Turning A Bag

[Eve]

Hello everyone!

I'm very new to leatherworking, recently I have made a bag which I have a problem with (please see the attached photo), I attached both side pieces from inside the bag, and turn it out when I done, but the bag look very beaten up, I did wet the leather to make it smoother before turning.

Can someone please help me? I really need suggestion and recommendation.

Cheers!

(photo link)

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=359596297412627&set=a.359595717412685.83376.100000867801310&type=3&theater

[Cyberthrasher]

I'm having troubles understanding what the problem is. Is it just that the leather looks loosened up there on the right side of that picture? All in all I think it looks great. Could you post some close ups of the problem areas here?

[Leather Girl]

Eve,

Are you sewing the bag by hand? Sewing by hand has it's issues but I don't see much wrong with it either. The closeups would be better.

Randi-Lee

[Eve]

I'm having troubles understanding what the problem is. Is it just that the leather looks loosened up there on the right side of that picture? All in all I think it looks great. Could you post some close ups of the problem areas here?

Hi Cyberthrasher

My problem is after I turned the bag out, the leather no longer as smooth or flat as when it was, it all wrinkle up, looks like the bag being used for some time, and this problem is not only on one side, it is the whole bag that looks like being beaten up.

Eve,

Are you sewing the bag by hand? Sewing by hand has it's issues but I don't see much wrong with it either. The closeups would be better.

Randi-Lee

Hi Randi-Lee

Yes I sew this bag by hand, and I already gave the bag to my mother in law, can't take anymore photo of this bag sorry =( My question is how to make the bag looks still brand new after I turn it instead of all wrinkle up like a wave.

[Leather Girl]

Eve,

Something tells me you were pulling the thread too tight and it will start to bunch up the sides. You have to sew a bit and smooth it out and sew some more. The corners are difficult and you have to be careful with them. When sewing a corner, like sewing in a sleeve of a shirt you have to be careful stretch it around corner. Best to start sewing at the top from one corner one side and do that and if it comes up a bit higher at the other corner you can trim it. This is hard to explain without showing it.

Sewing a bag by hand is a royal pain in the butt. Now, I sew them on my machine and avoid that stuff.

Your bag looks beautiful and I wish you all the best if you continue sewing them by hand.

Randi-Lee

[Eve]

Eve,

Something tells me you were pulling the thread too tight and it will start to bunch up the sides. You have to sew a bit and smooth it out and sew some more. The corners are difficult and you have to be careful with them. When sewing a corner, like sewing in a sleeve of a shirt you have to be careful stretch it around corner. Best to start sewing at the top from one corner one side and do that and if it comes up a bit higher at the other corner you can trim it. This is hard to explain without showing it.

Sewing a bag by hand is a royal pain in the butt. Now, I sew them on my machine and avoid that stuff.

Your bag looks beautiful and I wish you all the best if you continue sewing them by hand.

Randi-Lee

Thank you Randi-Lee

Actually when I completed the sewing part, everything looks fine, and the leather was too thick for me to pull the thread too hard or tight (my hand fill with needle holes and water bubbles when I done that part).

The wrinkle problem comes after I turn the bag out, it took me ages to turn it because the leather was very hard even I did wet it to make it softer and I still have to force it to turn, when it finally out, the leather no longer smooth as brand new >.<! it looks like a bag being used for a while, when I hand it to my mother in law I felt so embarrassing like I gave her a used bag.

Most likely I will be keep using hand sewing, not enough space at home, I’m actually using my dining table for my leatherwork LOL sooner or later I think I’ll crack the glasses on the top.

Cheers!

[Leather Girl]

Thank you Randi-Lee

Actually when I completed the sewing part, everything looks fine, and the leather was too thick for me to pull the thread too hard or tight (my hand fill with needle holes and water bubbles when I done that part).

The wrinkle problem comes after I turn the bag out, it took me ages to turn it because the leather was very hard even I did wet it to make it softer and I still have to force it to turn, when it finally out, the leather no longer smooth as brand new >.<! it looks like a bag being used for a while, when I hand it to my mother in law I felt so embarrassing like I gave her a used bag.

Most likely I will be keep using hand sewing, not enough space at home, I'm actually using my dining table for my leatherwork LOL sooner or later I think I'll crack the glasses on the top.

Eve,

Did you punch holes in the bag first? If you have like the 4 thong hole maker then it may take some of the stress off. These don't make huge holes. Put something over the glass on your table a soft cloth or whatever. You may also not want to do an in and out stitch but a whip stitch may be a bigger help. Do some mini bags in different stitches and see which one turns out best, when you turn the bag.

Randi-Lee

Cheers!

[Spinner]

I can't view the pic on Facebook but from the posts I'm guessing you made a bag out of veg-tan leather using traditional fabric sewing techniques? If so, that is the problem. If you do a search here on the forum for bags you'll notice that pretty much 100% of the bags made from veg-tan leather are sewn with the stitches on the outside with an inward curving gusset. The reason is that veg-tan is known for taking marks (tooling) easily, especially when wet, and by sewing inside out and turning the bag it causes the wrinkles and folds you see. Due to the properties of veg-tan, they are now part of the bag's story.

For bags that can be made high fashion style bags, you'll want to use chrome tan or oil tan leathers as they tend to be lighter weight and resist wrinkles better and should a wrinkle form, it can be ironed/stretched out for the most part.

[Cyberthrasher]

I can't view the pic on Facebook but from the posts I'm guessing you made a bag out of veg-tan leather using traditional fabric sewing techniques?

Here's a picture of the bag for anybody who can't see it on Facebook. I hope you don't mind Eve.

[Northmount]

Some of the leather probably stretched while wet and pulling it around to turn inside out. Then it can't shrink back to flat anymore. Also dry slowly or stretched over a form to reduce distortion from drying. You may be able to smooth some of it by burnishing by hand or with a glass plate burnisher while drying, possibly several times as it dries slowly. I'm fairly sure most of the problem was it was stretched while wet. Minimize how wet you get the leather. The wetter it is, the more shrinkage you will see as it dries.

CTG