I am huge fan of Liesl Gibson, creator of the Oliver and S and Liesette pattern lines. Not only does she have impeccable taste, she writes patterns that make seemingly difficult projects simple and fun. So, when her book Little Things to Sew was published two years ago it went to the top of my list–even though my little person was too old for most of the projects. It is just too cute not be in my craft library. I made family of bucket hats last year and this year I tackled the messenger bag, which comes in kid and adult sizes. I made the adult size using a fun yellow canvas, a print from Lotta Jansdotter’s Glimma collection for the lining, Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Flax for the strap, and Kona Fog for the binding.

The hardest part was finding the hardware for straps. I finally found just what I needed at Rebel Surplus on Etsy–hoorah! Liesl’s instructions are just perfect. I particularly love that she really explains how to execute each step successfully. Instead of saying “sew on bias binding,” she includes a little tutorial in the back of the book that explains how to align the binding so you catch both sides. Ah ha! This bag uses a lot of bias binding, so you will be a total pro when you are finished with your project.

If I had worked on the bag from start to finish, I think it would have taken about three or four hours. Even though it has lots of pockets, is lined, and looks very professional, if you go step by step, I think anyone with a modicum of sewing experience could complete this project.

I think if I were to make another bag (which I might!) I would use a heavier weight canvas for the outside or some interfacing to give the bag a little more structure. Either way, I love my bag!