Make a style savvy Laptop Messenger Bag with recycled leather, a quilted flap and a mod oversized button.
What you need:
1/2 yard of fabric
1/2 yard of quilted lining fabric
leather for cutting up (Goodwill is a good source)
Giant button (Joann Fabric)
Thread
Sewing Machine

This bag is being delivered tomorrow to a woman who ordered it for her daughter headed off to I.U. I used the fabric for something young and fun. Any medium weight fabric would work.

Step 1: Bag With Leather Boxing Attached

Cut two rectangles out of printed fabric 1" larger, all around, than you want the finished bag. Cut the band or boxing for the bag from recycled leather garments. Stitch front of bag to boxing. After stitching pocket on back, stitch back of bag to other edge of leather boxing.

Step 2: Recycled Leather Pocket Stitched on Back of Bag

Center and stitch recycled leather pocket to back of bag to hold CD's or power cord.

Step 3: Quilted Lining

Cut and stitch quilted lining to be inserted into bag.

Step 4: Quilted Flap

Cut two flap pieces and one cotton batting piece and stitch all together in this order: right sides of front and back flap together with a piece of batting pinned and stitched on either the wrong side of fabric top or bottom. Stitch, clip seam, turn right side out and machine quilt the top of the flap.

Step 5: Pin Flap to Bag for Stitching

Place quilted lining inside of bag, wrong side to wrong side. Top edge of both bag and lining should be folded over 1" and pressed. Insert flap between lining and back of bag so that it will fold over front of bag when stitched in place.

Step 6: Stitch Button on Flap

After topstitching 1/4" all around top of bag, catching lining and flap in stitching, handsew giant button onto middle of flap for weight to hold flap down.