Outside Curves On Rounded Bag Bottoms

[Nuttish]

I'm looking for construction strategies for affixing a "tube" top to an elliptical bottom. Notching the "tube" piece, as with sewing outside curves in fabric, isn't working.

The materials are ~5oz chrome tanned pullup and ~5oz English bridle.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[johnv474]

Do you have access to a splitter? what diameter of a tube? if greater than 3/16" or so, it may require a filler. A 1" wide strip of 2-3 oz (after splitting) will make a nice tube you can bend around without notching.

[Nuttish]

Sorry, I don't follow your reference to a 1" wide strip. I should have given the dimensions.

This is a bag with a ~5x12" ellipsoid bottom that is sewn directly to the "tube" of the bag. Since the bottom has no corners and can't be boxed, this is the only order of operations that makes sense. This is at least how I would make it out of canvas.

I'm skiving all the way around the edge of the bottom and bottom of the "tube". The problem is bulk in the seam in the outside curves at the ends of the ellipsoid.

[TinkerTailor]

I have had good luck with glueing the leather when wet then stitching dry. I use warm, slightly higher than body temp water, and saturate the leather, whatever kind. I even do it with hot stuffed veg-retan latigo. Not the most water permeable leather. Any leather will get wet, and wet leather changes shape easier. Veg tan just holds the form when dry. While wet, I then gently start form the seam allowances on the curves of the seams, Using a form helps. You wait a little bit for the water to dry some and the leather starts to stiffen back up in the new position, then glue them into place. You want to get the edge glued down perfect first and then push inward, to push the seam allowance down. Get the edge right and the rest will follow. You must use stinky good glue. No water based here. I also cut cardboard strips from cerial boxes and place them above and below the seam, then clamp the whole seam with binder clamps. The purpose of the cardboard is to keep the binder clamps from marking the leather. I use the little 1/2 inch deep, 3/4 inch wide clamps because i can sink them right onto the edge so the clamp line, if there is any, is parallel to the edge is easier to hide, perhaps under the stitches.

It might be too late but it may have been easier to stitch the bottom on to the sides, then up the side seams.