Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
More new sewing – Cooper Messenger Bag.
Besides finishing the pillowcases for my quilt set on the weekend, I also managed to get a second iteration of the Cooper messenger bag done – this one for myself.
This bag turned out better than the one I made last month for Brian – not only did I correct the squaring of the bottom, but the detail straps on the top flap went on straight this time. Like the first bag, I made this one out of waterproof fabric and it features several pockets, magnetic snaps and rivets.
What I would do different? I would definitely interface this bag the next time around. I pretty much always interface bags I make – because I like them to have some body on their own – but this time I hoped that the heavy canvas would do the job. Sadly, this bag is a little floppy for my liking. Great if it’s full of stuff but otherwise lacking in structure – which I suppose is the messenger bag way (not the fault of the pattern, in other words – this is personal preference issue.
I am currently working on a pair of market totes (which will be interfaced) and am proud to say that having made Cooper twice I am now adept enough with magnetic snaps and jiffy rivets that I feel comfortable incorporating them into other free form projects. Skill building is a definite win out of doing this project twice.
I do plan to make the Cooper Backpack version in the near future (I’ve got a trip to Hawaii coming up and I thought it would be a cute carry-along) – but in the meantime this is my carry-to-work bag. Waterproof being very important for that function. Thanks to Colette Patterns for the easy-to-follow instructions not to mention the excellent companion PDF.
Red Cedar 
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