It’s my third post about mini-backpacks (though maybe my fifth actual bag)! that I made in imitation of my favorite purse. One of the difficulties is adding enough stiffness so the bag doesn’t turn into a limp pool of fabric that is hard to open and manipulate.

Since my current bag is showing wear at the bottom corners (a design flaw–I shouldn’t have had corners there), I decided to make a new bag. I used some material from an old pair of pants, plus scraps of interesting prints, and lined it with a jungle map print. And this time, I quilted the exterior of the bag.

I didn’t do a fancy design, or fancy quilting. I wanted to see if quilting the bag gave it enough stiffness that it wouldn’t need piping on the edges or some other sort of structural support. It did! It also feels pleasantly soft to hold.

Another change was an exterior pocket with a zipper, something none of my previous mini-backpacks had. I like the pocket very much. However, I think I should use a different procedure for it next time. It would also be nice if the zipper pull for the pocket was on the left, matching the main zipper. Oops.

I experimented with the interior as well, and learned a few other lessons. First, while I like the fun map-print, I discovered that a busy print makes it harder to find items in the bag. In the future, I intend to use more subtle prints for lining my bags.

Second, I added an extra-large pocket on one side, gathering the top with elastic. I thought it might serve as a sort of divider in the purse, but I forgot to interface the lining of the bag, let alone the pockets, and the interior came out soft and formless. When the bag is turned right-side out, the pocket gapes even more than it appears in this picture of the bag inside-out.

I used white fabric for the smaller phone pocket, which does make it easier to locate. White on off-white wasn’t the best choice, but I was in a hurry. I will remember in the future that yes, I should always make the phone pocket stand out slightly from the rest of the lining, whether by using a different color or perhaps by trimming the upper edge with something colorful.

I’m delighted with my bag, despite its shortcomings. However, I really need to write up my pattern notes before I forget what I learned.

Till next post.