I’ve been wanting to make a messenger bag for some time but I was struggling to find a men’s bag sewing pattern that I really loved. In fact, it’s quite hard to find many sewing patterns for men. I’m not a huge fan of men’s messenger bags with a big flap so I wanted to try something else. It still needed easy access to the inside though, hence the large front zip opening. It was initially designed as a men’s bag but as Jo and our testers proved, it can suit anyone with the right fabrics. You can get your copy of the pattern here if you’d like to sew your own.
The design
Men’s bags tend to be fairly simple, so a simple design was important. Apart from the main compartment that’s accessed by the large zip opening, it has an exterior zip pocket on the back of the bag. Inside it has a single slip pocket that will fit most tablets (iPad etc). We considered making it large enough for a standard laptop, but it came out too big. It will fit smaller laptops like a Microsoft Surface though. It’s perfect as a medium size bag for work, university or meetings. It’s quick to make as well. The longest part of making the bag is cutting the materials and stabilizers. So, want can you make it out of?
What fabrics can you use to make this bag?
My favourite material to make this from is waxed canvas. This material is very easy to work with and the distressed patina look suits me. I made one from cork though and was really happy how it turned out. I suspect in the coming months I’ll be using cork a lot more in my bag making. Another great material to use is vinyl and if you have the machine to do it, leather. But as you can see from the ones the testers made, cotton or a light twill looks fantastic. So, in summary, you can make it from whatever fabric you like. The stabilisers, (Peltex and Decovil Light) plus the binding help give the bag it’s structure. The only limitation is what your sewing machine can handle. Jo made her Kedemoth bags on the Janome HD9 so she used cotton and canvas for hers. If she were using her Bernina domestic machine, she would have used quilting cotton only to ensure the seams didn’t get too bulky. I made mine on the Sailrite Fabricator Industrial Sewing Machine so it was possible to use heavier fabrics including cork and vinyl.
How hard is it to make this bag?
If you’re worried about that front zip opening, then you’ll be glad to know that the pattern instructions take you through the process step-by-step and the video tutorial shows you the full method. We’ve rated this bag pattern as advance simply due to the front zip opening. Sewing a curved zip that creates a 3D pocket isn’t the simplest of things. If you’re an experienced bag maker, you shouldn’t have any issues. If you’re a beginner bag maker, start by watching the video tutorial so you know exactly what’s involved, and please take your time. It can get a little fiddly, but it will come out great!
What about adding piping?
I think this bag looks awesome with piping and I’ve added it to most of the ones I’ve made. But Jo feels differently. She doesn’t like having both binding and piping in a bag due to the extra thick seams. We’ll let you decide for yourself. To not overcomplicate things, we haven’t included instructions to add piping in the pattern. However, we’ve made a separate video to show you how we made and added piping to the bag in the Kedemoth video tutorial. Cotton piping will be the easiest to add but beware it does add layers to your seams so, before you start, make sure your machine can manage it. I think it’s worth the effort though.
If you’d like to see more men’s bag sewing patterns from Country Cow Designs, let us know in the comments!
Looking for inspiration?
Check out the amazing tester bag photos. The pattern testers made their bags from a variety of fabrics and they all look fantastic. Visit their social media pages for more photos and inspiration:
Grab your copy of the pattern here if you’d like to sew your own.
I love the look of this for my son in law but he only likes backpacks. Has anyone tried to make one this way? Would it be easy enough to do?
We haven’t tried a backpack version yet. I think it may feel a bit too wide for a backpack, but I’m not sure. Adam likes the idea of it though.
Very nice pattern, I would love a similar bag large enough to hold a standard laptop. Is the Mora faux leather used in the Kedamoth tutorial Navy Blue from Emmiline bags?
I think it’s the Marine blue Mora faux leather. We get it from Sew Hot UK but it’s exactly the same stuff as Emmaline’s stock. We keep debating on laptop bag patterns but Adam and I can’t agree on a design yet. I’m sure we’ll decide on one eventually that we both like.