Today we hit the road, so to speak, with the first pattern release of the Road Trip Pattern Club!

Fasten your seat belts and crank up the tunes. Our sewing adventure starts here with my pattern, the Road Tripper Duffle Bag! (If you’re not sure what the Road Trip Pattern Club is and want to join in, you can check out all of the details here.)

The Road Tripper Duffle Bag is a great weekend getaway bag. It’s surprisingly roomie without being too bulky to lug around. The outside features a zip top and six scoop pockets. There are two handles and a removable shoulder strap. The inside is fully lined with a large divided pocket and a small zippered pocket. 

The skill level of this bag is what I would call “eager intermediate”. (Meaning you’ve taken a few sewing classes or have sewn from a sewing pattern before. You’ve completed several projects and are eager to try new techniques!) While none of the techniques used in this bag are particularly difficult, there are a few steps that require patience and a willingness read through the instructions and take your time. Have no fear, you’ve got this!

 

I wanted to be sure to have plenty of interior pockets. One side has divided slip pockets for easy access. The other side has a smaller zip pocket to secure little items like car keys and mad money.

 

And I looove the zipper panel detail. It’s very simple to do and adds so much character to the bag. I got that bright green zipper from Pacific Trimmings.

I had such a great time designing this bag and picking out the fabrics. (remember my fabric auditioning post?) For this bag I used a retro print canvas from Robert Kaufman called Auntie’s Attic, Pop Floral in Emerald and combined it with black RK Essex Linen handles and Stitch Organic in teal for the exterior pockets. The lining is a polka dot quilting cotton from Michael Miller Fabrics. Later this week I’ll show you some other fabric combos from my pattern testers. You’ll see how versatile this bag is!

If you haven’t joined the club yet, it’s not too late! You can join any time during the club to receive the patterns as they’re released. The one-time membership fee for the club is $35 for all 5 patterns.

***9/15/14 Update: Club now Closed!***