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Free Bag Patterns

Who doesn’t love a free bag pattern? There are hundreds of free bag patterns available on the internet for all shapes and sizes of bags. We’ve collected up some of our favourites below for you to sew.

Don’t forget we also sell bag making supplies and patterns in the new bag making category of our site. 

Shop Bag Making Patterns & Supplies

Trial Tote

Noodlehead (aka. Anna Graham) is one of the best known bag pattern designers. In fact we sell several of her patterns on our online shop. The Trial tote is a free pattern from Noodlehead available in 2 sizes. The smaller is perfect as a handbag and the larger one as a throw everything in kind of tote!

Download the free pattern here.  

 

Messenger bag pattern with zip closure

I don’t know about you but I’m a big fan of messenger bags. Large enough to use as a school or college bag, they can carry books, a laptop, other gadgets etc… I especially love having one with a zip closure to keep everything secure. This project from Heart of Mary gives you a professional looking bag which will securely hold your belongings.

 

Clydebank Tote

Another big name in the bag making world is Sew Sweetness. As well as many paid for patterns she made this lovely handbag style bag pattern available for free on her blog. It also comes with a video showing you how to make it as well!

Find the free Clydebank Tote pattern here.

Shop Bag Making Patterns & Supplies

 

Wave pocket market tote

This gorgeous bag design from Sew4Home is ideal for taking on shopping trips or to the beach. The bag is spacious and has an open top making it easy to put things in and out.

Get the free pattern on the Sew4Home website. 

 

Triangle travel tote

If you like a large travel bag which can fit a full week of clothes in then the triangle travel tote is the bag for you. You can either make a patchwork version or use a single fabric.

Find the free project on The Sewing Directory.

 

Craft organiser bag

This handy bag has multiple pockets for holding your sewing tools as well as a larger back pocket for storing projects in progress. Find the free tutorial on the Torie Jayne website.

Sweet Pea Saddle Bag

This free cross body bag pattern from Blue Calla is ideal if you like a small handbag to carry your essentials, or to make for a child or teen. Get the free pattern here.

 

Heidi foldover clutch and wristlet

If you are looking for a small clutch bag to take on a night out this free pattern from Swoon is just what you need. Download the free pdf pattern here.

 

Faux leather handbag

For a timeless classic follow this faux leather handbag tutorial from Debbie Shore.

If you need hardware or strapping for your bag making endeavours do visit our bag making supplies category. 

Free Bag Patterns

General tips and points to remember…

  • The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
  • This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
  • The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
  • They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
  • I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

How to work out the amount and type of stretch

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!

How to use your Stretch Percentage Measurer

If you’re using a pattern which is designed for jersey fabrics then it will probably tell you the stretch percentage that the fabric you use needs to have. This is different from the stretch content, which is how much elastane or lycra is in the fabric.

Step One

Hold a 10cm section of your fabric, stretch it as far as it will comfortably stretch, without over stretching

Step Two

Every centimetre over 10 will correspond to 10% of stretching. So if your test piece stretches to 14cm, then the fabric has 40% stretch.