Over the past few years, my wardrobe has steadily evolved from the sleek tailored separates of a hard-nosed corporate working gal to a softer, more casual wardrobe heavily influenced by athleisure. The problem was that my bags didn’t evolve with my wardrobe, which meant that I had lots of structured totes and top handle bags, but very few sporty bags that went with my casual wardrobe.

That’s why I developed this pattern for a crescent-shaped leather (or faux leather) sling bag. In my humble opinion, this little number is casual enough to pair with jeans and a t-shirt, but the leather (or faux leather) material gives it a more polished look. Best of all, it’s really functional: unlike my impractical handbags, this sling bag can be worn on my back when I jump on my bike.

The bag features a heavy-duty zipper, small interior pocket (perfect for holding keys) and adjustable strap. It’s very easy to make using just a regular domestic sewing machine. Here are some pics of the bag on the dress form:

If you’d like to make a sling bag for yourself, you can download the sewing pattern here. I’ll be releasing a series of posts over the course of the next few weeks walking you through each step in making this sling bag:

So what are you waiting for? Download the pattern and let’s get sewing!

P.S.: Are you interested in learning more about leather bagmaking? If so, check out my Introduction to Leather Bagmaking course, in which I walk you through each step of making a simple leather tote bag. See you there!