Discover the Ultimate Bag: Style Meets Function in This Practically Perfect Carpet Bag!

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Hello everyone!

I promised photos of my "Mary Poppins" carpet bag that I finally finished last summer (2025) just in time for my second hip replacement surgery. Using my "MP carpet bag" was an elegant way to carry a few belongings for the overnight stay in the hospital.

This style of bag is also called a "doctor's bag" or "Boston bag" that uses a tubular metal hinged frame that's very easy to open or stay closed without a clasp. The style hearkens back to the Victorian era. It's so popular now and so practical and stylish, too!

I also plan on making these for my online shop. At the end of this post, I've included a photo of the fabrics that I plan to use to stitch up these practically perfect carpet bags. I do believe you won't see this style of carpet bag stitched from the fabrics I will be using. Mine will look dramatically different from those sold elsewhere.

Wouldn't you like to put this bag on your wish list right now before I stitch them up? :-)

The outer fabric I used has been a favorite from way back sometime in the early 2000s, where I purchased it in Massachusetts. I had used some of it to sew a patchwork jacket (Vogue pattern 2915) not too long before we moved to PEI/Canada in 2009. Check out that blog post HERE to see the jacket I still wear to this day.

I used this same black floral home decor fabric to make a simple zippered book bag to carry my Bible in - which I still use, though the fabric is a bit worn out.

I've also used it to make a small backpack pocketbook (you can check out that post HERE) which has gotten a lot of wear and tear, but I still keep it hanging in my sewing room. I just can't throw it out!! You can view a couple other bags on that post where I've used the same black floral. A number of years ago I made a small mannequin-shaped pin cushion that sits next to my 1948 Singer Featherweight sewing machine.

The lining is such a gorgeous cream colored floral print of large roses - light pink, light green! I had purchased quite a bit of this cream floral home decor fabric as it was SO beautiful! It's been used as a lining in several "simply cinched" carpet bags that I sell in my online shop HERE.

As Mary was quoted to say - "practically perfect in every way!" And my version of "her" carpet bag is as you see below!

I inserted a zipper pocket on the outside of the bag. A perfect size for my cell phone. Since the zipper was only "practically perfect" and it was just for me, I made a flap to cover the slight imperfection of my zipper stitching. In the next photos you'll see how I was able to create the flap to match the placement of the print "practically perfect" and you can hardly see where the flap is!

Here is the flap with the lining side showing. The next photo will show you the flap stitched covering the zipper pocket and it's hard to see it as I was able to match the fabric pattern quite well.

If you look closely at the photo on the left, you can just barely see the edges of the flap that is covering the zipper pocket.

I put in two inside pockets - one on each side of the bag. Isn't the lining fabric gorgeous?

 I added a long key fob that's attached to the inside top of the bag. That way I can find my keys quickly instead of them getting buried underneath everything. Check the next photos for that and for the construction of the lining with the outer fabric.

Here you see the finished interior with the two inside pockets and the key fob with D-ring at the bottom for attaching my keys.

Stitching the lining and outer fabric with a lot of clips!

I also added D-rings to the top for a detachable leather shoulder strap option. I didn't take a photo of the detachable strap that I made. It has a brass swivel clasp on each end.

Another view of the inside and key fob. The bottom of the bag has a stiff removable piece that provides more stability. The underside of the bag (no photo) has brass feet - which is a typical feature of carpet bags.

The final photo shows the fancy leather straps that took me forever to stitch on! oh my! That style is not available now, and because they took hours to stitch on, I plan on securing simple straps with brass rivets, which is how I attach leather straps to my large fold-over totes. You can see those totes in my shop HERE.

Just so know... My way of securing leather straps to bags is using rivets - but - securing them through to the inside lining. And you will see the rivets on the inside.

Most bag makers won't secure their straps through to the lining. They don't want the rivets or stitching to show on the lining. So they only stitch the straps to the outer fabric. I prefer a more secure strap and that's why you'll see the rivets on the inside of the bag. Neatly done.

Because the rivets show on the inside - it is then easier to make a strap repair - if indeed, down the road that a strap might need to be repaired or replaced.

And finally...here's the finished bag. Because I stitched the straps through to the lining with black thread, it was a bit ugly looking on the inside, so I stitched (and matched) small pieces of lining fabric over the strap stitching and the patches are hardly noticeable. Very clean and neat looking. No black stitching shows. A tassel completes the picture!

Here are six specialty velvet fabrics slated for my new line of bags - Mary Poppins style carpet bags! I'd love to know what you think of the fabrics I chose for the MP carpet bags. My hair stylist friend, Morgan, loves the blue/gold birds fabric. She's one of my bag customers, too!

I do have a personal sewing project to complete first before I start stitching up the MP carpet bags. I will be sure to post about that at a later date. My next post will highlight one of my recent sewing projects.

Until next time...

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