Intercontinental Burlap Cross-body Bag

Happy Wednesday! Over this past weekend, I sewed up a brand new messenger-style burlap bag, feeling inspired by the warmer weather and more casual days of summertime. The Intercontinental burlap bag is a medium-size cross-body bag that features a cotton canvas-lined flap top and handmade wooden button. Yes, you read that right, HANDMADE! I enlisted help from my woodworker hobbyist husband to make this button from some leftover Peruvian walnut he had in his wood shop. This is truly something special and really ties into the warmth of the burlap.

The burlap used to create this new design was sourced from our friends at RoosRoast in Ann Arbor, and the front burlap panel features a bright green industrial logo that bleeds into the side seam. It's a fun focal point against all of the shades of brown. The back panel of this burlap purse is created from a piece of a burlap coffee bean sack that has a purple stripe woven directly into the burlap weave. The green and purple pair is vibrant and peppy, perfect for the bright, sunny days of the late spring and summer.

I choose to use a cream cotton canvas for the interior lining so as to keep the eye focused mostly on the exterior of the bag and the various details found in the authentic print and handmade button. There is one flat, slide pocket on the interior back panel for keeping small items organized and at reach. Otherwise, it is a single compartment that is spacious enough to hold a small tablet at ease.

I really love how the Intercontinental bag turned out. The top-stitching detail on the top flap is something that I am particularly proud of as I managed to keep the fabric steady while feeding it at a consistent pace to make the stitches evenly spaced. This is one of those casual bags for strolling along a park or art fair or farmers market in the summer, when our hands are busy gripping flowers, touching beautiful handmade crafts, or holding tiny kiddo hands or our furry friend's leash.

You can find this beautiful messenger style bag for sale now in our Etsy shop here.

Thanks for stopping by!
Erica