Pattern Review -- Making a Vegan Leather Sling Bag with Simplicity 9803

This project is my entry for the bag contest. It is the 4th time I've now sewn this bag. This month.

The project is also part of the January 2025 Pop-up Sew-along: Nothing but Stash and a part of my yearlong commitment to the 2025 Fabric fast and 2025 50 Yard Dash.

I've never made a handbag before, and I wanted to use this contest to learn how to do so and to duplicate a bag style I love.
 

Reversible Ergonomic Bag Worn as Healthy Back Bag

I made three wearable muslins for this project:

• V1: S9803 Sling Bag made with Upholstery Scraps
 with Matching Makeup Bag and Matching Coin Purse
• V2: S9803 Sling Bag w/ snap front pocket also made with Upholstery Scraps
• V3: S9803 Reversible Sling Bag w/ zipper front pocket made with Blue & Printed Denim Scrap

The project was made to replace a favorite bag that I used for years until it finally fell apart. The lining was torn and soiled. The hardware of the bag was broken. My cobbler told me to get a new bag. You can see a similar bag in picture #5 (borrowed from she who was gifted a bag after admiring mine but loved the bag less than I did and still has one intact). I bought the original bag 30+ years ago. It was a favorite when my youngest was a baby. It served as a combination handbag/diaper bag and allowed me to have my stuff hands free while chasing children. Recently, I've used it as a favorite travel bag. The zipper toward the body makes the very pick pocket resistant; and it allows me to be hands free to carry suitcases. The design is ergonomic and is also great for spontaneous dancing to street musicians. With the bag on my back, I am hands free to dance. IMHO it is very important to never waste a good dance song.

Pick Pocket Resistant Bag

Another important benefit of the bag is the ergonomic "healthy back" design. The soft construction of the bag molds to the shape of my spine and shifts weight of the bag to the bum. The design minimizes back, neck and shoulder strain. Having the main zip against the body (whether worn in the front or the back), makes the bag pick pocket resistant.

Pattern Description:
Simplicity Bags in Four Styles by Elaine Heigl Designs 9803
Slouchy lined bags have indie style. Bucket bag with shoulder strap has pom pom and tassel charm; slouch shoulder bag has all-in-one loop closure. Sling bag with zipper has trimmed strap and pom pom and tassel charm. Rounded purse has purchased handles. See envelope for more information.
I made version C: Sling bag with zipper.

Pattern Sizing:
Not applicable.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, but I made a LOT of modifications to fit my needs.

Reversible Bag Worn as Sling

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes but be warned: the pattern expects a lot of purchased notions rather than instructing how to make the components.

I made bag C, which had only 1 piece in the pattern envelope. The bag clearly required tabs and a strap. There were no pieces for either. I deducted a star for those omitted pieces.

The original design of the bag I was duplicating was not reversible. After testing the pattern three times, I decided to make my bag design reversible. It can be worn on the front or the back or the body. It can also be worn with either side as the front or back of the bag, depending on need and circumstances.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Likes:
The was close to the shape of the bag I wanted to replicate and was easily customized to fit the design I wanted.

Dislikes:
The pattern had only 1 piece and was missing needed pieces for the straps and hardware. I drafted those missing pieces, but a beginner might find drafting the missing pieces challenging.

The pattern only specifies interfacing without explaining what type. I asked for help on the PR board. I used this article on bag interfacings recommended by Raffey to help me understand the difference between the huge assortment of interfacings available.

Fabric Used:
Lining: Heavy denim

The denim lining looks great and adds durability to the bag but using denim was a rookie bag maker mistake. Denim is too thick. When looking for a better alternative in my next bag, I found this article that confirmed my mistake: Click Here.

Interfacing: Pellon Shapeflex

A big question I had was whether and how to interface my very thin "leather-like" fabric. For a instructions on different interfacing to use for bag making, I consulted this video So Sew Easy and this tutorial from Seamwork and this from Core Fabrics. For a video explaining how to adhere interfacing specifically to leather, I recommend this video by Sawyer Brook .

Fabric Backing

Fashion Fabric: To be honest, I have no idea what this fabric is. I was told it was leather, but it has a fabric backing. The fabric was gifted to me years ago; it feels like leather and is soft and supple, but it stretches a lot more than one would expect leather to stretch.

After consulting with PR members, I think this may be a reconstituted leather made from grinding up leather scraps, combining it with a binding agent and applying it to a cloth backing. I've been told it is sometimes called "pleather" but is may also be a "vegan leather."

Since do not know what this is, I was not sure how to use it. A big challenge is there was not that much of it. Since there is not enough to make straps and a large enough bag, I needed to use webbing for straps. As it turned out, I really, really like the test webbing I used in the bag for muslin #3. The limits of the material were a big factor in final dictate size and style of pockets on this version.... but it worked.

The fabric is pretty but was VERY, VERY difficult to work with, even after watching Kenneth King's wonder leather class here on PR and Don Mornin's "Making Leather Bags" class on Craftsy.

Notions Used:
2 inch purchased webbing as I did not have enough fabric to make the straps. I tested the webbing on muslin #3, and it is wide enough to do a good job evenly distributing weight in an overly stuffed bag. I selected black webbing as I thought it made a nice contrast, and I could easily pick up the black as an accent in the exposed zipper on both the compartment zipper and the front pocket.

Ring. I used a large brass split ring intended as a key ring. I created a tab at the bottom center holding a ring, stitched the strap at the top, fed the strap through the ring at the bottom before top stitching the bag.

2 large separating zippers. In prior versions, I used both an invisible and a standard zipper. Both worked great. From a design standpoint, I was torn. I took the PR class on leather taught by Kenneth King, and he demonstrated use of an invisible zipper on leather. A video showing his technique on other fabrics can be found in this Threads article. In the end, I use two large separating zippers I had in stash. The zippers were very strong and durable as they were designed for heavy jackets. In addition, I decided the large zipper would make a really nice accent sewed it as an exposed zipper to both zippers.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I moved the zipper from the side to the back. This required drafting new back pieces to accommodate an exposed zipper in the center back.

I also moved the bottom strap to the center of the bag. I wanted a bag where the zipper was against my body to prevent pick pockets and to achieve the ergonomic features of a "healthy back bag." I cut the strap 33 inches long. Cut a 5-inch-long tab. That made the finished pieces 31 and 2 inches respectively. I wanted the bag to be very snug against my body even when wearing a winter coat. The bag hits in the small of my back so it sits just above my butt... but I am short: 5'2" If I made this bag for a DD or my DIL, I would need to make the strap longer. Or add adjustable hardware.

To move the zipper to the back, I cut the pattern piece in half added seam allowance the width needed to install the zipper.

I added a front pocket to the bag with an exposed top zipper. The bag I was duplicating (included in photo #5) had a side zipper that I never liked. The zipper zipped down, not up. There was a tendency of things falling out of it. As such, I was reluctant to put any important items in the outside pocket of the old bag. This outside pocket is secure enough to put a passport and tickets.

The black on the zipper replicates the webbing making it blend in nicely with the overall look of the bag. The pocket is large enough to hold a phone, kindle, sunglasses and wallet. The main compartment is large enough to hold a sweater or wrap and snacks — all critical for travel by plane or train.

I also added a pocket on the interior. I wanted a pocket near the top of the bag that could be quickly and easily accessed, but that would encourage top use to better distribute weight in the bag. I stitched the interior pocket on first and then attached the exterior pocket. The exterior pocket hid the stitch lines of the interior pocket. Each were designed to minimize layers since my domestic sewing machine does not like bulk.

The bag is constructed to be reversible. While I intended for the main zipper compartment to be worn against the body, the bag can be flipped so either side can show. In either direction, there is a zippered compartment against the body preventing pickpockets. Yay!

I omitted the adjustable hardware the pattern specifies. I never adjust my bags, so I just cut the strap to the length I use. Omitting the hardware had the advantage of making my bag lighter and less expensive.

For future projects made as gifts, I might add the hardware and make the bag adjustable... assuming I can find good quality, durable, likely to last for years hardware. The hardware I looked at in local shops did not seem to fit that bill and I was appreciative of warnings from PR members about hardware from online vendors.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. This is my fourth version of the bag. I road tested the muslins I made, and the bag as designed has great balance. When worn, it sits flush against my body, so it is comfortable and still highly pick pocket resistant. The outside pocket lets me have quick access to phone, subway card and passport when needed. When done, they can be put securely in the main compartment.

The bag is also awesome when picking up my grandkids from daycare or taking them to the playground. I fell in love with this style bag when my youngest was an infant because the style allowed me to combine purse and diaper bag contents into one bag, have what I needed with me on the go and still have arms free to carry small children and all their stuff (toys, artwork, backpacks, etc).

Conclusion:
I've enjoyed my bag making journey. For this project, I used the PR philosophy of beating a pattern to death. I feel like I have learned many ways to make an imperfect bag.... but most components of all four bags came from stash. Stash pattern. Stash gifted fabric (does that count as double stash since the gifter's stash was gifted to me?). Stash denim lining. Stash zippers. The stash exceptions were specialty items I did not have because I've never made bags before the webbing, specialty upholstery thread, leather/vinyl needles and shapeflex interfacing.

Bottom line:
Nice pattern. Fun project. Excellent stash buster. Happy to have bag making as a new skill set.