The Abbey Convertible Backpack from Love you Sew has been on my to-sew list for a while and it’s also been cut out in my to-sew pile for a while. Ooops. Recently, my store-bought bag got a faulty zipper and started popping open or not zipping up. I figured it was time to make a new one. 🙂
The Abbey convertible backpack is well… a convertible backpack/cross-body bag. The straps allow you to change their configuration to be worn either as a backpack or a cross-body bag. I’m guessing it could also be a shoulder bag, but I prefer the others.
This sort of gives you an idea of the size of the bag. Finished dimensions are 7.5 inches by 10.5 inches by 3.75 inches.
The bag is fully lined and the top folds over with a magnetic snap. There are two zippered pockets: one on the outside front and one on the inside:
As you can see, I lined it with kitty fabric because why not?
There is another patch pocket on the back:
I got the outer fabric from Fabricville a while ago. It’s a cotton canvas with a linen look to it. The inside is a quilting cotton from a local swap in the before times. I got the straps locally and the finding are from Love You Sew kit here in Copper/Rose Gold.
It’s such a cute bag and holds everything I need. The convertible aspect does mean I have to put the backpack on a certain way or the straps are too short on one side and too long on the other.
The construction was quick and the instructions were good. They are picture instructions. My preference is line drawings because I can see them better but the text had a bunch of explanation.
I definitely want to make this again. I’m thinking of trying out a zippered phone pocket next time like in this post on Love you Sew.
I also want to make a different bag pattern. If you have seen any anti-theft backpack patterns, let me know! It’s where the zipper is hidden in the back panel of the bag so someone would need to remove the bag from you to get into it. I love the look of them because they are smooth on the front.
TL:DR Review
- Pattern: Love you Sew Abbey Convertible Backpack
- Pros: Nice features. Quick construction. Instruction text was great.
- Cons: The only con is the instruction pictures, but that is personal preference.
- Make again?: Absolutely! I imagine you will see more in the future. 🙂
- Rating:
5/5 stars
Andie Wells Studio 
Oh this is cute, Andie! Love the polkadots!
I had a glitch while posting–I hope this isn’t a duplicate.
1. I love your bag! I like to sew bags and seem to sew them more often than garments, nowadays.
2. I added a zipper on the back of a store-bought bag several years ago. https://sewobsessed.me/2015/03/30/making-a-very-secure-travel-backpack-alteration/ (long-neglected sewing blog).