Overnighter Bag
What’s more fantastic than throwing a few things in a bag and taking a quick getaway? Our Overnighter Bag celebrates the thrill of travel; with just enough room to fit the essentials, you’ll never be weighed down or unable to catch the next train. This carefree attitude is reflected in the bag’s straightforward construction and sturdy materials. It’s beautiful but not too precious to toss in the trunk!
To make your own stylish little duffle, measuring 10¾ inches tall x 19 inches long x 6¾ inches deep, you’ll need…
- ¾ yards of 10-ounce cotton canvas
- 5½ yards of 7/8-inch bias tape to match the canvas
- 3 yards of 1¼-inch cotton webbing
- A 27-inch non-separating zipper
- A 274-yard spool of cotton thread to match the canvas
- A 110-yard spool of cotton thread to match the webbing
- Please Note: The Overnighter Bag Pattern is no longer available for purchase. For assistance, please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com.
Bon voyage and happy sewing! -Molly
Update: New Fabric
September 2015
We’ve sewn up a new set of our classic Overnighter Bags in a warm and spicy palette of Purl Soho’s Warsa Linen. To see more photos check out our Overnighter Bag in Warsa Linen story!
To make this version of our Overnighter Bag you’ll need…
- 3/4 yard of Purl Soho’s Warsa Linen. We used Peach, Ochre, Midnight, Fig, and Pale Pink.
- A 110-yard spool of Gutermann’s Cotton Sewing Thread to match the linen. We used colors 1680, 1661, 6210, 6170, and 5070 (respectively).
- A 110-yard spool of Gutermann’s Cotton Sewing Thread to match the zipper and webbing. We used color 1240.
- 3 yards of Purl Soho’s 1 ¼-inch Sangle Cotton Webbing in Natural
- A 27-inch Non-Separating Zipper in Ivory
- 5 1/2 yards of Purl Soho’s 7/8-inch Bias Tape by the Yard in Natural
- Please Note: The Overnighter Bag Pattern is no longer available for purchase. For assistance, please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com.
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
This looks like a great bag. I think I might have to make one.
Thanks.
This bag is perfect but, alas, I’m not a very experienced seamstress. Is this bag easy enough for an enthusiastic beginner?
Hi Zoe-
I would saw that it is easy enough for a motivated beginner (as long as you already know how to use your machine and have made a few previous projects.) The only step that I think might be hard to do neatly would be attaching the bias tape to the inside of the bag. But the good thing about that is that it’s on the inside so it won’t show when you zip it closed!
Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Best-
Molly
This is perfect for everything a must make
What is the drop on the handles? Does the pattern give any instructions or recommendations for making them longer than what we see in the samples?
Hi Liz-
Yes! The pattern gives instructions for longer handles, which we found useful when making this bag for taller people. And if you’d like to make them even longer or a custom length it’s a very easy adjustment which should be simple to figure out within the pattern.(We are also happy to help if you let us know how long you’d like them to be!)
Thanks so much for your question and please let us know if you have any more!
Best-
Molly
Molly, is the pattern available without the fabric? I’d like to make it out of something else.
Hi Elsa-
Yes it is available on its own here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9661
Click on the first thumbnail photo for a download only and the second for a download and hardcopy!
Thank you so much for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions about the pattern.
Best-
Molly
Molly,
Is the pattern available without the fabric? I’d like to make it with a printed fabric!
Just bought the pattern, love it, cant wait to make it! Just wondering what length should the zipper be. It’s not noted in the document…. As long as the top panel, or an inch or so shorter…?
Thanks for your reply!
Hi Megan-
You need a a 27-inch non-separating zipper. This info is also listed on the last page of the pattern under the Materials headline. We sell the zippers here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/2756
Thank you so much for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Can I purchase this bag ready made? I can knit but I just can’t sew!
Hi Lori-
No, we don’t sell this already made. But it’s a fairly simple project if you ever do want to learn how to sew! It would be a good thing to make as a 2nd or 3rd project, once you get the hang of the basics!
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Do you have this in a larger size? Would be nice to have something to pack for weekends at the cabin.
Hi Barbara-
Unfortunately we don’t have this in a larger size. You could make it deeper fairly easily by cutting the side and bottom panels wider, and the handles longer, but to make it taller or wider would take a real re-write. And we will certainly keep the idea of a bigger “weekender” type bag in mind going forward.
Thank you for getting in touch!
Molly
cream colour cotton canvas…I was thinking that these would be great going to camp bags for my kids. Could it be sewn in denim for the keeping it clean factor?
Hi Lisa-
That would be lovely! Here are some darker colored options that would work:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9378-Robert-Kaufman-Denim-10-ounce
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/7603-Carr-Textiles-Organic-Cotton-Duck-Canvas
Thanks for getting in touch with this great question!
Molly
Hi !
I recently purchased the tutorial and made the bag in a weekend!Super easy instructions. I am wondering if you have any tips to add a lining to it?
Thanks!
Hi Tiffany,
So sorry for the late response! We haven’t added a lining to this bag, but I’m sure it’s doable! What I would do is make a second bag in the lining fabric and insert it into the outer shell. It should be possible to sew the two layers together when attaching the zipper. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a shot!
Best,
Adam
Hi!
I have made 3 of these bags and I love them. I want to make another but with leather straps.
Do you have those materials and any tutorials about sewing leather handles?
Thanks!
Christina
Hi Christina,
Thanks for the question! We do not sell leather straps and don’t have tutorials on how to attach leather to fabric. Sorry about that!
-Adam
Hi! I have the pattern and am making up two bags in denim! So excited! My only problem is that I couldn’t find 27” zippers so I bought continuous zipper instead. Should I cut it to 27” or should I leave extra length at either end? I would say I’m an adventurous beginner. This is my first time using continuous zipper. Thanks in advance!
Hi Kristina,
Thanks for reaching out. You can absolutely shorten the zipper you have to make it work for this pattern! To do so, you’ll first want to sew a new “stopper” at the 27-inch mark. If you have a completely plastic zipper, then you can use your sewing machine directly on this spot, but if you have a zipper with metal teeth, you’ll want to remove some of those before sewing over the zipper. Once you’ve sewn the new stopper, you can cut the rest of the zipper away an inch or two after the stopper. Then you’ll have a 27-inch zipper!
All the best,
Lili