City Living Backpack Tote complete!

Version 1 of my "Biking to Work in the City Backpack Tote" is finished, and it is more functional than I could have ever hoped for!

I have carried it around for the past 2 days, and it can hold my computer and my lunch and some other necessities with ease.   It also turns out to be the perfect size for holding a six-pack of beer, or 2-3 few bottles of wine very discreetly.

The fabrics I used were a yellow cotton twill for the outer, an embroidered cotton for the details and straps, and a floral print quilting cotton for the lining.

The inside has a special pocket for my laptop with a snap to secure it in place. There are also pockets for holding my checkbook, pens, and other small things.  And the outside front pocket is where I end up keeping my phone and wallet for easy access.

I love the comfort of the straps when I wear it as a tote.

And when the bag gets heavy from carrying too many bottles of champagne (I was planning a co-worker's celebration yesterday), the weight is better distributed in backpack mode.

There is some pulling in the fabric when the backpack is fully loaded, and I think that can be eliminated in version 2 by adding interfacing to the bag (currently only the straps are interfaced).

The straps are attached by heavy duty snaps (you can see 2 of them on the front face), which makes the bag even more modular than just being used as a regular tote or backpack.  I love heavy duty snaps.  I have used them on past bags for creating changeable straps, and they have never un-snapped during use.

I am so happy with how this bag turned out, and I know there will be a Version 2 of this little multitasker, complete with a stiff interfacing to minimize the pulling and help the bag hold its shape a little better.  But for now, I am loving the happy yellow color that makes the gloomy rainy Boston spring we have been having a bit more bearable.

You can see the inspiration post for this bag here and the sneak peak here