The Metro Hipster is a cross-body bag to get you where you’re going with style and functionality. The front of the bag has a roomy bellows pocket with a top flap and hardware closure. The top of the bag has a recessed zipper with a shoulder strap attached to the front and back allowing the bag to hang close to the body.

Inside, the lining has a padded pocket, sized to fit most iPads, to keep your tablet secure with room to spare for a magazine and personal items.

I’ve made my bag with a bold canvas print (available in my Spoonflower shop) and some waxed canvas. Waxed canvas, first used as sailcloth by 19th century mariners, is a type of canvas impregnated with wax and is water resistant. It has a slightly waxy feel and gets a rugged mottled look with use. I found mine on etsy.

I love how the brown canvas looks with the green top stitching. The front bellows pocket and hardware detail add a certain cool factor that’s functional to boot!

Would you like to see the beautiful bags my test-sewers made? Having other people test my patterns give me confidence that my instructions are as error-free and clear as possible. I also love seeing the bag made up in different fabrics.

photo by Stacy at Stacy Sews

Stacy, from Stacy Sews, Made her Metro Hipster using a faux leather instead of waxed canvas. I think it turned out fabulous! And apparently so did her daughter. Stacy said, “Not only does this pattern have great details, but it’s fun to make and on trend, too. In fact, my daughter loved the finished Metro Hipster so much she stole it from me (and now has a list of friends asking for one as Christmas gifts)! What a great excuse to make another one!” Oh boy, Stacy is going to be BUSY!

photo by Cindy at Raspberry Sunshine

Cindy, from Raspberry Sunshine, made her Metro Hipster with home dec weight fabrics and faux leather straps instead of webbing. Lovely! Cindy said,  “It’s a great pattern and very versatile. It was easy to sew up and really didn’t take too long. I was really impressed with the diagrams because I need visual directions when sewing and yours were great!” Thanks, Cindy, I work hard to make my diagrams as precise as possible, so that means a lot to me.

Photo by Lindsey of LRstitched

Lindsey, of LRstitched, made her bag with a Kokka cotton/linen print and suede! Beautiful! I also like that she added a few other details, such as metal rivets instead of the X stitching on the pocket detail. Lindsey said, “I loved making this bag and the straight forward writing style of the instructions. I especially like the way the recessed zipper was constructed. It’s always exciting to learn a new method when making a pattern. The size and features of the bag make it incredibly useful in addition to being a beautiful looking bag!” If you are interested in sewing with suede, this would be a great bag to start with. And you can find suede in Lindsey’s shop.

Special thanks to my testers! Your feedback and ideas were indispensable. And your bags turned out great!

The Metro Hipster pattern is now available in my Etsy shop and my Craftsy shop!