Preston Crossbody Bag
In this sewing tutorial, I’ll show you how to sew the Preston Crossbody Bag—a classic, beautiful, comfortable, and practical design.
Project preview
This video is for members
Join Lulu Ferris to watch the complete class and sew along at your own pace.
What you’ll make
Sew the Preston, a structured crossbody bag with a zippered main compartment and a protective front flap.
Inside, a padded divider organizes a laptop or books. Two smaller front pockets, two pen slots, and a concealed zippered pocket keep essentials sorted.
What you’ll learn in this class
- Prepare structured outer pieces and add interfacing when needed.
- Install the main zipper with fabric stops.
- Sew a neat inset zipper pocket.
- Shape the front pockets, padded divider, and boxed base.
- Join and cleanly finish the exterior, lining, and flap.
- Make and securely attach an adjustable crossbody strap.
Fabric and structure
Choose a substantial exterior fabric such as canvas, denim, corduroy, or upholstery-weight jacquard. Cotton poplin works for the lining.
A heavy outer fabric may not need interfacing. With a finer fabric, use lightweight or medium interfacing according to how much structure you want.
Make it your own
Round or square the flap corners, add interior pockets, or change the flap closure with webbing, a buckle, magnetic snaps, or a carabiner.
You can also adapt the zipper stops and strap hardware to suit your materials.
Finished size
The finished Preston Crossbody Bag measures approximately 36 cm wide by 30 cm high.
The video covers the bag’s zipper, pocket, lining, flap, and strap construction. The downloadable PDF supplies the pattern pieces, measurements, and materials list.
Pattern & materials
Patterns are included with membership
Active members can download every available PDF and materials list.
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