this opening. (In case you're wondering, the raw edge ends of all ribbon pieces are turned under before sewing.)

Sew Side Seams

Folded with wrong side out, use a wide seam allowance (between 1/2" and 3/4") to sew up the side seams from the bottom to the marks.

Sew side seams...

Press (or finger press) the seams open. 

Because the bag is unlined, the next step is to eliminate the raw edges by seaming again. (This is why the original seam allowance was relatively large.) I don't know what this particular technique is called, but you can see it here and it's just each side of the seam being folded under and then sewn in place.

Hide raw seams and extend up along outside of handles...

Note that this "folding and sewing" will extend all the way up into that area that was previously left open, creating a seam for the outside of the bag handles.

Create the Accordion Folds

This step may or may not be difficult. Some people – like me – will happily take this and run with it (without measuring) while others will insist on having some guidelines to proceed. You do you. If you need to measure out intervals to make the folds, by all means.

Create accordion folds and press...

The thing is, there is no hard and fast rule as to how many accordion folds you need to have. (I ended up making three; in my opinion that's enough, although actual Shupattos feature more and narrower pleats.) The objective is to have the same number on both sides and both halves and for them to be more or less even. Perfection, however, is not required! In the end, it will function even if the folds are not exactly the same.

Once you're done folding, a trip to the ironing board is recommended, to give the pleats a good press to set them. (Be careful with the iron if the fabric is prone to scorching — now is not the time to ruin your project!)

Secure Bottom of Bag and Top of Handles

Once the bottom has been sewn together and trimmed, another piece of ribbon is attached – along with an elastic – to finish off the bag. The layers at the very top of each handle are also sewn together for ease of use, particularly to effect that famous Shupatto snap.

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For the original Shupatto, you'd yank on the two bound ends to snap the bag back into its accordion folds. For this one, you pull on the bottom and the top handles to do the same. Then you just fold a few times along its length until you can wrap the elastic around the whole thing.

Folds into a 4" x 4" square...

This is a fun and functional bag. And really, I know we all have those hefty totes that we take to the grocery store, but having something light like this that can fold away and be handy for "emergency" shopping — you can't beat it.

For something that folds down easily into a small square, it holds a lot!

In the size that I made, it can hold a lot; there are a couple of folded bath towels inside the bag in the photos here. (Depending on what you make it out of, it can also be quite strong.) I will say that loading the bag is not the same as the original Shupatto, which had the advantage of being able to be spread out absolutely flat. Not like it's hard to put things in this, but the switched up orientation of the bag means that the opening is narrower.

But hey, it's got a style and purpose (it was developed to hold vertical items more securely) of its own and is a noteworthy companion for the original. It's also a wonderful rainy day project – which it was for me and explains the questionable lighting in some of the photos – and any you make would be great stocking stuffers.

By the way, I rarely offer up external links these days, but the actual Shupatto site is quite an entertaining destination; check it out. 

'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁

A Slew of Sling Bag Styles

How would you design a sling bag?

After making Miko Craft's Eggsy Shoulder Bag as a birthday present for hubby, I was intrigued by what other styles of sling bags are currently out there, in terms of sewing patterns. If you were to make a bag for the men in your life, what would they want?

Of particular interest to me are thinner designs (to be worn closer against the body) that might appeal more to guys not used to carrying such an item.

Let's establish what exactly I'm talking about. A sling bag to me is something that can be slung over your shoulder and worn as a handsfree bag.

A single strap mini backpack qualifies in this discussion, as do those absolutely horrible – my personal opinion only; you may love them and more power to you if that's the case – "bum bags" or "hip packs" that people have stopped carrying around their waist and instead are draping them unattractively – again, my personal opinion only – against their chest.

Perhaps we should call these "boob bags."

Shown here is an example. By no means am I critiquing this designer's (AllSewPetite) creation. It looks to be a perfectly well constructed item – albeit rather large – but as I am just not a fan of the style or how they're commonly being "worn," I shall not cover similar bags in this discussion.

(By the way, unless indicated otherwise, all of the images shown here were taken from listings on Etsy. I've endeavoured to include the information for the designers in the screen grabs, so if you're interested in the patterns, you can go search for them.)

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Before I start, let me clarify that I have no experience with the work of any of these designers except for the last one. The patterns I'm featuring here are not endorsements; they just happen to have drawn my attention for the purposes of writing up this blog post.

Four for Da Dudes

These first few bags have a distinct masculine vibe. They vary quite a bit in size, however, and while I can't speak for all guys, I know my guy prefers a more compact "murse" — ha, ha!

This canvas one (by ProperFit) appears to be the biggest (at 19.5" x 11"). It sports two smallish pockets on the front, one that closes with snaps and the other with a zipper (that pocket actually has an opening behind it that can hold something, but it wouldn't be very secure). The larger zipper facilitates access into the main compartment, which has a slip pocket inside to store a tablet or something similar.

There is a YouTube video accompanying this pattern that can be freely accessed.

While this bag certainly looks sporty, I'm not sure those two pockets on top would be the most useful for hubby.  And of course, he'd like the whole thing to be way smaller.

These next two designs are by HeavyBoyPattern; the designer is Russian. (The brand doesn't really show up on a basic Google search, so if you're interested, you should go directly to Etsy and look it up there.) The pattern consists simply of the templates and a YouTube video. I was able to view the video for free, so if the designs appeal to you, you can evaluate the sewing process before buying, which is certainly advantageous.

The first one here is a leather sling, with a zippered 3D pocket on top. (Is there an actual name for this type of pocket that I don't know about? Enlighten me, please.) Two other zippers provide access to the main compartment and to a flat pocket on the front panel.

It's not as big as the first one, but still not small. I personally love the oval shape. Speaking of shape...

This vinyl bag by the same designer is an upside down oval. (And truth be told, it looks somewhat odd to me; I'd want to orient it the other way.) From what I gathered on the video, it seems to have just one big central cavity (with a slip pocket inside) accessed through the zipper. I don't think the front seam area (the black panel) is an open slip pocket, despite its appearance.

I believe this one is smaller than previous one by the same designer.

Fourth up on the list is this leather sling by Goatro. (As with the other patterns, a freely accessible YouTube video is the only source of instructions available.)

I want to highlight this one specifically because it has that "tab" detailing on the front. While I think the secured tab was unique when it first appeared and is still stylish as a design feature, in actual use, it would aggravate me to no end. (Again, my personal opinion only.) To have to snap, unbuckle, twist or undo that closure to get to that part of the bag – which includes not just the open section, but also the zippered pocket – is a huge inconvenience that I wouldn't want to deal with.

I would strongly recommend, before choosing to make a sling bag that incorporates this feature, to consider whether the end user is a "style" person or a "practical" person.

Four Thin Ones for Anyone

These next sling bags all have an intriguing style element that would be handy for travel: they're all fairly flat. Unisex by design, these can be worn underneath jackets for the utmost in security. And as for wearing a bag across the chest, at least with these versions, they're thinner and will not create as much additional bulk.

This rectangular sling is a compact choice. At 11.5" x 6.5", it will allow someone to carry just the essentials in two compartments. The pocket on the front is limited to holding flat items, but the main pocket looks to be somewhat "gusseted" to store more. (Both are zippered.)

The strap attachment along the bottom of the bag can be clipped to either corner, making it easy to switch for lefties or righties. Made up in appropriate fabrics, this would work well for all ages and sexes.

Oh, and like the others, this pattern is templates and video instruction only. (Am I seeing a pattern here??)

Let me freely admit that the rectangular shape of the last bag isn't my fave.

This next one is definitely not a rectangle, but the item itself is categorized as a embroidery machine pattern. I'm including it here to show the creative possibilities. For those among us who are capable of drafting our own patterns for something simple like this, cutting fabric into a stylized triangle is not a big deal. 

This particular design appears to have two storage areas: a zippered main compartment and a flapped pocket on the front. (Unfortunately, the listing's main photo here was a poor choice to showcase the design; due to the busy fabric, you really can't see the flapped pocket.)

Design number three is working for me: it's got an asymmetrical, angular, yet rounded shape. (It's meant to conjure up a bottle.) It looks to be thin enough to be worn against the body – front or back – without creating undesirable bulk.

This one has three pockets: the zippered one that you see on the front, the open, sloped slip pocket above it and another zippered one on the back. Finished size is 6" x 14".

Ideal for tucking valuables away under a jacket when traveling, or just for everyday use for folks who may not otherwise have pockets for their phones and credit cards. The D-ring along the side is meant for clipping keys. (I would suggest that my lanyard-like wallet would be a good add-on there, so it can be tossed inside the open pocket and kept more securely.)

Unlike the others, this pattern provides written instructions (with photos) only.

Sling bag number four in this category is another "made for traveling" candidate. It appears also to fit underneath jackets discreetly without being bulky. It finishes at 9" x 12.75" and can be carried in various ways, including as a traditional shoulder bag.

From what I can see, it has three pockets. Two are accessible from the front: the one with a snap tab closure is designed for a phone. A zipper along the side on the back provides access to the main central compartment.

Pattern includes instructions and templates only. While she doesn't have an accompanying video, she makes mention of a YouTube video done by someone else that could be helpful.

Personally, I would love to see a small sling bag that combines the added storage capacity of the first (the rectangular one that has a gusseted main compartment) with a more intriguing shape like the others. Three pockets – one accessed from the front, one main and one against the back – would be ideal.

Wait... am I looking for something similar to my own crossbody sling bag??

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Many years ago, I made the Summit Pack sling bag that was quite a popular pattern. Don't know if anyone made it for the men in their lives (my hubby said it was too big), but here's a similar one that caught my eye while I was putting together the above list.

This is a newer pattern from Sara at Sew Sweetness, (whose free Oriole bag I made back in 2019). At 7" x 15" – with varying depth depending on how you make it – it's still probably on the "too big" side, but it looks fantastic and has the minimal three pockets that I'd like in a sling bag. (There is one on the back.)

One last opinion that I must express... this is an example of a test bag that's been made with the "right" fabric. I know we all have different tastes when it comes to fabric, but there are times when I wonder what the thought process was, when I see samples made out of – seemingly – bargain basement materials. It's one thing if the project is an upcycling effort, but designers with an actual intention to sell patterns should always showcase their work with the best fabrics available.

Before I go, I want to acknowledge that everything I've featured so far are paid patterns. Can't just ignore the other side, so here are some freebie sling bag projects that you can find on YouTube.

images courtesy of YouTube...

The above projects are from the following channels respectively: Shooka Leather, Tendersmile Handmade and SewingTimes. That first one provides a full set of templates, so it's a great opportunity to use them to make your own fabric version if you're so inclined.

To end this post on the same note as it began, one other sling that I want to single out is the Wakasa from Miko Craft. It's described as a men's crossbody, but with appropriate fabrics, it's very much unisex in design. As usual, he provides all required templates and his instructions are great.

image courtesy of YouTube (Miko Craft)...

I hope you enjoyed seeing the variety of sling bags in this post. If you have any strong opinions about them – or if you have design thoughts of your own and want to throw out suggestions – let me know!

'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁

Customized "Eggsy" Shoulder Bag

Customized Eggsy Shoulder Bag for my man...

I promised this "before the end of summer" and here it is one day prior!

When I came across Miko Craft's YouTube channel back in March, I determined to make one project and tagged a second one for future consideration.

As it happened, both projects shared the charmingly descriptive name of "Eggsy" — one being a backpack and the other being a sling bag. Per their namesake, they each have an oval rounded shape to them.

You've already seen the customized backpack that I made for me. Within a month of finishing it, I had a spare week alone – hubby was off camping – to work on the sling, which was destined to be a birthday gift for him. It took me a day and a half to sew up and I was quite pleased with how it turned out.

As with the previous bag, I added things and changed up the strap. I also came away with "lessons learned", which may be the subject of a future blog post, for the edification of anyone wanting to make either of these bags with the same modifications.

To start today's discussion, let's go back almost a decade to a personalized sling bag that I purchased from Vistaprint.

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This is the Twister Sling Bag by Leed's that I bought for hubby's bday that year. The image below is a generic one from the manufacturer; the one I ordered is the same colour, but had a custom image imprinted on the main front panel (the phrase from our joint design project, You Just Can't Fix Stupid).

image courtesy of Leed's...

The bag, while serviceable, was bigger than he preferred and had a cheap, nylon-y feel to it that just didn't make the grade. (It definitely shows better in the photo than it felt in RL.) Ultimately put aside, I figured I would eventually take the materials and turn it into something more suitable.

Which is how I arrived at this customized version of the Eggsy Shoulder Bag. For this project, I harvested the two zippers, the mesh pocket, an interior hanging pocket, and the complete strap assembly. (Oh, and of course, I also cut out the personalized part that read "You Just Can't Fix Stupid.")

Front view...

The original Eggsy has no pockets apart from the two zippered compartments. It's actually fairly plain in that sense, and while I knew that it's likely because it's somewhat of a small bag, the idea of no additional pockets just doesn't sit right with me. So of course, the first plan was to add one, or two, or three...

Actually, the first plan was to choose fabrics. Since there weren't many options, I was happy with what I found. (Thought briefly about using old denim, but decided against it because – once again – my supply of it is too distressed to turn out a bag that doesn't scream, I was made out of old jeans!) These selections are from a 2018 Craftsy purchase. The gold/brown micro dot print (as well as the cream coloured lining) is part of the Boundless DECOdent Earthtone collection and was first used on my Purl Bee Penguin. The contrasting front side panels are made out of Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements (Rulers) leftovers from this pouch that was also made for hubby.

Back view of my customized Eggsy Shoulder Bag...

As is the case whenever I do a YouTube project these days, I ran the video and snipped screenshots out to a Word doc. After determining what my modifications would be, I then added notes where required in the process. For example, for the mesh pocket that was added to the back of the bag, this was where I put the instruction in my Word document:

images courtesy of Miko Craft's YouTube channel...

Even though I knew the gusset was going to be quite narrow, I still added a slip pocket to each side. They're good for holding pens, combs, straws. My other half has clip-on sunglasses that can fit in there.

Side view showing one of the gusset pockets...

The largest pocket that I added was a full-width interior slip pocket against the back of the bag in the main compartment. It was made out of the same fabric as the lining.

At the top of this same compartment, I attached a key chain and tiny pocket combo that I kept from a discarded key case. The key chain is secured by two snap fasteners. I believe if it's turned upside down, any keys on the ring can be stored inside the pocket; otherwise the pocket is probably only useful for keeping a shopping cart coin.

View of main compartment interior...

By the way, I used Decor Bond as the interfacing for the exterior fabric. True to reputation, it tends to crinkle with repeated handing – and (man)handle it you must when it comes to turning these assemblies right side out – but the effect is always less noticeable on darker fabric. Also, if you can press at each juncture, it goes a long way to alleviate the problem. I do like the stiffness that it provides.

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The Twister Bag had a nylon slip pocket that was sewn to the top of the lining inside the main compartment. It was therefore an easy decision to reuse it in the same manner here. The only difference is that it's in the top (smaller) compartment of the Eggsy.

Recycled interior hanging pocket...

For the second time in a row, I totally changed up the strap. Of course, this time it was unavoidable since I took an entire strap from one bag to reuse on another.

 

The strap that came with the Twister Sling Bag was very long. As you can see in the various pics, the portion of webbing left hanging free is rather substantial... and this is after I cut off at least half of the wider section of fabric connected to it. I suppose if you're a big bulky linebacker and need to carry the bag across your body, the extra length might be useful, but here it was just excessive.

Opposite side view showing strap attachment...

The nylon fabric section of the strap was directly attached to the top of the Twister bag, unlike what was designated for the Eggsy. The Eggsy called for 4cm wide webbing to be encased in the anchor at the top of the bag. Meanwhile, the webbing that formed the bottom part of the Twister strap was only 2.5cm wide.

It was a problem begging for some "outside of the box" thinking. I arrived at my solution by unpicking the binding around the nylon section, sewing a section of webbing to it and then attaching the binding to the webbing to create the required width. In doing this, I was also able to sew the personalized piece onto the lower part of the nylon fabric area. Win-win!

As usual, for an idea of scale...

This bag was a more difficult "sew" than the Eggsy Backpack. I would classify it as an intermediate project at a minimum, largely due to the repeated "sewing around in a circular fashion" that's not easy to do when zippers are part of the equation. Add the fact that this is a fairly small bag that would tend to show imperfections more readily than a bigger backpack.

Miko fully demonstrates all of the required sewing in the video, but darned if he doesn't make it seem so easy! (Mind you, my use of Decor Bond – as well as the extra layers that were added with all of my modifications – did not make the sewing any easier either!)

'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁

Customized "Eggsy" Backpack

My new Eggsy backpack...

Several weeks ago, I posted about a new (to me) YouTube channel that had captured my attention: Miko Craft.

This talented Indonesian bag maker freely offers up quality patterns for our consumption, and it's all done to a level that equals or surpasses many "paid" designers. If you're looking to make a bag and you learn best by video, I highly recommend you check him out.

The project that I'm about to show you was mentioned in that previous post: the Eggsy Backpack. (I'm making the rare move of actually providing a link here.) Under the details section of the video, you can access a PDF containing all required templates.

I chose this design out of his vast catalog of backpack patterns for its sleek, oval, curvy shape. Also, the way it's constructed immediately gave me ideas for how I could allocate my intended fabric selections (which included my own Canadiana Tiled & Mirrored and the Emma & Mila (Field Carbon) that I first used for my eReader case).

Black, white and red would rule the day for this project!

It's a good size...

For the lining, it's a blast from the past: a 2002 release called Black and White and Read Allover by Cindy Taylor Oates. It came from Jake's care package that I received ten years ago. I've said this before, but it's literally the gift that keeps on giving!

Whimsical eye chart fabric (front lining)...

I believe this is only the second time I've used this fabric for a bag; the first was one of my bodaciously basic bucket bag testers. As so many others often do with certain fabrics in their stash, I guess I've always been saving it for something perfect. This is a perfect colour match for my black, white and red Eggsy. (And I still had/have a lot left!)

Further about the fabric, my Canadiana pieces are a lightweight cotton twill, while the Emma & Mila is a high quality (read "higher thread count") quilting cotton. I left the twill as is, but interfaced the quilting cotton with SF101. I contemplated adding some fusible fleece to some of the pieces but ultimately decided against it. None of the lining was interfaced.

This was a lightly interfaced bag...

The end result is a soft finish that holds its shape, but is definitely squishable for packing or squeezing into small spaces. (I mean, don't you just hate it when someone's backpack is sticking in your face while on a bus or in a lineup?) In these photos where you see the bag standing up by itself, it's doing so without any "stuffing" or extra help.

By the way, as I was looking at the photos of the finished project, it also occurred to me that in the absence of the Emma & Mila fabric, I could have used my own Healthy, Hopeful, Happy design to produce a similar item.

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Miko's tutorial revealed a new (to me) technique for making a zippered pocket with a "clean" interior, i.e., no exposed zipper tape under the opening. The existence of this method is not unknown to me; I've just never cared enough to learn how to do it. I guess what I'm reiterating is that he doesn't cut corners in how his projects are designed.

That said, the process for making this pocket is covered – generically – in a different video, so you'll have refer to a second tutorial when you get to this step. I chose to add a second zippered pocket to the back side of the bag, so that's where I used this more professional method. For the interior lining pocket, I actually did two things differently. I used the basic method (with exposed zipper tape), but I also left the bottom of the lining open – actually cut it open since it began as a single piece – and turned (this half of) the bag right side out through that opening.

Using the bottom of a pocket to turn right side out...

This modification let me skip having to hand sew along the gusset to close up an alternate opening for turning (as indicated at 24:17 of the video). Less hand sewing is always a win in my book!

While we're on the subject of pockets, let me describe the other two that I added. One is right along the gusset and the other is attached to one of the side panels of the rounded front part. The latter was a last minute addition, decided on when I saw how wide that area actually was. It will certainly carry sunglasses and will even fit my cellphone in a pinch.

Simple slip pocket added to gusset...

The gusset pocket is similar to the one I added to my Seth bag. It's even more simple here as it's just one long single piece of fabric, seamed to create a tube (to make the pocket self-lined). It's then sewn to the bottom and basted along the sides of the gusset. I created the illusion of a flap by folding the top part of the fabric over and adding a rivet.

Size-wise, you might think it's hardly big enough to be useful, but not only can cards fit in it (it's deep enough that they won't fall out), it'll also accommodate reading glasses – even sunglasses if they're not the big chunky kind – or a tube of insect repellent, lotion, sunscreen, or hand sanitizer.

Water bottle harness attached to gusset piece...

Staying with the gusset for a moment, one of the things I wanted to add – since the bag didn't have an exterior pocket designed for it – was a water bottle harness.

I used a piece of heavy duty wide elastic for this purpose. (Same stuff that I used for our shinto stool cushions, which are still functioning well, five and a half years later.) I measured to make sure that it would have to stretch just a tiny bit to hold a basic 500ml bottle. If it's not snug, it will just slide out.

On the opposite side of the interior gusset, I added a couple of mini straps. I figured they could hold pens or sunglasses (although in the finished bag, they are positioned a little lower than I'd like).

I eventually attached my red and white key card lanyard to one of them.

By the way, I was quite happy to discover that even though a bottle of water takes away from the amount of room (width-wise) inside the bag, the area in front still offers up a lot of room for things like a pouch or some other organizer. (You can't see it in this photo, but my 3 pocket red and white ribbon pouch is inside.)

Two multi-purpose mini straps attached to opposite side of gusset...

Okay, back to the subject of the other pocket. After completing the front part of the bag (12:52 of the video), I noticed that the sides were actually pretty substantial. Substantial enough to add a slip pocket if I could somehow manage to add it artfully.

For ease of access, the pocket would need to be angled; for overall looks, fussy cutting the piece would be best. Having a noticeable break in the fabric's print would call attention to the pocket unnecessarily.

Luckily, I had a big enough matching remnant to work with, one that would allow for seams along three sides – the pocket is unlined – so that it could be sewn on top of the existing panel.

Pressing is important, to ensure that the fussy cut stays true after adding the seam allowances. (While Miko doesn't seem to press anything during his construction process, it's always a good thing to press as you go when you're making a bag like this.)

Adding another slip pocket...

This last minute addition turned out reasonably well, all things considered. One could try to add this pocket to the original panel D, but having extra thickness in that zipper area might not turn out so well.

Speaking of piece D, when I was sewing it up, I somehow got it turned backwards and couldn't figure out for the life of me how to make it fit. (This is 9:57 of the video.) I think it was because the image I captured in my Word doc didn't show precisely the extreme curvy edge being matched up with the zipper tape. For some reason, I just assumed it was the other side.

Anyway, one of the commenters on the video apparently had the same problem and when I read it, it occurred to me that I had done the exact same thing!

Straps done my way...

I pondered for a long time about how to make the straps, knowing that I only had so much webbing (recycled from an old duffle bag) and also that I didn't want to buy gold toned hardware to make them as designed. The reality was that this is my bag. As long as I can use it comfortably, having the straps be adjustable seemed unnecessary.

Then there's the fact that I'm not a big fan of using just webbing; it seems like such a utilitarian choice. It's already a backpack – which is utilitarian in style – so why can't it be jazzed up a tad?

That's how I ended up with my fabric trimmed straps. Once I determined that I had enough fabric to cover one side of the webbing, it was an easy decision. And because I didn't have the perfect amount of webbing (slightly short), I used some of the fabric to make anchors at both ends. The raw ends of the straps were inserted into those anchors, which were then secured by topstitching along both edges of the straps.

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If you've been a regular reader for awhile, you may know that I love to make use of recycled bits and discount store purchases for my projects. This one was no different. (I already said that the webbing for the straps came from an old duffle.) The zipper pulls on the front pocket came from a pair of suede boots that I tossed a few years ago.

Never toss old zipper pulls... especially when they look like this!

Other "danglers" that I added to the remaining three exterior zippers – a red handbag and a lock and key – came from my old cell phone charm and from a pair of shoes (that you can see here).

The gold slider buckle that I threaded through one of the straps came from the same $10 thrift store purse that gave up all of the golden hardware for my customized Goddess of the Sea bag. (If you're wondering what the buckle's for, it's a handy place to hang a pair of sunglasses for quick access.) It's free to slide up and down the strap to whatever location.

Can't have too many places from which to hang bling!

The accent ribbon that's used to trim the ends of the main zipper came from a Michael's discount bin (for a buck). The colour match is spot on. The ribbon was sewn back to back to form the hanging loop at the top of the backpack (instead of using more webbing).

A necessity for every bag I own!

Because most of my hardware is silver toned, I had to pay a visit to my local Dollarama to find a gold keychain. I needed a split ring to thread through one of those ribbon zipper ends so I could attach a lip balm carrier. Usually made with non-fraying materials, I zigzagged stitched my Canadiana fabric to resolve that issue.

For those who want to add a label to the front of the bag, do so at 5:00 or 6:42 of the video.

I typically forget (and really don't much care) to add a designer tag to my creations, but when the bag was finished, the front panel just seemed to be lacking something. I decided to make a maple leaf patch and attach it with double sided tape and rivets. Thankfully, the dual access front pocket made that easy to accomplish, even after the fact. (Oh, and by the way, the maple leaf on this patch came from a different version of my Canadiana fabric; it's a fleece used for these mittens.)

FINALLY – and I do mean finally – I wanted a way to turn this into more of a sling bag. Unless I'm really seriously trekking, I'm probably going to carry this bag on one shoulder with one strap. However, I don't like an unused backpack strap hanging loose; it just makes it easier for someone to come along and snatch it.

An example of a simple but extremely functional modification...

With the help of hook and loop tape and some sturdy black elastic – saved from one of my $1 belts – I sewed up the contraption shown here to help keep the two straps together.

And yes, that was the final addition that I made to this Eggsy. (However, it's not the end of the saga — I'll be back with another of Miko's Eggsy projects before the end of summer.)

'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁