Molded, Cross-Body Handbag

[Basically Bob]

Just finished this handbag, yesterday.  (8 1/2" w x 9" w x 1 1/2" D) The pattern is from The Leatherworking Handbook by Valerie Michaels.  

I changed it up a bit and lined the inside flap and back with deer skin, which added more complexity to the construction than I thought it would.  Never again.  For example, when I dyed the edge of the flap, The deer skin sopped up the dye like a sponge - Yuk - made a big mess.  I managed to get around this by gluing another layer of deer over top of the piece that was ruined.  Also, it is extremely difficult to skive, so it added thickness to the bag that I really did not want and it does not burnish like veg cow.  

The molded front is made up with two molded pieces, glued together, flesh to flesh so that the inside of the pocket shows the grain side, (looks and feels great.  I skived down a circular button and then glued and stitched it over the back of the Sam Browne stud.  

This was a great learning project, for sure, and I plan on doing more of them in the future.

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by Basically Bob
Typo & added photo

[AZNightwolf]

Nicely done. Probably don't want to hear this but I like the deer skin addition a lot :D

[Basically Bob]

1 hour ago, AZNightwolf said:

Nicely done. Probably don't want to hear this but I like the deer skin addition a lot :D

So does my wife ... I only get 49% of the votes

[Dun]

This is a project I probably need to try. I need to learn a lot of the skills involved. Great job!

[Basically Bob]

1 hour ago, Dun said:

This is a project I probably need to try. I need to learn a lot of the skills involved. Great job!

Thanks, Dun. Much appreciated!