A Pair of Flap Bags

For a while now, I've been looking for a pattern to make a bag that serves as my everyday bag. While I've made several tote bags this year that are great for travel, my everyday bag is actually a messenger bag, that I've been carrying for the past 7 years. But I think I finally found something that can function as my everyday bag. Or two. Both patterns are from Sew Sweetness.

The first bag I made is the Appaloosa Bag, which I made with this gorgeous black / gold fabric I found in my stash. The Appaloosa is a bit smaller than the Satellite Bag, and to be honest, is probably more suited for everyday use as well. I also like that it has a flat bottom and purse feet, so I can place it down on a surface, whereas the Satellite Bag has a curved bottom.

The main feature of the Appaloosa Bag is the accordion divider pocket in the front. I had to put a lot of interfacing into this bag, so it inherently feels more sturdy and structured than the Satellite Bag.

The second one I made is the Satellite Bag, which has been on my todo list for a very, very long time. Intiailly I intended to make it with light fabrics, but I feared with everyday use the fabric would start to look dirty. So I switched to black fabrics so that I won't be afraid to use it.

The inside of the bag is fairly simple, though the interesting feature is that the flap itself has a zipper on it, which opens to a little compartment. Now, I'm not sure how practical it actually is, but it's still a neat feature. Besides that, the bag has an open front pocket, and an inside zipper pocket, all enclosed with a flap that fastens with a magnetic snap. This bag is also very big and can hold a lot.

Now, it's time to field test these bags, because I never actually know whether I like or enjoy using something until I've used it in the wild. Sometimes the results are surprising!