Last May I made a very practical, boldly graphic messenger bag that I’ve been very happy with and worn all over the place and loved dearly except for one thing: the awesome red and white fabric on the flap doesn’t always go with what I’m wearing. Usually, since I wear a lot of black, but not always.

(Brief interjection: last summer when I visited Portland I made two trips on consecutive days to Knit Purl, because I got overwhelmed the first day and wanted to look up some patterns on Ravelry before I purchased anything. When I went back the second day, one of the employees said “Oh, you’re back! I recognized your bag.” See, bold!)

So, I made another messenger bag:

This one is almost identical to the last, except for the fabrics. For the flap, I used charcoal and black linen Bonsai fabric, designed by Lara Cameron and hand-screened at Ink and Spindle in Australia. For the body of the bag I used a dark blue denim that looks a lot like the denim I used on the last bag but isn’t stretchy and is a bit heavier. I also used medium-weight interfacing on the flap of the bag, so this one holds its shape more than the last one. And I used a black twill for the lining.

Most other details are the same: the pattern is the Diana bag from Burda Style, with modifications to add an outside pocket and inner slip and zipped pockets and a key ring hook; and I used seat belt webbing for the strap and made it adjustable. I also remembered to add a magnetic closure before I attached the lining this time, so I won’t have to hold the flap down when I’m walking in the wind!