Barbados Bag

I got the Barbados Bag pattern (by Pink Sands Beach) at a destash sale in August. The pattern came with fabric and zippers, (so I guess it was more of a kit) but while I liked the fabrics it came with, I wanted to use my own fabric first and see if I liked this bag and pattern enough before making any more. Plus I do make changes in nearly everything I make and wanted to make mostly according to the pattern to see what I might change if I do make again.

For a small cross body bag I thought the amount of pockets in this bag was overkill. (Mine had 8 pockets in all, if you count the little pen pockets I added by dividing the interior slip pocket). I think the pattern suggests dividing the inside pocket into 3rds, which would yield a total of 7 pockets). While I like pockets, in small bags having too many pockets and filling them up with stuff leaves little space left for any larger items as the bulging pockets encroach into the larger space. Plus it makes it difficult to find things when the pockets are so full and the main space is crowded too. If you want this many pockets, then go for it in a larger bag where the pockets will be more balanced to the bag size and won't crowd other spaces too much. Unless you are only placing flat items inside the pockets such as your shopping list and coupons, which wouldn't impede into the main space, then that's fine, but do you really need so many pockets in a small bag? I suppose you do not have to put things in most of the pockets.

After making this bag, I found the basic size and shape of it similar to a few other bags I have made before, and I prefer those other bags much better to this one. So bottom line, even if I make changes to this bag, I would rather make the other bags instead of this one again. But I know this is a popular style bag and has been around a long time. If you do make one of these bags, you can make your own changes to suit your needs. I will sell this one at one of the shows I do this year to someone who loves it. I am not knocking this bag or pattern at all, just pointing out things that I would personally change to make it more user friendly. It is a great looking bag and functional. I think it would be better with fewer pockets is all.

I do love the floral print and the stripe fabric is a coordinating fabric in the same line. I added the solid brown to accent it. The strap is adjustable to fit any size woman across the body or on the shoulder.

The front has a zippered pocket and behind the stripe fabric is a slip pocket, which would be great for keeping your phone, unless you want your phone more secured in the zippered pocket or the back slip pocket. So many choices of where to put your phone and other items.

The back has a divided slip pocket, giving you 2 pockets, which in my opinion are rather too long, since you would have to really reach your hand deep down in there if you had something small in these pockets. If I did this bag over, I would either not divide this pocket at all, making one large pocket or I would make it shorter in height and divide it, or not include this pocket at all. With so many pockets, the thickness adds up to sew it.

The bag closes with a zipper, which is nice.

Inside the bag is a divided slip pocket, which you can divide as you wish. I think having a pen pocket is always handy, so I made more than one pen pocket and the remaining larger pocket I kept large instead of dividing it too small, as you wouldn't be able to get your hand inside anything too small. This slip pocket could have been divided into thirds without a pen pocket or in half.

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