I don't have a lot of bag patterns available, so I think you are going to like the $5 Friday special this week.
This is The Melford Messenger Bag and it is another pattern from Charlie's Aunt.
Before going into all the details, this pattern is normally $9. So at $5 it is a significant savings this weekend (special ends Monday morning).
The pattern does include the rights to make a few bags to sell (see the last page of the instructions).
About the Bag
This bag has some neat details that give it a distinct look, while still being a classic style. They are simple design details, so it doesn't take any extra work to make a unique bag.
The front has a large pocket, which is convenient, and also gives you a chance to do some different things with fabric combinations. There is one interior patch pocket that has the same curved shape as the exterior pocket/flap.
You could also repeat the exterior front pocket inside for even more pocket space. It is large enough to divide by stitching down the middle. I divided my exterior pocket, but ultimately had to take the stitching out (see what happened in the "Changes" section below).
The bag goes together quickly--this is probably a 3-4 hour project the first time through.
You can use all sorts of fabrics for this bag. Home dec, canvas, and other utility weight fabrics are all perfect. I made my bag from upholstery linen/rayon for the body, a vintage canvas for the flap, and an embroidered home dec fabric for the strap. Interfaced quilting cotton will work great too.
It also looks fantastic in the wool examples in Charlie's Aunt's photos.
The style/size makes this bag a good one for women or men. The wool versions look very unisex to me.
Changes
For the most part, I followed the instructions. The instructions are clear and detailed.
Because I almost never use a standard allowance, unless something HAS to turn out a specific size, I used the edge of my presser foot (almost 3/8") as the allowance. The pattern lists a 0.5" allowance.
I made my strap adjustable using a 1.5" black slide and rectangle ring. The instructions have a couple different options for the strap, but it is NOT adjustable.
My button collection is mostly 1" or smaller buttons, so I used three 1" buttons and put all of them directly on the flap. They look a little high in my first photo, but that is the camera angle.
I used a sew-in magnetic snap and might need to go back and resew it on by hand. The instructions show the second half of the snap going on in one of the last steps, but I forgot about the reality of adding this type of snap at the end...
I had to put it under a piece of interfaced fabric and it was hard to sew on to the bag body neatly. My stitching is pretty terrible!
Originally, I had divided the front pocket with a seam, but that had to come out in order to sew the snap on. The snap really does need to go on last, unless you want to risk placing it in the wrong spot and having a wonky bag. Which would be really sad. So keep that in mind when deciding what type of snap to add, and if you make any modifications to the pocket.
Printing and Finished Size
Because Charlie's Aunt is a European company, and their A4 paper is slightly larger than our standard size paper in the US, the size is going to vary a bit. You might remember this from The High Tea Clutch...
If you are using A4 paper your bag will be about 14" (35cm) high x 12" (31cm) wide x 2" deep (5cm).
Here in the US is where it gets tricky. My bag turned out 12" high x 10" wide x 1.75" deep. Some of the difference might be how I measured. There's no hard and fast rule for how to measure a finished bag--it is always just the closest guestimate. You can lay it down and measure seam to seam, or what I do is measure it when full, and measure what visually appears to be the front, sides, height.
The pattern pieces did NOT cut off for me when printing, so if you are in the US I think you are ok just printing it at 100% scaling. Just know that the size is going to depend some on your location and your printer.
Have a nice weekend!
