A Leopard Print Burlap Bag

Hi friends, and happy almost weekend! I promised that I would be back to share one of my latest me-made projects this week, and here it is! This fun, leopard-print burlap tote bag is my latest sewing project. After nearly two years of carrying my Charleston burlap tote bag, it was time for a new everyday bag for myself.  While my Charleston burlap bag needed its handles repaired once, it required no other repairs over the course of almost two years. But after several trips and everyday use, the burlap was worn, and it was time for something new. Knowing that I'll be carrying a diaper bag now, I wanted to make something that was flexible enough with shoulder straps and a strap to carry the bag across the body.

This leopard print burlap tote is a medium-sized bag with brown leather handles, a beige cotton canvas bottom, and an exterior slide pocket. I prefer to have at least one zipper pocket on the inside lining so I added a small one along with another slide pocket for my cell phone on the inside. The leopard print is a high quality woven fabric that will be durable enough to hold up to everyday use. There is a magnetic metal snap as well as two exterior loops for attaching a long strap. The long leather strap you see here is from a different, store-bought purse that I had from a couple of years ago. This is the second time I've used it as a long strap for one of my personal burlap bags, and although it shows wear, it works out well and is easy to attach and detach.

One thing you might notice is that the burlap is plain and doesn't contain any text or images. I intentionally wanted to keep the burlap solid for this design because I know the leopard print was pretty busy. With a bold pattern, I wanted to keep the rest of the bag as neutral as possible. I think I achieved that, and I'm really happy with how this bag turned out. I'm hoping it will last another two years like my last burlap bag! Now, if only I had an official name for it... :-)

With less than two weeks to go until baby arrives, I'm not sure that I'll have the chance to sew any new projects in the coming weeks. I'm glad I was able to squeeze this one in so that I know I have a reliable everyday bag that will transition well into fall. The next few months will fly by, so I'm making any preparations I can now to get organized ahead of time!

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Erica