Leatherbags

I buy the leather I am using for children slippers and for pouches (look here and here) in a shop in my hometown that is selling leather scraps. Quite big scraps. The biggest pieces are often having scars or dirty parts, but for little project I just cut around those zones. But I had several big pieces that I kept for a long time to make bags out of it. I just never had the courage to cut into them. Now I did and made two bags that I am really happy with.

There had been big scars in one side, but I covered them with leather circles. I have been thinking for a long time how to make the lining as the leather is too bold to turn it like I do for fabric bags. In the end I made a fabric lining with pocket and zipper, and added to the upper edge a 2cm leather strip that I could sew easily left side to left side into the outer bag. The big advantage of leather is that you don't need to hide the edges.

In comparison to the first one the next bag had been very simple and in fact it took me very few time to make it once I decided for the style.

The color is quite interesting: depending on the light it is either dark grey, aubergine or bordeaux. It is smaller than the red bag and has no lining. The shoulder strap is very small. I think it is more an evening bag than an all-day hand-bag. In the beginning I left it open, but now I added a magnetic button in the middle, that is not visible from the outside.

I am happy how the bags turned out and even happier that I didn't made any errors and wasted the leather. I have some more big pieces in stock and I am waiting for ideas how to transform them into bags. As every piece is unique, you can't come with a plan how your bag should look like, you have to make the plan depending of the size and structure of the leather. This is for day where I like to take challenges.

A bientôt,
Jane