Travel Bag

The problem with knowing how to sew is that you can't help but re-invent everything you see to suit your needs better.  Take my new travel bag, for instance.

I wanted a good size bag to use as a carry-on for an upcoming trans-atlantic flight.  I LOVED this bag from Luckycann.  Unfortunately it was a little undersized for what I wanted, and it lacked a cup holder on the outside.  I really, REALLY wanted a cup holder.  So I made one.

Front:

Back (love me some zippers):

I also have a long removeable shoulder strap that clips on to the sides of the bag for hands-free carrying.

Inside (with perfectly sized pockets for my Kindle and sunglasses! - the top zipper closure is tucked out of the way):

An inside zipper pocket for my wallet and a divider.  On the left you can barely see a key fob.

I made a cup holder for the inside and outside ('cuz really, where would I put my empty teacup?).

This is a closeup view of the top of the bag from the outside.  I wanted a zippered top that wouldn't get in the way.  It's a separating zipper on flaps that cover most of the top of the bag.

I love my new bag!  Unfortunately the hardware alone cost me nearly what it would have cost to just purchase the bag from Luckycann.  Too bad the Luckycann bag wasn't a smidge bigger!