Working On First Purse/messenger Bag.....advice Needed

[Anwest20]

So I'm wanting to make a small messenger bag style purse. It is going to be about 8x9x2. I have some really pretty .9 mm leather that I'm going to work with.

What I'm wanting to know is if I would need to interface the leather? The back is really pretty suede and I didn't really want to cover it up. Also, I was wanting to bind the flap to hind the edge of the flap what would be the best way to go about doing this?

Thanks so much for your help in advance.

Also, I am brand new and this is the first project I'm doing in leather so keep that in mind

[DoubleC]

Hi An. I'm making my first messenger bag too and I can answer some of your questions while I'm waiting for some people to answer the questions I have about mine on another thread. First I haven't a clue what 9mm is like so that will hinder me a tad :-) It really depends more on the temper or stiffness of the leather, type of leather and if you want a drapery look to it or a stiffer composition if you're meaning interface and lining as the same. I was working with 20z and 3oz so I lined mine with a stiffer veg tanned. I wanted it to be kinda drapery looking but not puddling on the floor.

The first thing that comes to mind for hiding the flap closure is either a magnetic snap attached a lining on the flap or you could use a guitar end strap type method. Sorry I can't be more help. Cheryl

Edited September 18, 2012 by DoubleC

[Anwest20]

Hi An. I'm making my first messenger bag too and I can answer some of your questions while I'm waiting for some people to answer the questions I have about mine on another thread. First I haven't a clue what 9mm is like so that will hinder me a tad :-) It really depends more on the temper or stiffness of the leather, type of leather and if you want a drapery look to it or a stiffer composition if you're meaning interface and lining as the same. I was working with 20z and 3oz so I lined mine with a stiffer veg tanned. I wanted it to be kinda drapery looking but not puddling on the floor.

The first thing that comes to mind for hiding the flap closure is either a magnetic snap attached a lining on the flap or you could use a guitar end strap type method. Sorry I can't be more help. Cheryl

Thanks for responding! I want it basically the same stiffness that you where talking about. I'm not sure about the oz it is but it is upholstery weight leather. I have made tons of bags out of fabric and when making those I use interfacing (quilt batting) to make them stiff and didn't know if this would help me with leather as well.

Also I wanted to use the binding on the flap to hide the unfinished edges of the flap since I will be machine sewing the bag.

[DoubleC]

Well I can almost certainly say you don't want to use quilt batting with leather. I say almost certainly because I learn something new everyday. Try just pinning a couple of the edges together, edges that will need trimmed and put it down. Does it puddle? If it is too soft a temper you could just glue another layer of your leather like I did to it, but instead of all over hiding the suede, just to the gusset. It will hold it's shape that way, still have a soft temper and allow your suede to show.

I jumped right over the 'bind' to you wanted to hide the flap. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by bind it but if you don't want to do that you could dye the raw edge with a dark color. That gives it a finished look. Some people just use permanent markers for that. I mean there's a whole tutorial on doing edges here but I'm not sure how well burnishing would do with your leather.

Could you post a picture of it?

And if you have made bags before from cloth I think you're going to do fine with this.

[Northmount]

0.9 mm is very thin, between 2 and 3 oz. I would go heavier IMO, maybe around 6 oz (2.4 mm). There is some info and a conversion chart here. Leather info

1 oz is 1/64 inch or 0.4 mm. For the people stuck in British units, 1 inch = 25.4 mm. Time to get familiar with metric units and conversions for the basics so you don't get ripped off and can figure out what you are dealing with.

CTG

[DoubleC]

LOL, CTG, I'm not stuck, I grew up in 'British' units and I'm old enough I don't have to change. I'll leave that to the younger kids. If it all converts to oz and inches why would not knowing mm get me ripped off? Besides without knowing how thin that was, I told her to double it which would come out to about, what was it you recommended? 6 oz, which would be uh,, 3/32 of an inch or 2.4mm. Odd, seems we were talking the same language all the time. Cheryl

[Anwest20]

LOL, CTG, I'm not stuck, I grew up in 'British' units and I'm old enough I don't have to change. I'll leave that to the younger kids. If it all converts to oz and inches why would not knowing mm get me ripped off? Besides without knowing how thin that was, I told her to double it which would come out to about, what was it you recommended? 6 oz, which would be uh,, 3/32 of an inch or 2.4mm. Odd, seems we were talking the same language all the time. Cheryl

Well I kind of liked doubling up on the gusset. I wanted it to be kind of loose.

[DoubleC]

I think that will work just fine An. I like that soft look, feel too. Cheryl