The Catalina Sling is one of my favorite patterns. It would make a great pattern for a beginner because of the simplicity of the design and yet, it doesn’t look like one of those boring “easy pattern” bags. It is fairly quick to assemble and always results in a bag that looks great. The hardest thing I find about making this pattern is choosing the combination of fabrics that I want to use. With front and back panels made from six different pieces, the pattern gives you the opportunity to get a little crazy with pattern and color or you could make the bag using a single fabric. I have made the bag both ways but much prefer the multi-fabric effect.
I have one of these bags in my personal collection. I particularly like the way it holds it shape. It stands on its own even when empty. The size of the bag is just large enough to hold my big wallet plus a few other items. It’s a great size for shopping or when you don’t need to carry a big tote bag full of “stuff.” The bag closes with a snap flap which I find to be quite adequate for keeping the bag closed. The design of the flap allows you to fill the bag and still snap it shut. I use the large metal snaps that are applied with a hammer. They seem to hold up better than the magnetic styles.
This is not the easiest pattern to find. I’ve seen this brand only once in a specialty fabric store, however they can be purchased on Ebay and other on-line sites.
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