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Cross-body Bag | BAG WEEK | Guest Designer: Debbie von Grabler-Crozier

Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps

EARLY SECONDARY PROJECT TO FINISH BAG WEEK: a fabulous Cross-body Bag by Debbie von Grabler-Crozier! Make this efficient bag with two FQs and the downloadable template!

To end ‘Bag Week’ off on a high, not only have we released this month’s secondary project early, but it is a fabulous guest designer project from sewist, columnist, blog writer and best-selling author Debbie von Grabler-Crozier.

It seems there’s nothing Debbie can’t do, she is the author behind many successful sewing books and writes for Love Patchwork & Quilting, Love Sewing, AllFreeSewing and FaveQuilts. She runs a blog and pattern shop too which you can find at: www.thefolkartfactory.com. What’s more, she’s a trained scientist!

This project is a lovely Cross-body bag which can be used day-to-day: it’s lightweight and hands-free! The steps below have been written by Debbie, and this bag can be found in her book Take Two Fat Quarters: Bags & Purses (2022).

From Debbie von Grabler-Crozier...

'Fat Quarters are possibly the cheapest way to build a stash. They are also one of the most useful cuts of fabric, giving you the width that you need to make quite an amazing array of things. One of the great things about FQs (as they are known in the trade) is that they are a fab way to dip your toe into a collection of fabrics, too. You can often get them in curated bundles if you cannot decide…

This project uses two FQs to make an awesome cross-body bag. This is therefore a great quick gift or you could make this to sell at craft fairs and charity events – you do not have to invest too much money in the materials to turn a profit.'

'I feel as though I say this quite a lot, but I hate having to carry things all day. I much prefer to have my hands free, so a bag that fits the essentials but is quite small, so I don’t know that I am carrying it, is a bit of a winner. Therefore, I designed a bag that fulfills that exact criteria! And the strap is the special detail here – what could be more rock ‘n roll than a guitar strap for an everyday bag!'

Expert help

• Before sewing one of the patch/slip pockets to the lining panel, I tucked a fold of ribbon in between the layers to give my bag a professional finish. However, this could serve a practical purpose too and add a handy key loop next to your pocket!
• The square of interfacing, as shown in step 14, reinforces the hole and stops the studs from pulling out over time.
• When you add the lining, the press stud that is on the lining facing should be against the outer back panel of the bag (the panel without the zip box pocket). This will ensure that it is in the right place when we turn everything out.

Adding alternative embellishments

Why not create a matching purse from your stash of FQs too? You can keep this really simple, following a basic pattern and then adding a small letterbox zip on the side?

Note: seam allowances are all ¼in (5mm) unless otherwise stated. Please read through all the instructions carefully and assemble the equipment before you begin.

Finished size: 14½in (37cm) wide x 8in (20cm) high x 2¾in (7cm) deep, not including the strap

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You will need:

Equipment

• Sewing machine
• Cutting mat
• Scissors
• Clear drying glue suitable for fabric
• Coordinating threads for all fabrics and trims
• Your usual sewing needs, including fray stopper and a zipper foot
• The downloadable template

Materials

Fabrics

• One FQ for the outer – I’ve used a canvas, and the solid colour means that the small size of the bag is not overwhelmed
• One FQ for the lining – cotton is the only choice here!

Interfacing

• One FQ of lightweight, sew-in foam interfacing – I’ve used Style-Vil by Vlieseline
• One F8th of soft, flexible, lightweight, fusible interlining – I’ve used S320 fusible interlining by Vlieseline

Everything else

• 7in (18cm) metal zip for the front zip pocket
• 55in (140cm) length of 4cm 1½in wide cotton webbing in a colour to match the bag, for the main adjustable strap
• 57in (145cm) woven ribbon to decorate the strap – make sure this is pretty chunky and heavy duty, and a width that fits onto your webbing; mine is an Indian cotton one
• 6in (15cm) square of thin leather or vegan leather
• Two silver swivel clips, measuring 1in (2.5cm) across the bottom
• One 1½in (4cm) silver rectangle ring
• One silver press stud
• Two 1in (2.5cm) silver D-rings 
• One 1½in (4cm) silver bag slider

Cut:

From the outer fabric (green canvas):

• Two 5¼in (13cm) wide x 15½in (39.5cm) long pieces for the main centre front and back
• Two 2½in (6.5cm) wide x 15½in (39.5cm) long pieces for the front and back top outer trims
• Two 3in (7.5cm) wide x 15½in (39.5cm) long pieces for the front and back base outer trims
• Two 2¼in (5.5cm) wide x 15in (38cm) long pieces for the front and back top inner facings
• One 4in (10cm) wide x 4¾in (12cm) long piece (note: this will be cut into two pieces when making the D-ring tabs).

From the lining (patterned cotton):

• Two 7¾in (19.5cm) wide x 15in (38cm) long pieces for the front and back main lining
• One 9in (23cm) wide x 12in (30cm) long piece for the front zip pocket lining
• Four 5in (13cm) wide x 7in (18cm) long pieces for the inner slip pockets.

From the leather or vegan leather:

• Two matching tabs using the template.

From the S320 fusible interfacing:

• Two 4in (10cm) x 6in (15cm) long pieces for the internal slip pockets
• One 1½in (4cm) square for the stud reinforcement on the facing (you may be able to cut this from scraps of interfacing cut for the pocket).

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