Planning out my rear panniers

       Good quality, reasonably priced, canvas panniers are just too hard to find.  As a result, I am making my own panniers.  I am using 18 oz cotton canvas that was supplied by Custom Covers 4 You.  The canvas is naturally colored, so my panniers will be off white.

18 oz canvas is pretty thick!

  First, I figured out how tall and wide I wanted the rear panniers to be.  I added a curve to avoid heel rub, and decided to make them 7 inches deep. 

This is the pattern piece I cut out for the front of the pannier.  It is 14 1/4 inches at the widest point, and 11 inches where it is narrow.  From top to bottom it is 17 1/4 inches.  I included in these measurements the 1 inch seam allowance.

Here is the piece for the back and top.  The lower part is the same measurements as the front piece.  The large top part is 18 inches wide.  From top to bottom this piece measures 26 3/4 inches.

I used one panel for the side.  I made this piece 9 inches wide, and 47 inches long.  This also includes the 1 inch seam allowance.

I bent way too many pins when I tried to pin the patterns to the canvas, so I laid it out on a rug, and just poked the pins in straight!