Stitching a circle end of a duffle bag

[Yeldarb]

I am setting out to make a military style duffle bag and have a good grip on everything but sewing in the circular bottom. Any direction in getting started there would be much appreciated. I have searched the forum and do not see much on this topic, so hopefully we can get a good conversation going about it. 

 

[fredk]

Well....you could make the circular bottom larger than the hole, skive round the edge, glue into place with the skived edge folded downwards, then stitch thru, or put the skived edge folded upwards and stitch thru, going around the outside of the bag

Edited May 31, 2017 by fredk

[billybopp]

Hand sewing or machine?

Bill

 

[Yeldarb]

I am going to be hand stitching using 4/5oz leather.

[leathersmyth]

Internal sewn  seam or external sewn seam, where it will be bound with binding?

[Yeldarb]

I will be doing an internal sewn seam. I have been watching some videos on youtube and feel pretty good about the seam allowance etc.  Since I am hand sewing, I am trying to figure the stitching holes and how to make those happen evenly across the seem.  Doesn't feel like Glue is going to be a great option. 

 

 

[kiwican]

What kind of leather are you going with. Veg or Chrome tan? Glue and or glue tape works well. It's only there until you stitch it in place anyway. I will use a pair of wing deviders to set the distance

[Tinkerton]

The way I've found works best for me, is to mark your stitching holes on what is going to be the exterior before gluing the pieces together, and then use an awl to punch all the way through the two pieces.

[Yeldarb]

@kiwican I am using chrome tan leather for this project. Thanks for the advice. @tinkerton I will also give that method a try. Should have some time in the shop tonight to give it a go. 

 

[Dwight]

Yeldarb, . . . you can fight it, . . . or you can do it the easy way.  Personally, . . . I'm all for easy.

When I do a bag, . . . especially with an oval or a round bottom, . . . that bottom is stitched very early on in the process.

I take a pair of dividers, . . . and lay off an area all around the bottom, . . . in this case it would be 3/8 of an inch.  Lay off the same on the side material of the bag, . . . lay it off on the hair side of each piece of leather.

Apply Weldwood contact cement up to each line, . . . on the hair side of each piece and allow it to dry.  

Then, . . . start putting it together, . . . both edges flush with each other, . . . flesh side of the bottom laying against your table, . . . flesh side of the bag's sides pointing up. Allow about a 1/2 inch strip for the overlap of the two sides, . . . and get started.

Put together about 4 to 6 inches of the bag and bottom, . . . stitch that in place, . . . but make sure you stitch it at 1/2 inch in from the edge.  That will make sure that all the contact cement is well inside the bag, . . . which is especially valuable if you are going to dye it.  Contact cement will not allow the dye to penetrate.

Work on it about 4 to 6 inches at a time, . . . and when you get around to your starting point, . . . you will then discover why you do this step first.  The sides will then be either too short to touch, . . . or too long.  Ideally, you want it too long, . . . so you can trim a 1/4 or 1/2 inch off one of the sides, . . . stitch the side up, . . . and have a beautiful and correctly proportioned bag.  

Sewing the seam first is a recipe for bag and purse disaster in my experience, . . . so I do just about everything else I can before I finally sew that line.

Once the bottom and side seams are sewn, . . . you will have a bag that is sewn inside out, . . . simply turn it right side out, . . . voila, . . . beautiful  should be the word.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

[Yeldarb]

@Dwight thanks for the info. Sorry I went dark, kiddo decided to come a month early so been off doing baby things  I will let you know how this turns out.