A pilgrim carries a simple bag with a flap closure
Pilgrims carry shoulder style satchels and purses on their travels.
The Garment: This tutorial is meant to provide a method of making a simple canvas messenger style bag. The messenger style bag is a simple staple throughout the ages and is not necessarily era specific as such. You can see pilgrims carrying tote bags called scrips on their travels in medieval artwork and of course, just as today, everyone will have occasion to carry a bag. Therefore, this item, while period accurate, will also be incredibly timeless and utilitarian for your use in reenacting.
The Pattern: My vision for this garment was to make a side carry shoulder tote bag with a flap closure. I call this a messenger style bag but that probably is a more modern nomenclature. The purpose of my garment was to be used as a tote bag to hold non-period essentials like my wallet and keys. I also wanted a place to carry my sheet music for when I play at festivals. Therefore, I sized my bag specifically to carry my portable music stand. The pattern was therefore determined by the size of my portable sheet music stand with a few inches extra for seam allowance and so the items would fit comfortably. I also made two internal pockets, one for cash, keys, or other small bits and the other to carry a phone, a wallet, or other such items.
For this item, you will use less than one yard of 60 inch wide fabric plus the same amount of a lining fabric. I bought duck cloth canvas from Joann fabric for a different project and used the extra for this. This is a cotton canvas and would not be entirely period appropriate. However, I bought it at the end of the summer season for $3.00 a yard and was pleased with the colors they offered as well as the strength and durability of the fabric.
I made a scale mock up drawing of my pattern to determine how much fabric I would use and, because of its simplicity, you can adjust the sizes in appropriate proportion to fit your personal needs.
Strap Length: 45” x 4” – lining and outer fabric (Dependent on your size) Body: 25.5” x 16” – lining and outer fabric Flap: 12.75” x 15” – lining and outer fabric (I later cut the rectangle into an oval shaped flap) Large Pocket: 8” x 4” – two pieces Small pocket: 6” x ”4 – two pieces
With these pieces cut out, you can start making up.
A rough mock up of the fabric usage. I ultimately disregarded the strap loop and made the strap longer. I also added a pocket not pictured in this mock up.
Making Up: You can use a canvas outer fabric with a multitude of lining fabrics. I used canvas for both the lining and outer fabric. This made making up very strenuous because of the thickness of the fabric. I used a long needle to increase my ability to push through the layers of fabric. Still, the needle ended up bending during the process. Keep this in mind when selecting your fabric. You can do it, but it will take some effort. That said, the two layers of canvas made the bag much more structured and sturdy which I was going for.
I started by sewing the lining and the outer fabric for the strap together. I had plans to make the strap tie off at one end and did a rounder edge of the strap, but I changed my mind later. Therefore, to accomplish a connected strap, you simply need to pin the two pieces together and sew 1/4" from the on both sides. You do not need to sew either end closed. When you have done this, you will want to place a safety pin with string on one end of the strap and use that to turn the strap right side out like you would turn a sock. This might take some time, but you should be able to pull it through unless you make the strap too thin. The measurements given will allow turning. After turning the strap, sew the seams flat and set it aside.
The next step will be to work on the pockets. There are a few ways to accomplish the internal pockets. The method I used was to cut two rectangular pieces and sew them together leaving a 4 inch gap in the long side. I then clipped the edges and turn the pocket right side out and ironed it flat. After this, I sewed the rectangle directly onto the inside of the lining of the bag using a running stitch.
Another option would be to use one layer of fabric for the pocket. You would hem the top of the pocket down onto itself and then turn the edges in and pin that to the right side of the lining so there are no raw edges on the outside of the pocket. After sewing around the edges of the pocket to secure it in place, you can do a second set of stitches just inside the raw edges from turning the pocket fabric. By doing this method, you will conceal any raw edges that would otherwise be visible on the inside of the pocket. In retrospect, I would have done the pockets with this method because it is easier and gives a look that is just as finished. Of course, you can follow this same method and leave the raw edges visible if you aren’t too worried about that and make it even easier.
I would suggest sewing the pockets onto the lining before you sew the bag lining up because if you sew the sides, you will have to sew the pockets while being mindful of the other side of the bag. In other words, you will have to sew into and out of the inside of the bag and that will be difficult. I know because I did it this way. It would have been easier to pin the lining closed, find out where I wanted to place the pockets, pin them in place, unpin the lining and do it freely and then sew the lining together on the sides with the pockets on outside so when you turn it, the pockets will be facing into the bag.
With the strap and the pockets in place, you will now move on to the body of the bag itself. To make this up, you will take the outer fabric and fold it in half and then sew up the sides. By doing it this way, you will never have to worry about the bottom of the bag popping seams because it is solid fabric. Simply sew up the sides of the outer fabric and the lining fabric and your basic bag is done. Next, iron the seams flat, clip the seams to avoid bulkiness and turn right side out.
The pinned corner ready to square
Optional:Square the corners of your bag Another step you may choose to take in making your bag will be to square the corners of the bag. To do this, you will pinch a triangle shape into the bottom corner of the separate lining and outer bags. Measure the height and width of the triangle. You can adjust it to be smaller or larger depending on your desires. I made mine approximately 3/4" tall and 1” wide. I then pinned that shape into place and made the same size triangle into the other side of the bag and into the lining on both sides of the bottom. Simply backstitch across the place you marked with the pin and secure the stitch. With this done, you will now be able to turn the bag right side out and it will have a flattened bottom which will allow the bag to stand up straighter. This will provide additional overall structure to the bag and will help it to permanently stay expanded on the bottom rather than collapsing. Initially I was not going to do this step but I am very glad that I did because it improves the structure and utility of the bag and also gives it a little bit of a finishing touch.
A backstitch to secure the corner in place
the inside of the squared bag
The outside of the bag with the squared corners
Next, sew your flap outer and lining fabric piece together. Pin the pieces together and backstitch around the edge but be sure to leave a four or five inch gap to allow for turning. After you have done this, clip the edges of the seams and turn the flap right side out. Iron the seams flat and then anchor stitch around the edge so the lining and the outer fabric will not get disheveled. I decided on a rounded flap for the bag but this is very optional. I would suggest not doing a very intricate edge because turning the flap will be difficult and will probably end up looking wonky if you are using a thick fabric like canvas.
Additionally, you can change the size of the flap to cover more or less of the front of the bag. However, the width of the flap should be about 1 inch narrower than the bag itself.
The flap sewn together with a backstitch. The seams have been clipped to avoid bunching and a gap left in the middle to allow turning.
The turned and pressed flap.
Now stitch the flap onto the right side of the outer bag. This will not be the final stitching for the flap so just do a simple anchoring stitch to hold it in place.
Now is where the fun begins. Arrange the strap so that it is looped under the outer bag and pin it to the outside/right side of the bag along the side seams. You will want it to have about 1/4 inch extending up over the top of the bag. Sew it in place about 3/4 inch from the top of the bag. Everything about this may seem wrong, but what you find is that when you lift the straps up to cover over your body that it will naturally cause the top of the bag to fold over and create a natural top seam. The extending portion of the strap will be hidden between the lining and outer bag and will be fully secured when inserting the lining.
To firmly secure the strap, I did two layers of back stitching and then a zig zag stitch. Frankly, it didn't look pretty because it was very hard to stab stitch through all those layers of canvas. However, none of this stitching is visible once the lining is in, so don't worry too much.
This is what the bag should look like before sewing the lining in. You want the wrong side of the lining facing outward and on the outside and the right sides touching.
With the flap and straps attached, you are ready to put the lining in. You will want the lining on the outside with the right side facing in and touching the right side of the outer fabric. The flap will be folded open and placed between the lining and outer fabric. The strap will also be placed between the outer and lining fabric and will be tucked as well as you can down under where you will be sewing. If you’ve read about my sewing experience elsewhere on this site, I have done lined garments before, but every time I do, I get nervous because it is so spatially challenging to me. Bottom line, you want the lining on the outside and the right sides facing each other.
Start by sewing around the top of the bag where the flap ends on one side and sew all the way around until you reach the other side of the flap. You will not be sewing over any portion of the flap at this time. Turn your bag and ensure that it came out all right. To turn it you will need to pull the lining up and then stuff it down into the bag. Think of it like what you would do if you had an inside out sock on your hand. You can pull it off and slide it onto your other hand and as you do it will turn right side out. I don’t know if that helps explain it, but hopefully these pictures do.
After sewing the lining in, pull the outer portion of the bag out.
Next, flip the lining and start to stuff the lining inside the bag.
Continue stuffing the lining into the bag.
You will now have an opening along the flap side of the bag. press the seams flat and pin the lining in place.
The anchoring stitch along the entire top of the bag. This will also help to secure the flap.
If you lined the bag appropriately you can iron the seams flat. You will now do an anchor stitch around the top edge of the bag. This will close the hole where the flap is, more firmly secure both the flap and the strap, and secure the lining around the rest of the bag. If you would like, you can anchor stitch down the side or at the bottom as well so that the lining does not jostle at all. I did not do this and instead simply anchor stitched around the top of the bag. I think this is sufficient but don’t let me deter you from going the extra mile.
I heat the bag and the was bar with a hair dryer and rub the wax into the fabric.
Optional: Waxing the bag
A final optional step is to wax your bag to make it water resistant. You can buy specially designed waxes meant for waxing canvas to make them water resistant. We happened to own a bag of natural beeswax pellets that my wife bought for some project and had left over. I decided to use this, especially because many products on the market today have petroleum products in them and would not be at all period appropriate. Plus, I wanted to use what we had.
I melted the beeswax pellets into a silicon ice cube tray in the microwave and then put it into the freezer to harden. Once it had hardened, I used a blow dryer to heat the bag itself and the piece of wax so they were both warm. I then rubbed the wax onto the bag and covered it amply on the outside. Once it was covered I used the hair dryer to heat the wax and melt it completely into the bag. The wax left a few marks here and there and gave the bag a slightly weathered appearance.
I tested for water resistance and one coat did not seem sufficient, so I decided to do a second. The fabric does not repel all water and is certainly not water proof but it will hold up in the elements and water now beads up on the fabric rather than soak in. This was important for me because my primary use for the bag was to carry sheet music to festivals and I did not want them getting ruined.
The fully waxed bag.
After waxing, I used the hair dryer to melt the wax into the fabric completely.
The bag, while not waterproof, will resist getting soaked now.
A picture of the bag on my body.
Concluding Impressions:
This bag was not designed to be a lavish or over the top fashion piece, rather, it was designed to be utilitarian in nature and give me a way to carry items to festivals that otherwise might get in the way and to keep other items safe from the elements and free from damage. To that end, I wanted a bag with structure, durability, and the ability to wax it for water resistance. All of these things are accomplished in this messenger style bag and I spent less than $5.00 on it between fabric and thread. I think it fills that role of an everyday, every man’s travel bag that you often see in pilgrim artwork of the period. It is unpretentious and designed to be simply what it is. With that in mind, I am happy with how it turned out. I picked the fabric for a garment planned at a later time but decided to buy enough to use for the bag as well. The bright contrasting colors of the fabric are classic medieval choices but truly the shape of this bag could fit into many eras as it is such a utilitarian object.
I am very happy with how the bag turned out and there are not glaring defects other than an errant stitch or two. It was much more difficult than I anticipated to sew the two layers of canvas together but the end product was worth it. I am excited to use the bag in upcoming events and I think it will improve my festival experience greatly.
The inside of the bag showing off the pockets.
The inside of the bag with my sheet music and stand.