First Bag I'm Proud of!

[MtlBiker]

Thanks to the terrific members here who give so freely (and patiently) their advice and suggestions, I've finally finished a bag I'm really happy with and proud of.  It's based on the Swoon Bonnie Bucket Bag pattern, with the modification that it's leather and uses a drawstring (leather cord) closure sort of like a bolo.  The outside is 4oz chrome tan and I (successfully!) used my bell skiver on all the edges.  (Now, THAT was a learning curve!)   Some inside leather trim was about 2oz.  And the leather cord I made was 1.5-2oz chrome tan, starting off 1.5" wide, folded in to 3/4" and then folded again to 3/8" and stitched.  The inner bag has one zipper pocket and two slip pockets.

There's only one thing on the bag that isn't as perfect as I would have liked... On the inside top leather strip, I installed a magnetic snap closure.  That had to be done before the inner bag was dropped into the outer and stitched.  When I was stitching the inner and outer bags together around the top, my presser foot hit part of the magnetic closure and the stitch jumped a little bit out of the line I was following.  Chances are nobody buying this bag would even notice, but it's not perfect.  My next one will be better and I'll probably move the magnetic closure a little further down and away from the stitch line.

I hope you all like it!

 

[tsunkasapa]

Nice job! Lots of different skills come together in one project.

[JRLeather2]

Nice job.

[PastorBob]

Great job.  If you hadn't pointed out the skipped stitch, i would have never noticed.  Wow!  Impressive.

[TomE]

That's a beauty!  I like the colors.  Nice workmanship.

[Selvune]

Very nice.  I aspire to make a bag like this 

[Samalan]

Nice looking job you should be proud .

[Bogwot]

Very nice

[MtlBiker]

2 hours ago, Samalan said:

Nice looking job you should be proud .

Thank you very much (everyone!) for the kind words.  I AM proud of this, my first nice leather bag.  I've made this pattern before, with a zipper top closure, but only in fabric.  This is my first leather one and there was a lot of learning to make it.  I guess I'm more than proud... I'm thrilled with it. 

And there's only one small defect that will probably bother only me.  I'll try to do better on my next one (which will be entirely in black).

[chuck123wapati]

beautiful work you should be extremely proud!!     top rivet       

[Bert03241]

Yes sir you did a bang up job for sure . I hope I get that good someday. Beautiful bag Congrats

Edited April 19, 2022 by Bert03241

[Hardrada]

12 hours ago, MtlBiker said:

When I was stitching the inner and outer bags together around the top, my presser foot hit part of the magnetic closure and the stitch jumped a little bit out of the line I was following.

Wouldn't happen if stitched by hand.

Smirking comments aside, that's a fantastic bag. Looks right there up with "designer" bags. Professional. Well done!

[Hags]

Very well done!

[GavinO]

Looks great man! I really like the lining too. 

I am in the middle of making a backpack with the same kind of cord closure and I didn't think of using the rinser meatal pieces for holes that you have. I have bought some kinda expensive screw-ins but I like how yours has turned out! 

 

 

[spacedog]

It looks excellent. Bravo.