Hip bag

[BlackDragon]

I made ladies motorcycle hip bag. 

It's a bit of a test piece to see how the design would work out. 

For the back piece I used 5/6oz soft vegtan. I liked the feel of it and would use it again. I would make it a little wider so the rings could be a little further from the pocket. (The left ring interferes with the flap a little.)

 

For the pockets I used 2/3oz. It works ok but it feels to thin maybe going to a 4/5 oz would be better?

For the small pocket the strap is a little to tight so it wrinkles the pocket and its a little difficult to tuck the flap in.

Any ideas or tips to make it better would be appreciated.

[TomE]

29 minutes ago, BlackDragon said:

Any ideas or tips to make it better would be appreciated.

Looks like a nice start.  I would sew the chapes holding the O-rings, as well as the buckle to strengthen the waist strap.  Rivets have a tendency to pull out when the strap is lifted off the surface it is attached to.  The chapes could be inserted through an oval slot and sewn to the back of the waist piece for an even stronger construction.  One or both tabs of the chape can be on the backside. Can do a decorative stitch line showing on the front, like an English point, to secure the chape. 

[Tugadude]

I like the use of colors and textures.  Gives it an interesting and appealing look.  I agree that relying on rivets might not be the best approach for long term use.

Have you had it "field tested" at all to get feedback on the ergonomics of it?  

I think it was a good choice to not use a contrasting colored thread.  To me it might have distracted from the real stars of the show, the color/texture differences.  

Keep tinkering with it and come back!

[chuck123wapati]

I've never seen or heard of a motorcycle hip bag but that looks really nice i could see its use  and appeal for just about any woman. I have to agree about the rivets, I would lose them completely and sew everything. Those two rivets on your strap holds the whole thing on your body and they will be a problem with longevity, at least they are the weakest link, i would hate to see it fail at 70 mph on the freeway.

[BlackDragon]

Great tips!

I took the pictures as soon as I finished and havent tested it for actual use.

My sister tends to be my guinea pig for these things so I get her to test it out.

Thanks for the tips and I'm going to draw up a pattern for it with the changes.

[PastorBob]

Saw a lot of those when involved with motorcycles.  That looks great.  May also consider silver finished hardware, as most of the MC crowd likes chrome.  May even want to add a few spots like Chuck Dorsett from Weaver leather.  

[BlackDragon]

My target is the MC crowd for this bag. Since the primary color for this one is brown I'm going with brass because it compliments it best. If the primary color is black I would definitly go with silver fittings, although I dont have silver rings I can use D rings. I have lots of D rings 

[BlackDragon]

Update

I added the improvements yall mentioned plus stitched the pocket strap to the pocket flap, added stiffener to that strap so it locks better on the post, added a "hidden pocket" on the back with a zipper. 

Do yall think I should add rivets to the ring straps. Not so much for strength but I think it'll add a visual element.