Mayfair Business Bag

No one wants to invoke the yuppie demons of the 1980s – you know the ones, the go-getters who always had a black leather briefcase in their hand. A bit like the Queen’s famous handbags but with a house brick sized mobile inside.

But what if we need to take a laptop somewhere or tote some papers to a meeting? Well we can lay the big hair, car phones and shoulder pads permanently to rest and make something a little less aggressive!

Enter the Mayfair – the briefcase update. You can use this just as you would a classic briefcase – laptop, papers and important ‘I must not forget these’ documents can all be safely carried. It fits a lot inside but takes up almost no room at all. And not a Dynasty cast member in sight! Bliss.

Skill level:
Confident advanced beginner to intermediate sewist with some knowledge assumed. This pattern comes with some handy printable labels to help you to keep track of the pieces. Simply print them off, cut them out and pin to the pieces as you cut them out. Don’t forget that there are tutorials on the designer blog which focus on the bits which can trip some newbies – zipper box pockets and things like that. Just look out for the links as you need them.

Sizing info:
13½" wide by 10¼" tall by 1½” deep.

Suggested Fabrics:
Quilting weight cotton, denim, canvas, furnishing fabrics, linen, needle cord, waxed cotton, oilcloth.

All measurements are in inches.

What's needed to make a Mayfair Business Bag:-

• ½ yard of main canvas for the exterior (canvas A),
• ½ yard of second canvas for the exterior (canvas B),
• ¾ yard of coordinating 100% cotton fabric for the lining,
• 4" wide by 11" long piece of thin leather or vegan leather,
• ½ yard to ¾ yard of foam interfacing. The designer recommends Style-vil foam interfacing by Vlieseline.
• Fat eighth thin fusible interfacing for the internal pockets. The designers favourite is G740 fusible interfacing by Vlieseline.
  This interfacing is a whisper thin woven a little bit like cheesecloth in weight and texture.
• One 17" metal zipper (#5) for the main recessed zip,
• One 5" metal zipper (#5) for the front zip,
• One 5" nylon zipper (#3) for the internal pocket,
• One metal press stud for the front slip pocket,
• 1 yard by 1½" wide cotton webbing to match your fabric,
• Clear drying glue suitable for fabric,
• Coordinating threads for all fabrics and trims,
• Basic sewing supplies,
• A sewing machine.

The pattern:
This pattern is super detailed. You will receive seventeen pages with eighteen easy to see colour photos to illustrate the steps and handy printable labels to help you to keep track of the pattern pieces. Simply print them off, cut the labels out and pin them to the fabric piece as you cut. You will find the labels on a separate PDF so if you choose to print double sided to save paper, you will not lose any of your pattern. In addition there are links to several free blog tutes to show you in more detail how to really nail the more intense bits. It is a pattern that will help you to sew better.

This is a measure and cut pattern which means that there are NO TEMPLATES to print off and match up- Yay! You need a rotary cutter, ruler and mat and you can cut the pattern pieces straight from the fabric. This is easier than it sounds because the pieces are all simple squares and rectangles.

Sew to sell:
When you buy this pattern, you have permission to make this bag to sell- no mass production allowed of course but a few to sell at craft fairs or online, that sort of thing is fine. All the designer asks is that you credit her as the designer. She wishes you all the success in the world with sales!

Download:
Please note this is a digital download PDF file, not a paper sewing pattern. Please download immediately after check out.