Book for Bag Making?

[MtlBiker]

Is there a recommended book on general bag making techniques?  Leather and/or other materials?  I'm looking to learn techniques and get ideas about general bag construction and patterns.  Looking on Amazon there are a gazillion books, but the reviews seem all over the map.

I'm just ordering Nigel Armitage's "Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects", Valeria Michael's "Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of Techniques and Projects" and Kasia Ehrhardt's "Leather Bags: 14 Stylish Designs to Sew for any Occasion."

Before moving into expensive leather, I want to practice and experiment with Cordura and faux-leather, so a general bag making book would be most helpful to me at this point.

Thanks!

 

[chrisash]

I have Valeria Michael's "Leatherworking Handbook and found it useful though the plans are rather difficult to understand as more than one design on a page. good starter book

[mike02130]

The only book you mentioned that I'd recommend is Nigel's.  Ellen Valentine has an excellent book with patterns and detailed how-to information and she is willing to answer questions.  RML offers free shipping.  It ain't cheap but eliminate two of the three books you mentioned and put the money toward Ellen's.  Al Stohlman has an excellent book on bag and case making.  It is great for showing you how to make straps and handles.

[MtlBiker]

5 minutes ago, mike02130 said:

The only book you mentioned that I'd recommend is Nigel's.  Ellen Valentine has an excellent book with patterns and detailed how-to information and she is willing to answer questions.  RML offers free shipping.  It ain't cheap but eliminate two of the three books you mentioned and put the money toward Ellen's.  Al Stohlman has an excellent book on bag and case making.  It is great for showing you how to make straps and handles.

I've seen Nigel's book recommended before, even though it's just come out (in most places).  And Kasia Ehrharadt's book looked good and was recommended to me by @Hardrada in another thread about linings.  Anyway, I've ordered the three I mentioned.

What is "RML"? 

I just searched Ellen Valentine and that book does indeed look like a good one.  But I couldn't find anywhere what currency the price is... if it's in US dollars then it's over $100 Canadian, which is really a lot.  Plus shipping!  (Guessing from Europe?)  I'll wait until I get the books I ordered and then maybe I'll treat myself to this one.

[mike02130]

Yeah, expensive at 80 bucks.  It goes into a lot of detail and she has the patterns which you can download and she will answer questions.  Rocky Mountain Leather has free shipping in USA.  Maybe discount to Canada?  YouTube and cheap leather for prototypes should be your best friends.  Good luck.

[chrisash]

The designs in Valeria Michael's "Leatherworking Handbook which you can see on her website, do appear quite basic, but not having seen the book its hard to give a real appraisal, but at that price i would expect more

https://leatherworkschool.com/

[MtlBiker]

57 minutes ago, mike02130 said:

Yeah, expensive at 80 bucks.  It goes into a lot of detail and she has the patterns which you can download and she will answer questions.  Rocky Mountain Leather has free shipping in USA.  Maybe discount to Canada?  YouTube and cheap leather for prototypes should be your best friends.  Good luck.

I've been looking for sources of cheap leather, but again, since I'm in Canada, buying from a US supplier and paying the (usually exorbitant) shipping to Canada, often brokerage, allowing for the exchange rate, etc. just makes that less than ideal.  I've been searching for a source (I'm in a big city and there should be a place) and have a lead on a possible supplier.  I hope to confirm that in the next couple of days.  In the meanwhile I am sure I can buy some faux leather... do you think that would be good to experiment with and prototype?

 

[MtlBiker]

3 minutes ago, chrisash said:

The designs in Valeria Michael's "Leatherworking Handbook which you can see on her website, do appear quite basic, but not having seen the book its hard to give a real appraisal, but at that price i would expect more

https://leatherworkschool.com/

I'm not quite sure I follow you... You talk about Valeria Michael's book, but the link you included was for the expensive Ellen Valentine book.  Was your comment about that book or the Valeria Michael one?

 

[Hardrada]

Those books should get you started. I don't think you need to saturate yourself with more reference materials at this time. I haven't read Mr. Armitage's book but I have Ms. Michael's and Ms. Erhardt's books: the one is about traditional methods (i.e. hand stitching), and the other is geared towards machine sewing (though one could also stitch by hand) and it comes with all the patterns for all the projects depicted there, which is a bonus. Michael's book also has 'patterns' but they're more like reference schematics on the book itself and you'd have to draw them by hand by yourself.

Leather is expensive. I've been ordering from Rocky Mountain Leather Supply (RML) because they split to any weight I want or need. I've also purchased from Lonsdale Leather in Vancouver but they don't offer splitting and their weights can sometimes be thicker than I'd like.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Hardrada

[mike02130]

It may help more if you were to give specifics and show a picture of what you would like to make.  "General bag making techniques" is a wide ranging subject.  I make classic style handbags which are much different from totes and hobo bags and other "inside out" bags.  Will you be saddle stitching, bonding leather or using structure, padding or lining?  There are handle and strap styles.

[mike02130]

BTW, $108 Canadian money in and shipped from Canada.  

[MtlBiker]

14 hours ago, mike02130 said:

It may help more if you were to give specifics and show a picture of what you would like to make.  "General bag making techniques" is a wide ranging subject.  I make classic style handbags which are much different from totes and hobo bags and other "inside out" bags.  Will you be saddle stitching, bonding leather or using structure, padding or lining?  There are handle and strap styles.

I've got no real idea yet of what I want to make.  I'm just getting started.  So I've been looking more for ideas and techniques to learn than anything targeted at a specific type of bag.  I'm just getting my feet wet before jumping into the pool.

I've only been sewing for a couple of months now, so I'm a real beginner.  I've made (and am selling) wine totes and firewood totes, as well as padded sleeves to protect notebook computers.  I'd certainly like to make classic style handbags and lots of other things until I find my niche.

 

14 hours ago, mike02130 said:

BTW, $108 Canadian money in and shipped from Canada.  

Shipped from Canada?  From whom?  So far I've seen it coming from Europe or the US.

 

[$$hobby]

welcome

 

if you have any book stores where you live, you may want to check there first.  even calling/emailing/texting.... its so easy now to check before you go.  you know what you want and it makes it that much easier.

Also, you dont need to buy alot of books.  to me, its not difficult for somethings, but im more mechanical minded and think outside the box.  If you think of a bag as a sack or something similar, you maybe able to get idea of how it could be built/assembled.   

you dont say what type of bags you want to make, but to me its sort of moot.  

Once you get 1 or 2 reference material, then review them and see how its done.  Again, to me extrapolating what is shown and then applying to what i want is the next step.   

Sort of OT.  

 > my bucket seats upholstery on an earlier car was worn so i wanted to play and remake the seat upholstery.  I wanted to use something cool like Pendleton Wool and found a local outlet store.  But what did i use for a pattern?  i used the passenger seat!  And just flipped the pattern over for any seat adjustment controls.   easy-peasy.  I made all of my oops on the passenger seat and so the drivers seat was better made/assembled.  

 > when i was sailing, i had alot of gear to move from car to boat.  Got tired of making alot of trips, so i made a duffel using some cordura i had alot of.  I just made a "box" type duffle.  Round ends could have been done, but i decided on a big rectangular box (bag).  Zippers were a horse of a different color, but i had to do some thinking/drawing/sketching of how much material to overlap on top or not between the zipper side.  i didnt want exposed zippers but some covering over them when it rained.   Also, what it came down to is assembling the duffle inside-out.   

 > depending on what you want to make, if you can get your hands on one, turn it inside-out and see how its made.  again, easy peasy.

 > a friend wanted a book backpack made after seeing my bookpack. But he wanted some nicer things like padded straps and more pockets.   I had several used/broke/worn out book packs to use as "reverse engineering samples" and thats how i made my pack and my fiends.

 > if you can get any cheap material to use as "prototype" consider doing so.  

 > if you can draw, try drawing out your ideas.  You dont have to be 10000% details on the 1st go around, but doodle details, such as how you will do the zipper or corners. Or how you will do the sides/bottoms.  

 > as a matter of design and thinking outside the box, i try to MINIMIZE seams.  Why? because its a wear/weak point.  stitching can wear and loosen overtime. you do need seams, but i try to minimize it. 

 > for the most part, if you want to attach things like pockets, you can add the before you assemble the whole project, but that will depend on the type of "bag" you want to make.

 > i know this is a leather board and chances are you want to use leather.  I get that.  but remember leather requires CARE.  so whatever you decide to make, i would consider CARE.  If you dont want to maintain that leather, then i would consider some other material.  I mentioned CORDURA and i like using it since its nylon.  And it requires minimial/0 care.  

 

have fun

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by $$hobby

[bugmenot]

thank you very much for the recommendations, it's very helpful for me!

[CruzTorres]

On 12/11/2020 at 3:16 AM, $$hobby said:

welcome

 

if you have any book stores where you live, you may want to check there first.  even calling/emailing/texting.... its so easy now to check before you go.  you know what you want and it makes it that much easier.

Also, you dont need to buy alot of books.  to me, its not difficult for somethings, but im more mechanical minded and think outside the box.  If you think of a bag as a sack or something similar, you maybe able to get idea of how it could be built/assembled.   

you dont say what type of bags you want to make, but to me its sort of moot.  

Once you get 1 or 2 reference material, then review them and see how its done.  Again, to me extrapolating what is shown and then applying to what i want is the next step.   

Sort of OT.  

 > my bucket seats upholstery on an earlier car was worn so i wanted to play and remake the seat upholstery.  I wanted to use something cool like Pendleton Wool and found a local outlet store.  But what did i use for a pattern?  i used the passenger seat!  And just flipped the pattern over for any seat adjustment controls.   easy-peasy.  I made all of my oops on the passenger seat and so the drivers seat was better made/assembled.  

 > when i was sailing, i had alot of gear to move from car to boat.  Got tired of making alot of trips, so i made a duffel using some cordura i had alot of.  I just made a "box" type duffle.  Round ends could have been done, but i decided on a big rectangular box (bag).  Zippers were a horse of a different color, but i had to do some thinking/drawing/sketching of how much material to overlap on top or not between the zipper side.  i didnt want exposed zippers but some covering over them when it rained.   Also, what it came down to is assembling the duffle inside-out.   

 > depending on what you want to make, if you can get your hands on one, turn it inside-out and see how its made.  again, easy peasy.

 > a friend wanted a book backpack made after seeing my bookpack. But he wanted some nicer things like padded straps and more pockets.   I had several used/broke/worn out book packs to use as "reverse engineering samples" and thats how i made my pack and my fiends.

 > if you can get any cheap material to use as "prototype" consider doing so.  

 > if you can draw, try drawing out your ideas.  You dont have to be 10000% details on the 1st go around, but doodle details, such as how you will do the zipper or corners. Or how you will do the sides/bottoms.  

 > as a matter of design and thinking outside the box, i try to MINIMIZE seams.  Why? because its a wear/weak point.  stitching can wear and loosen overtime. you do need seams, but i try to minimize it. 

 > for the most part, if you want to attach things like pockets, you can add the before you assemble the whole project, but that will depend on the type of "bag" you want to make.

 > i know this is a leather board and chances are you want to use leather.  I get that.  but remember leather requires CARE.  so whatever you decide to make, i would consider CARE.  If you dont want to maintain that leather, then i would consider some other material.  I mentioned CORDURA and i like using it since its nylon.  And it requires minimial/0 care.  

Guys, if you have any difficulties in the learning process, I advise you to turn your attention to the company https://assignmentbro.com/us/chemistry-homework-help, which provides professional assistance to students with homework in chemistry.

have fun

 

 

 

Your recommendations are invaluable, thank you very much!

[Nailbanger]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:05 AM, MtlBiker said:

usually exorbitant) shipping to Canada,

I would check out Maverick leather, our shipping is usually wayyyyy high out here but they are decent just going post, worth looking into and their selection is great, mostly seconds, good prices