Road Tripper Duffle Bag

Are vacation and holiday travel in your plans for the next couple of months? Then it's time for you to sew yourself a new piece of luggage! Recently, my family and I visited the white sand beaches of south Alabama, and instead of traveling with my normal large, hard sided suitcase, my things were packed in style in my new Road Tripper Duffle Bag.

Don't let the Road Tripper Duffle Bag pattern by Betz White intimidate you because of the bag's large 20" x 11" x 9" size. Although this is a big duffle, the sewing techniques used to construct the Road Tripper are typical to every basic to intermediate level bag I've ever sewn. If you can sew a zipper and a metal buckle on, then you are good to go!
The interior of the Road Tripper Duffle has tons of space! I can easily pack enough clothes, shoes, and makeup in my bag for a three day trip. Plus, the soft sides of the bag make it easy to fit into a car that is usually limited on space because of baggage and gear that belong to the three other passengers!

This bag has pockets galore both inside and out--10 in all! The inside offers three slip pockets on one side that are ideal for a book, flip flops, and an mp3 player, while the other side has a zippered pocket perfect for securing a jewelry pouch or money. The outside pockets are constructed with a decorative scalloped edge and make the perfect storage for quick access to sunglasses, a phone, or a bottle of water.

For my Road Tripper Duffle, the main exterior is constructed from a cotton/linen blend while the light gray accents are a Kona cotton. The hot pink straps are also Kona cotton and give the bag a definite pop of color!

The lining is sewn in a quilting cotton print from Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi collection. The gray in the print coordinates perfectly with the solid gray used on the exterior and the interior slip pockets.

The duffle pattern calls for woven interfacing for the lining as well as fusible fleece for the exterior giving the sides of the bag minimal support when empty. I did opt to insert extra support in the bag bottom per the pattern instructions which does help when the bag is loaded. If you wanted a duffle with more stable sides yet flexible enough to fold for storage when not in use, I would try using Pellon Flex Foam or something similar.

Instead of sewing a new adjustable strap for my duffle, I found a brand new, wide adjustable bag strap when I was searching for salvageable purse hardware off old purses at my local thrift store. I paid pennies for this strap, saving me time and money and giving new life to this otherwise discarded item. Since the strap is detachable, I can also use it with other bags when I'm not using my Road Tripper Duffle!

The lovely rectangular metal rings were purchased from Emmaline Bags, and the zipper is a Coats & Clark 18" double slider purse zipper. I love the quality and look of these rings, and this style of zipper opens and closes with ease due to the size and style of the teeth.

If you are in need of a large travel bag with lots of style and storage, then the Road Tripper Duffle Bag pattern should be your next sewing project. Find the pattern HERE in Betz White's shop.

Have FUN sewing!