30 art student tote.

After a year of procrastinating after buying the supplies in Atlanta last year, I finally made myself an Art Student Tote in time for QuiltCon.  I've been in need of a larger laptop/carry-on bag for awhile now, and thought that with a few modifications, this bag would be perfect for me.

I had bought yardage of my favorite Melody Miller vintage flower print from her Ruby Star Rising collection from Whipstitch last year with the intention of making this bag with it.  I decided to use it for the handles, accents, and lining rather than as the outer panels because I like to wear bags without a ton of prints on them.  I bought some additional yardage of the print from Miss Matatabi and ended up having just enough to use for the bag. The main panels on the outside of the bag are made of yarn dyed Essex linen in Black, another of my favorite fabrics.

My favorite part about this bag is all of the hardware, which makes it look really professional!  I used denim zippers and gold d-rings on mine.

I made the Option B version of the bag, which features a top zipper panel to close the bag and make it larger if necessary.  I made my panel about 4.5" tall, which is about half of what is recommended in the pattern.

 The inside has lots of pockets for my laptop, notebooks, pens, etc.

Most importantly, it has a zipper closure on the top so I don't have to worry about my stuff falling out when I'm traveling.  It's the perfect size bag to fit under the seat of an airplane, and holds my laptop, small purse, notebook, knitting or hand sewing project, water, and more with plenty of room to spare.

Most of the modifications that I made to the bag were to make it more durable as a carry-on tote, since the original pattern seems to be more intended as a purse.  I made a list of all the interfacing information in case you'd like to replicate this durable carry-on version of the Art Student Tote.  It was pretty simple to make aside from all the cutting and interfacing, but make sure to use a heavy-duty needle and go slow when sewing all the layers together, it's a lot of fabric to get through!  

Outer panels: I used Essex linen for the outside with light woven interfacing (Pellon SF-101 ShapeFlex) fused to it, and then a layer of Pellon 987F Fusible Fleece fused to that.

Straps:  My straps are made of a Kokka linen/cotton blend with ShapeFlex fused to it, and a layer of fusible fleece fused to that.  When the straps are folded in half and sewn, this means each strap has 2 layers of woven interfacing and 2 layers of fusible fleece.  I topstitched twice along each side of the handles for added durability, and stitched Xs on the top joint of each side of the handle.

Lining:  Linen/cotton blend with canvas interfacing for added durability.

Inner Pockets:  Linen/cotton blend with canvas interfacing so they stand up better on their own.

Extension Panel:  I used linen with ShapeFlex fused to it for the outer extension panel, and linen/cotton blend for the inner panel.

Pull Tabs:  Linen/cotton blend with ShapeFlex fused to it.

Cross Straps on top of outer zippers: Linen/cotton blend with ShapeFlex fused to it, plus a layer of canvas inside.

Bottom Support:  Two layers of Peltex between outer bag and lining.

I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking for a stylish large carry-on bag for traveling!  I've traveled with it twice so far and I know it's going to get a ton of use!