There are oodles of bag patterns available. One of the best places I've found to shop for patterns is "SewThankful.com" I've purchased several patterns from them and of different designers. By the time you buy a pattern, fabric, heavy fusible interfacing, zippers, magnetic closures, velcro, D rings, etc., you've spent a chunk of change, but still not as much as a Vera Bradley. The good thing is that you can make multiple bags from the same pattern (if you are giving gifts) and sometimes I create my own 'fabric' by quilting together various pieces from my stash which saves money, too. My daughters love getting bags from me. The other advantage is that you are very unlikely to see anyone else with the same bag!!