Tutorial: Back-to-school messenger bag for teens and college students

I made this messenger bag with my teenage daughter in mind, but I’m loving it enough that I think I’ll keep it for myself! It’s called the Campus Messenger Back and it’s perfect for back-to-school time! I’ve got a tutorial and pattern for you over at Orange Bettie. It’s big enough to hold a small laptop, but it’s not so huge that it’s cumbersome to carry. It would be great for college kids or high schoolers to take the classes, study groups, or trips to the library. I am so very far from my teen and college years, but I do tend to take my blogging with me to the library and coffee shops, which is why I’m planning to steal it for myself.

Click below for the pattern and tutorial:

Campus Messenger Bag – Tutorial, by Orange Bettie

[photo from Orange Bettie]

Looking for Sewing supplies? Check out Sewing Machine Plus.

Looking for more DIY sewing patterns to make your own bags, totes and clutches? Check these Sewing patterns out on Etsy.

Looking to chat about sewing? Check out our sewing group on Facebook with over 80K members.

Next Pattern:

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply