bagmaker tuesday no.6 (waxed canvas megan tote)


I've been meaning to make myself a new handbag for a few weeks now but, once again, I found it crazily difficult to choose just the right design as well as fabric.

I wanted a sturdy medium sized bag with handles and removable crossbody strap, lots of pockets, and a zipper closure. Totally doable, don't you think? Oh, and I wanted to use waxed canvas for the main body as I love its water resistant quality and beautifully "rugged" look.


So, after much back and forth, I finally decided to make myself a bag based on my Megan Foldover Tote pattern.

I skipped the installation of exterior zipper pocket as suggested in the pattern and added two large slip pockets to my front exterior instead. And while I love zipper pockets, I think this option is actually better for me as I use one slip pocket for my phone and the other one for my keys and this whole set up makes my everyday running around a bit less stressful.


One thing that used to stress me when working with waxed canvas was how wrinkly it got when I was turning the bag right side out. I really love the look and feel of waxed canvas, but all those wrinkles were a bit too much for me. And then I read somewhere that blowing hot air using hair dryer can smooth all the unwanted wrinkles out so I tried it out and it worked like a charm, yay!


I added a zipper pocket to the lining though. I always, always add at least one zipper pocket to my linings as I like having a secure place to keep my wallet in.

The green duck canvas I used for the lining is actually a lot less bright in real life but it still adds a lovely pop of color to this otherwise neutral bag.


I finished the bag off by adding a zipper closure.

I really, really love how this bag turned out and I'm already planning more projects using waxed canvas :)

How about you? Have you worked on any small projects recently? I hope you'll link up to your project by clicking on the button below.

Svetlana