Home-made master class: leather handbag, patterns and sewing

A bag, like any modern accessory, besides its utilitarian function, is often a means of self-expression for a person. Observant people, she can tell a lot about her master or mistress. And even more so with respect to things made by themselves. You yourself develop a style, select the details, create the style that corresponds to your lifestyle, mood, clothes. That is, having learned to sew such a "trifle" as a bag, you are making the first steps to forming your own image.

Work specifics

Of course, a bag made of leather with their own hands (patterns and other details) is somewhat heavier than from a denim or other fabric. After all, such a material is denser and thicker, for him and the sewing machine must be adapted. But more on that later. In the meantime, urgent advice:

• Think about the work in detail, since then it will be difficult to make corrections and additions.
• Good thread, the proper selection of them - an important condition, in order to get a quality leather bag. With their own hands make patterns, cut the elements of the product on the material - half the battle. It is necessary to sew them in such a way that the seams do not part. Therefore, choose nylon, silk or nylon threads. And it is desirable to make the firmware more than once, and several, for greater strength.
• As decorations, you can use trimmed leathers of contrasting colors, decorative stitching, braid, laces, metal insets and rivets. Suit rhinestones, beads, fringe (also made of leather).
• If you want, that you with handles had a bag made of leather, you can easily make patterns of this part with your own hands. And you can buy special rings, belts, clips, chains. With this fittings, your thing will turn out to be especially stylish.
• For a leather bag, you will need cardboard or a thick, stiff fabric to form a bottom, as well as a lining cloth. The latter can be picked up in tone to the top, but you can also contrast, with drawings, etc.
• Once you make such a thing, like a bag made of leather, with your own hands, you will have to make patterns for you, too. To do this, keep the tracing paper and newspapers, centimeter, rulers and triangles, English and ordinary pins, chalk, pencils, scissors. For cutting the skin you will need roller knives, a carpet for cutting.

Getting Started

How exactly can you sew a bag from the skin? Patterns (versions) are done like this:

• Determine the shape of the bag (rectangle, oval, square). Draw one side of the article on the paper (calques) in the expected sizes, along it, and cut out two parts (ie, both sides). In accordance with them, you need to cut out the bottom stencil. Its length should be equal to: the length of the base plus the height multiplied by 2. If desired, it becomes rectangular, narrowed, etc.
• The design of a men's bag made of leather is generally the same as that of a woman. And if you are interested in a female reticule with a round bottom, then draw a circle of the desired diameter with a compass or simply circle the plate. And the walls can be made in the form of an even (or shaped) ribbon-strip, the height of which you determine, and the length should be equal to the length of the circumference of the bottom.
• The allowance for seams should be done better when the pattern is transferred to the material, otherwise you can get confused. For them, leave 1.5-2 cm.
• Pattern for the handle / knobs is elementary: rectangular strips of the desired width and length, plus a stock for sewing. To this end, leave 4-5 cm on both sides.
• Well, the lining. This is quite simple: a rectangle of the necessary width and length and an allowance for the sides and the bottom. If there are additional details, cut out the lining and for them.

Assembling the product

When the pattern is ready, the details are cut out, compose them with pins, estimate how and how, and start sewing. Folds of the skin for the seams tap with a hammer to become softer. Do this through the fabric. Sew not round, but ribbed needles, it's more convenient. Having made a basis, be engaged in a lining. Then connect both elements, attach handles, sew a buckle and add, if necessary, decorations, decor elements.