I’ve really been focusing on upping my accessory game the past few months. In addition to spending way too much money on purses and shoes, I also tested out BF Patterns’ latest offering – the Mia Messenger bag! I’ve never made a messenger bag before, but this was a blast to make. I made my Mia with faux leather from Minerva, but I think it would be really cute in a bunch of different fabrics. For my lining, I used scrap waxprint leftover from my trip to Cape Town. It paired perfectly with the faux leather to create a sturdy yet supple messenger bag. Ooo, supple. I don’t use the word supple enough.
Minerva’s supple, fire-retardant faux leather is absolutely perfect for the Mia Messenger bag! I used deep red, which isn’t currently available, but wine is a close match. If you don’t like wine, there are 14 other colors to choose from. For the best results, make sure to use a leather or denim needle and use a wider stitch than you would with apparel. The fabric is heavyweight, but the bag feels surprisingly light when worn crossbody.
Mia has a few different options and being the thorough pattern tester that I am, I sewed them all. My Mia has two exterior pockets, a zippered inside pocket, a Velcro-closed device pocket, and a magnetic closure for extra security. This is my first time working with Velcro and magnets, but the pattern instructions made these steps a breeze. In fact, the entire sewing process was surprisingly smooth for how professional the end result looks. One tip I have is that if you’re like me and worked with a thicker fabric, like faux leather or vinyl, don’t even bother trying to use your main fabric for the zipper tab. Learn from my mistake – just use the lining fabric like I did and save yourself some time.
I took several in-progress pictures of my Mia because I was so tickled at how great the innards looked. Any sewist knows that sometimes, beautiful garments can have tragic-looking insides. Not so with this messenger bag. Even though the bag is fully-lined, the guts are still nice enough to show off. I really can’t say enough good things about this bag. If, for some reason, you’re still on the fence, what if I told you that Mia is 25% off through Friday, April 4th? Don’t wait – get started on your Mia today!
