Travel Bags

[Alane]

Finally going to post a completed project(s).  I made travel bags for Christmas gifts this year. I learned a great deal working on them-these are my first large projects.  Most important is that one should not procrastinate until the middle of November before starting 4 large projects that need to be completed by Christmas!! The three brown ones are made with Serengeti whole hides from Tandy, hand stitched with carriage hand sewing thread. The black one is a deer tan hide, also from Tandy. I stitched the zipper in the black one with my Singer 29-4 patcher because it is entirely too hard to see black on black for hand stitching. I would have liked to use the 29-4 for more of the stitching but I can hand stitch faster than I can operate the treadle!! 

[Mattsbagger]

They look good to me! Never lined a bag before. It makes for a very pro looking job.

[bikermutt07]

Those look great. I am so intimidated by the thought of hand sewing another bag.

[Alane]

Thanks for the comments! Since I have spent many years sewing with fabric before I started leatherworking the lining wasn't too hard.  I used the same pattern as the bag and used a pigskin lining leather for the top 2".  That way I could insert it between the zipper top and bag side and not have to worry about the fabric ripping out. The seam between the leather and the fabric was then inside the bag where it wouldn't get as much stress. As to the hand sewing of bags, "ignorance is bliss" as they say, not sure I would have started had I known what all was involved!! I did them simultaneously so I could do the same steps at the same time!!! Had I done one completely first-I would have definitely  been too intimidated to start the other 3!!! I don't know if I will ever do another all black bag, I had a lot of trouble trying to see where I was stitching.

[bikermutt07]

18 minutes ago, Alane said:

Thanks for the comments! Since I have spent many years sewing with fabric before I started leatherworking the lining wasn't too hard.  I used the same pattern as the bag and used a pigskin lining leather for the top 2".  That way I could insert it between the zipper top and bag side and not have to worry about the fabric ripping out. The seam between the leather and the fabric was then inside the bag where it wouldn't get as much stress. As to the hand sewing of bags, "ignorance is bliss" as they say, not sure I would have started had I known what all was involved!! I did them simultaneously so I could do the same steps at the same time!!! Had I done one completely first-I would have definitely  been too intimidated to start the other 3!!! I don't know if I will ever do another all black bag, I had a lot of trouble trying to see where I was stitching.

Ha!!!