One of the fun things about taking a class at the workroom is seeing all the ways people realize a project, from different fabrics to different finishes. Such was definitely the case with Debbie and Erin’s duffle bags, which they both finished in Guy’s class last month.

For Debbie’s duffle, she chose the cutest metallic polka dot burlap, with a layer of canvas behind it to cover the holes. The weight of these two fabrics made the hand sewing part of this project a challenge, but they also made for a nice, rigid structure. The bag literally stands up on its own! Debbie picked up her pinkish webbing at Mokuba, and it looks so nice with the natural colour of the burlap. We also love the pop of bright colour in Debbie’s neon zipper pull tabs. And she’s already at work on her second duffle bag!

Erin picked up the Cotton + Steel fabric for her project months ago, in the hopes of turning it into a duffle bag one day. The dream came true with this denim-lined green and navy duffle! Inspired by Debbie’s zipper pulls, Erin had originally intended on a contrast fabric for this part. But, when she ran out of denim, she settled on the outer fabric for the zipper pulls, which turned out to be a happy accident. The green zipper pulls ended up being her favourite detail in the finished bag!

This tale of two duffle bags wraps up just in time for summer travels!

Cotton + Steel Duffle Bag

May 07, 2015 — Karyn Valino