My Summers Leather Work

[leaky5]

Finally finished all my planned major work for the summer. I know none of them are perfect, but I am learning and improving all the time.

1^st two are for my wife. A small cross body bag for dog walking and a larger one for general use.

Both just need a small bit of finishing off and a strap. Just going to make a temporary blacking webbing strap and then let her decide on the final design she wants.

The next two are for me.

First one based loosely on the Indiana Jones gas mask bag. Just need to give this a protective coating. Contains a drawstring liner, going to be used as my holiday bag.

And finally a laptop bag for me and it is safe to say I am never going to do anything with as much hand stitching ever again.

[jhw]

nice job! and you even put in a zipper, not an easy task. kudos to you. i hope you dont completely stop handstitching, your stitching looks terrific.

[leaky5]

nice job! and you even put in a zipper, not an easy task. kudos to you. i hope you dont completely stop handstitching, your stitching looks terrific.

Thanks. My first attempt at a zip (there is a thread about it somewhere on here) failed. Now I glue a strip of scrap leather to the back of the zip and then stitch through both parts.

I will always hand stitch, just nothing of this scale in future. There is a strap which goes from one side buckle to the other which is stitched along both edges as well. The bag is about 40x30cm and the dye is Fiebings Spanish Brown.

edit. Just had a quick work out and I think there are between 1100 & 1200 stitches on the laptop bag.

Edited September 2, 2015 by leaky5

[immiketoo]

Well done!

[druid]

very nice work.

[leaky5]

I was quite chuffed at work today, I had been using the laptop bag for the first time.

One of my work mates had been discussing the quality of a non leather designer brand bag his boss had just bought for £150.

Then he saw my bag as I was packing away and said ‘Now that’s a bag ‘and proceeded to give it a good look over and then asked how much it had cost.

We then had a 10 minute discussion, with him not believing I had made it myself.

He is a close up of the handle.

[MonicaJacobson]

Nice work. All your patterns are quite complex, too.

[leaky5]

The original intention had been to do a handbag for my wife and the laptop bag for our 25th wedding anniversary in a few weeks time.

Both with a similar pattern

But a good way through doing the bag for my wife, I realised it was not the sort of bag she would want to use day to day, so I hit plan B and did the other 2.

After our anniversary I will show her this one and see if she wants me to finish it.

[jhstong]

Wow, your work is great. I especially love the laptop case, and even though I don't know you, I still don't believe you did that hahaha. Just perfection!

[leaky5]

The original intention had been to do a handbag for my wife and the laptop bag for our 25th wedding anniversary in a few weeks time.

Both with a similar pattern

But a good way through doing the bag for my wife, I realised it was not the sort of bag she would want to use day to day, so I hit plan B and did the other 2.

After our anniversary I will show her this one and see if she wants me to finish it.

She actually really like this and wants me to finish it. So onwards with the stitching

[jhstong]

Great, can't wait to see it! And of course she liked it!