Anyone have easy patterns for making quilted handbags or bookbags...I would really like to make my sister and I a couple of bookbags. We are 40 yr olds (give or take a couple of years), back in school due to job losses and we want to look stylish!! Thanks

Good for you for going back to school!
Rose

Good for you and your sister for taking the leap back into the school. I'm 28 and going back to school online in the fall. I'd go on campus but I have 2 kids (one is 10 and the other is about to be a year old) and no sitter...so online is my only option.

I don't have any patterns for you but I'm going to be looking as well for my 10 year old for next year. I'd love to have her use something I made instead of buying from the store.

Good luck with your new adventure!

thank you! I'm really enjoying it...not like high school at all :lol:

Try this site...there are links and tutes to just about any kind of bag, purse, tote project you could want. I think I have some more bookmarked somewhere, but I couldn't find them :lol:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=175550.0

Connecting Threads has a couple of cool free tote patterns:

http://www.connectingthreads.com/fre...tmedid=Bottom1:Free+Patterns

Lazy Girl Designs has one here:
http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/commu...reepattern.php

and there is a whole list of links to more patterns here:
http://www.henriettashandbags.com/Craft_Ideas.html

I know that I've seen more, but do ya think I can find them now? Of course not :lol:

Here are some more links:
DIY Eco Bags at Ecobites.com

http://sewing.about.com/od/bagstotes...grocerybag.htm

Enjoy!

judee

Thank you everyone for the great websites!

I have a frind who makes hand bags I think she ordered the pattern out of Keepsake quilting catalog.

I'm not in school, but you'd think I was, if you saw me in a public place, bc I always have one of my totes with me. I don't use a purse anymore.
I wanted to have my qu magazines, paper, pens, fab store coupons, everything I used to have in my purse, bottled water, you name it...I had to have something to carry it all.
I couldn't find something to accomodate me, so I made my own.
I used cottons and prequilted fabric for a few of them, but I have a nylon bag that is very strong, and you would probably want to use something made like that for everyday use and heavy books.
Mine is about 15" tall and 20" wide before sewing. It has 3 pockets inside, for cell phone, and two bottles, and one whole side is pocketed for books.
I took a piece of plastic that you use for plastic canvas stuff, sewed the yarn around the entire edge, and then covered with fabric. This stays at the bottom of the bag, to hold it open and strengthen.
I put a pocket on each side of the outside, for misc. and car keys. One is 4" x 5", and doesn't hold a whole lot, and is just a square with a binded edge (top)...the other is 5" x 7" and is the prequilted fabric, holds keys, gum and a few other things, and has a flap. Making my own was a good idea for me, just a suggestion. I may make my next one out of upholstery fabric for durability.
The thing I like besides having the pockets I wanted, was I can have as many as I wish to make and go with the color that suits me. I get lots of compliments on them, but I do reccommend lots of pockets, if you want to be able to find all your stuff, and gusseted pockets are better than flat ones. :D