Small Messenger Bag

This design is done. Sure, there are some minor things I can tweak, but the pattern is done. Now I can make matboard templates...finally. It takes so long to measure everything out on the fabric. Bam, bam, bam. Anyway, got this design done, the small one done (well, I might change that one a bit), hip pack most of the way done...and on to the big bag. Then I'll have a pretty sweet basic line.

Full of stuff:I'm debating on whether or not I should make the flap longer. I really like attaching the buckles to the edge of the flap--it makes more dynamic sense to me...but it feels kinda short sometimes. There's always the flap-extender piece option, but that seems kinda goofy to use... Maybe I'll offer a longer flap as a choice. We'll see. And my model-sister here. This bag's about the size of your typical bookbag. I don't have the back pad in...so it's kinda floppy.

I'm not quite set on a design for my bottle holder yet. I going to try something different next time...actually I still have to make one for the Traffic Cone bag... I really like the way it attaches to the bag, though--the loop and tri-glide: solid. You could also have a pump holster there, or a camera case...or anything smallish you want to strap to the bag. It kind of lies in that purgatorial area of coverage and exposure, though...which I haven't quite determined if I like or not. I'm sure, like most things, it offers a bit of good and wicked.
Pop! it comes out.

Close up on the strap buckle. That webbing across the buckle keeps the pad from sliding all over the place...without impeding buckle-release. Kewl. Oh, that's a Quik-Slip Keeper there from National Molding/Duraflex just below the buckle...keeping the end of the strap from waggin' all over the place. Right now I'm looking for the best places to put one. I like it there on the very end...where I think Pac also puts theirs. But, hey, they're easy to take off, so you can put it wherever...or not even use it...do thee ol' wrap and tuck. Compression strap close-up. And this is where the shoulder strap attaches to the corner of the bag. Note the bartacking there. The back pad pocket. This is the one for the previous bag...I just forgot to put these pictures on that post. Same design on this bag. About 8x10. No Velcro required. Just pops in. There's a little lip on the top that keeps the pad in there.

Traffic Cone

Bright One
19x12x6--Cordura & Top Gun
Another attempt to perfect this size of bag ends in ruin. So it goes. I changed up the way the lip compresses on this bag--made it like the smaller bag, thinking it'd work just the same. Not so. Attaching the compression strap onto the main stap here leaves room for movement around the corners, with the lip potentially coming out from under the flap...or at least coming too close for my liking. It's fixable on this bag with some hand stitching...which I'll do later.

Nice earth tones for the liner.

Corner detail. Won't be seeing this again. Instead of sewing the end of the compression strap to the main strap, I'll sew it to the lip just inside the corner. I've done this with smaller bags with good results...and they should be even better with this size. Let's hope.

I moved the water bottle over a little bit. Now I won't hit my arm on it all the time. Of course, I haven't actually built the water bottle holder yet. You just see the strap that'll thread through the holder. Ha.

Sheath?

The Long, Skinny Thing Holder
For all your magic wands and knitting needles. This clips onto the small shoulder bag. Nice.

See Me

Safety Stripe
19x12x6--9/07--Cordura nylon & Top Gun poly
Refining my nineteen-inch messenger bag here, and adding some new things. Though, this might be the last time I use this exact design. Every time I make a bag I think of a way to improve it...which is kinda frustrating in a way, 'cause every bag you make is flawed or obsolete from the get go. Or maybe it means every bag is unique and wonderful. Ha ha... Anyway, this bag is pretty much identical to the camo bag down below except for a few things:
One, as you can probably see, is that wonderful reflective stripe across the front. Sweet-ass two-inch yellow vinyl with a silver center. You can get yourself some from Identi-Tape in Golden, Colorado. They have a number of great sew-on reflective tapes. Bright, bright, bright.
Two: water bottle holder. My bottle's been leaking in my bag lately and fouling up my magazines--no good. So I made me a bottle holder. I originally had this sewn onto the bag but I changed my mind and ripped it off. Now it's attached with three one-inch tri-glides. Pretty nice. I don't know if this is the best place for it. I mean, it's the easiest place to get at it, sure. But is it gonna get in the way all the time. Hmm... And it makes it kinda look like a Mountainsmith pack. Ha. Okay, scroll down for more things.

Third alteration: Removable back pad--slash--document pocket. I've needed to do this for a while...I've just been lazy. Now you can remove the pad if your back's gettin' all sweaty...or you just have a fat back. This is a better design all around. Before I was just throwing the pad in between the liner and the shell and it would stay put pretty well but not super. And you really want padding at the bottom part of the back...so there: stay put! And I made the front pocket a little smaller...but not small enough, as it's kinda saggy.

Close up!

Grow!Bottom shot of the holder. If you're gonna have an external pocket that isn't covered by the flap it's a good idea to have drain holes or mesh on the bottom...unless you want your pockets to fill up with water when it rains. Plus this looks hella clean.

Executive

Little Black Bags
15x12x4-5.5--9/07--Cordura & Sunbrella
Okay, so I have a new and improved musette design. This design is 99.9 percent ready to go. I'll be selling these pretty soon--fingers crossed. I just have to figure out how much to charge. Hmm. It takes me about eight hours to put one together at the moment...but hopefully I'll streamline my production a bit. Check out these two here. One's a bit thicker than the other, but otherwise they're pretty much the same.

Man, twill tape is the business--straight up! Takes corners like a champ.Corner detail...why is this picture so fuzzy? I'll have to take it again some time... Notice the compression cord there on the end of the strap--keeping things neat.

Hey, that's my sister there, taking a break from her Shibori to model for me. I didn't have the shoulder pad on this bag at the time, but it has a pretty simple double tri-glide pad. Snazzy.

Backpack?

Scoliosis = Bad
21x17x6--9/07--Cordura & Top Gun
Yeah, so this is kind of a goofy bag. Another attempt to smash a messenger bag and a backpack together. My shoulders have been feeling a bit uneven lately, so that means it's time to switch to a two-strap bag--definitely. I thought about making an x-strap bag, but this design here seemed a little less awkward to use: you only need to unbuckle once to swing it around, you don't have to reach back and grab your loose second strap, and you can unzip your jacket no problem.
Though, I don't know if it has the same sweet load-distribution qualities as an x-strap bag. This bag is kinda weird when it's full: you don't want the shoulder straps digging into your armpits, so you tighten the sternum strap...but this puts most of the load onto your chest and smashes the shoulder pads into your pectorals: not so cool. So, yeah: mission not accomplished in making a sweet messenger backpack. I might just turn this into an x-strap bag or a one-strapper...we'll see. My next big bag'll be an x-strap bag proper.

Making Things Tiny

~3x5--8/07--Cordura & Sunbrella

So, yeah, small things are kinda tricky to make 'cause you have about zero room for error. But here are some experiments in wallet/coin purse design I did for my pal Brianne. The middle one is probably going to be the most useful one for her. The one on the right is my favorite, and a design employed by craft wizard Doc Pop. And is actually a variation on a design from bag revolutionary Erik Zo.

You can find Doc Pop's wallets on his Etsy site, Zo's on eBay, and mine in my pants.

The wallet on the right is neat 'cause it has a sweet coin-catching feature. Your change goes behind the blue fabric and your cards/cash in front. Open it up, tip it forward and all your change slides to the cupped end where you can easily pick for your silver and copper. Nice.