My First Few Bags

[MonicaJacobson]

Hi all,

I've been working on my own until now, and after reading on here for a week and watching a few help videos, I regret every day I wasn't on here before! Oh well.

A friend asked me to make a bag for her husband, which forced me into being a little bit more serious about leatherworking. Since then, I've made a few more.

Tell me what you think! I know I've made a bunch of amateur mistakes...

For one thing, my edging is inferior, I just found out that I shouldn't be using a stitching awl, and my dye work has definite problems.

How on earth do you guys keep soft leather from going crooked as you sew it? It seems to be inevitable even if I count the holes. Do you start form the middle and each way?

[JLSleather]

Nothing wrong with that! I personally like the first one most, but then I've always liked natural leather. Even the fat wrinkles look good

Now, somebody tone down that car interior ...

[Miss Denise]

Beautiful!! I love them all. Especially the second bag.

[Greystone]

practice, practice ,and a little help from your friends here,

all things considered you've done a nice job

understand and work on what YOU see as a fault and improve it then go forward

and remember perfection is just a hands grasp away,

but keep reaching for it

you did good db

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks, everyone! And thanks for the advice, Greystone. The best thing about this forum is that there are so many good leatherworkers showing their work at every stage that it makes even difficult projects seem a lot less impossible.

[forbeskm]

Great job! I was thinking of giving bags a shot and those look great!

[humperdingle]

I love the contrasty colours of the first bag - the style is a bit like satchels I saw on Colsen Keane's site.

[MonicaJacobson]

Funny you should say that, that's exactly what it's like. My friend's husband thought the Colson Keane bag was awesome, but much like me, couldn't afford to actually buy one. She asked me to make one like it, and I added some tooling and used a different leather to avoid completely copying his design. It's a really sweet bag.

I also like their wider messenger bag in the same style.

[humperdingle]

Funny you should say that, that's exactly what it's like. My friend's husband thought the Colson Keane bag was awesome, but much like me, couldn't afford to actually buy one. She asked me to make one like it, and I added some tooling and used a different leather to avoid completely copying his design. It's a really sweet bag.

I also like their wider messenger bag in the same style.

I'll be honest and say IMO, yours looks much nicer and 'better' made. I like their designs but they seem very expensive items.

[MonicaJacobson]

Thank you! That's very nice to hear! Yes, the price does seem a bit steep for a bag that requires mostly cutting out and riveting together. But once you get a name and a client base, some people feel better about the product if you charge them more for it.

[WScott]

Really great work!

I love the first bag and how you continued the design from the flap to the front. The designs have a pin striping feel to them that looks awesome

Really cool stuff

Edited October 17, 2013 by WScott

[LederRudi]

I'll be honest and say IMO, yours looks much nicer and 'better' made. I like their designs but they seem very expensive items.

I’ll second that. Great inspiration! Brilliantly simple!

It seems that on the free market a maker’s stamp and a blasé attitude are at least as important as craftsmanship.

Some pictures come out very small, at least on my screen, and don’t reveal much of the details I’d like to see (and other members as well, I guess).

It’s 5-6 oz leather, right?

[MonicaJacobson]

Ha ha, maybe I don't want you to see details. No, I accidentally uploaded them from the wrong place. But, as you can now see in a wealth of detail, I did a terrible job with the dying of the sides, certainly. I'm hoping a judicious application of indirect sunlight will help the color even out. It is also very self evident that I need to buy a skiving knife or tool and learn how to use it.

I don't have a thickness gauge yet, but it's about 3/16 in. thick, which makes it what, about 7 - 8 oz?

Thanks, WScott -- I'm relieved that someone noticed it was supposed to be pinstriping. Or reminiscent of it. My husband drew it for me.

[MonicaJacobson]

Oh yes, and I also plan to sew on keeper style pieces of leather to the bag to help support the strength of the stitching where the stitching ends on the straps.

[lightningad]

they look great, Monica.

[cjdevito]

Wonderful work, and I too think your Colson Keane bag looks better than the original. I don't suppose you have a pattern for it you'd consider sharing? I think I'd like to try that design myself.

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks! Sure, I drew up a quick and dirty version in Photoshop. It's not precise, it's just to give you the general idea of the shape. I looked at the video of their bag, left out the pocket and used a ruler to lay out all of the sides. At first I used a pattern I made out of brown paper, but it moved around too much, so I just lay it out on the leather itself. If you make it, I'd recommend you watch their video to see how it all goes together.

[cjdevito]

Thanks, that's very helpful.

[Eaglestroker]

Great work, I really like the 'pin stripe!'

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks for the positive feedback, everyone!

[walkingH]

If you can find some old Tandy adds, they had a small bag made just like your first one. I will have to find it and tell you what it was called. I seen it in some old Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal.

[MonicaJacobson]

Huh, interesting! I'm not surprised, as the whole purpose of the pattern is to minimize sewing. And it's kind of a 70's hippy purse throw-back thing. The time minimizing works great if you use a sensible chrome tanned, but I didn't really find that it saved me any time, what with burnishing edges and tooling and oiling. And I didn't even spend the time I should have, as it turns out.

[Jenny5]

The bags look great Monica, I see I have a lot to learn

[J Hayes]

Funny you should say that, that's exactly what it's like. My friend's husband thought the Colson Keane bag was awesome, but much like me, couldn't afford to actually buy one. She asked me to make one like it, and I added some tooling and used a different leather to avoid completely copying his design. It's a really sweet bag.

I also like their wider messenger bag in the same style.

Yours appears much better made than the colsen one. I like their bags and have emulated them myself making a few of my own improvements as well. The woven strap down the side just looks good, and I really like your two tone and tooling. Well done. I made a pattern for mine from 1/8" masonite and that works great, lay it on my leather and cut, easy peasy. I add a sewn in large rear pocket almost as big as the back and one smaller one sewn to it for a phone. I can share a picture if you'd like, I don't want to hijack your thread though, your call.

Jeremy

Edited October 30, 2013 by J Hayes

[MonicaJacobson]

Jeremy, I'd love to see a picture! The masonite is a great idea.