A classmate asked me to make her a bag like I have. This was a great opportunity to improve the little things that I didn’t like that much in my own bag. The construction of the bag is mostly the same as my own, so for pictures of that go to the other post.
Some differences:
-all leather parts are made from new (instead of recycled) leather;
-the strap is very different from the one on my bag. The loop for the buckle is hand-stitched, rather than riveted. A screw stud prevents the excess strap from flopping around. I like it’s more minimalist look;
-I kept the interior far more simple: just one pocket to put your phone or wallet in. I also used a different fabric, that has a bit more vintage look to it;
-one of the most important differences is probably the leather used for the flap. It’s a bit thinner than the leather I used for my bag, making the whole bag more lightweight and elegant.
-I used nickel instead of brass hardware. I think it gives the bag a cleaner look.
-overall the finish is much neater. This is mostly because I’m getting better at these things.
Some shots of the parts pre-assembly. All leather parts and leather-on-fabric connections are hand-stitched. All fabric parts are done on my little Toyota (which I really wouldn’t recommend to anyone, but hey, can’t afford a better one yet).
Here you can see one of the improvements from the first bag: the stud screw to hold the excess flap. There are multiple holes to screw the stud in, in case you want to adjust the strap. I don’t adjust the strap that often (and I think that goes for most), so this system works fine.
Some tips: the best way to create the bottom that fits the piece of wood that goes in as a “floor”, put the wood inside of the bag. The flaps that you have to sew across will automatically form.
See? Those are the flaps you have to sew across.
Same goes for the interior:
Some pictures of the finished bag. I didn’t have a lot of time to take them, and they were taken with low-light.
Don’t you just love the glare of the TV on the flap?
