EXTEND-A-HANDBAG

I was given the challenge to make an extendable zippered handbag and have to admit I was a little intimidated to attempt it. I was going to just take a shortcut and find a great pattern online and guess what THERE WAS NONE TO BE FOUND!!!!

I then knew I had to come up with my own design. I played with my graph papers and started constructing what I wanted it to look like. I then began to construct one from some spare material. With some trial and error I believe I got it :-)

The best bag to take on that shopping trip. While all your friends are struggling to hang on to their many bags yours will be all in your shopping bag with only one item left to hold. 

Straps are long enough to hold on your shoulder when extended and still short enough when the bag is closed up to carry in your hand.

I chose not to use a zipper closier on this bag because I like the idea of not having to stop to unzip and place my items in and then zip it back up. I want to be able to just grab  it and throw it into my bag. It is however secured in the middle with a ribbon and button closier.

I wanted to have the extendable part to be in the center of the bag that you could unzip to extend. This one extends to another 10 inches.

When the bag is zippered up the inside is all finished off and neatly folds on itself. I came up with a way to not have to insert a liner but completed the liner in the 3 sections so that it would be finished off.

Below are other designs I have been working on with different size zippers and placing the zipper at different levels to achieve a different style of the bag.

You can get the instructions by going to my Craftsy Pattern Store HERE