Tutorial: How I Made a Bag from a Jacket

A Jacket + An Idea = A New Bag

As I promised, today I'm showing how I made a bag from a jacket you saw in my previous post. The bag is not hard to make and does not require a lot of skills, so don't hesitate to make it even if you never made a bag before! So, let's move on to the tutorial :)

The Bag From A Jacket

Hello Everyone!

Note: the tutorial for this bag is going to be up in a couple of days, so be sure to check it out! Update: the tutorial is now here.

Today I’d like to share with you my latest bag – a bag made from a thrifted jacket. The design is a combination of my previous bags: the handles (I find these handles the most comfortable to carry) and the square shape is from the Simple Bag, the construction is basically the same as in the Day Bag, the ends of the handles are from the first bag I made. The long zipper was inspired by Celine Luggage Tote, which allows carrying a lot of things in a bag when opened.

Despite small imperfections (like a zipper that opens a bit too hard. But with a bag color like this I couldn’t be picky), I really like this bag and I think it’s probably the best bag I’ve made so far. It will be a good substitute to my current everyday bag.

A couple of modeling photos to give an idea about the size

Thrifting For Materials and Bags From Jackets

I'm now making a bag from this jacket - hope it will be done in a couple of days!

There are many places to find materials for sewing projects: the usual fabric stores, online shops,  own closet filled with I-will-never-wear-this-again clothing, a friends closet, also filled with some unwanted clothes, a fabric stash, hidden in bottom of the closet with fabric we can’t re-call purchasing, thrift stores and probably some very unique places which I forgot to count.

The assortment in local fabric stores isn’t as big as I wish it was and it doesn’t change as fast as I hope it one day will; the online fabric shops aren’t for such picky shoppers like me, who must to test the fabric before spending money on it; my closet is already in a state where I can’t look at it and think of what I can get rid of; my fabric stash is small and now only contains things that are in I-will-finish-it-one-day condition, some big sewing flops which I can’t force myself to throw away and the very first garments I ever made. So, I have one option that works quite fine for me: the thrift stores. Even though I usually leave thrift stores empty handed (as I said, I’m very picky when it comes to this matter), I still go to them with expectations to come across garments with interesting materials that I can use in my projects. And sometimes I find something I really like.

There are a couple of things to look for while thrift shopping: old handbags for either leather, either interesting hardware; silky scarves for lining and leather garments for outside of the bag.

So I’d like to share a few points how to choose materials for bags project in a thrift store:

1) Price – the very first point to look at. I have set a limit to spend on a garment in a thrift store and I don’t pay above that line. Reason is very simple – I like to keep my hobby as inexpensive as I can, because I would lose motivation to create if I could buy things for less than it would cost me to create.

2) Condition – it’s pretty clear why: if the garment you would use as a material looks very “used” there’s a great chance your creation from it won’t look good or will not last long.

3) Material – of course, it’s very important to know what you are going to make. For example, I like making bags that’s why the first thing I check when in thrift stores is the leather jacket section. Originality of material can also play a role when choosing. Also, be sure that your sewing machine will be capable to deal with chosen material: I had left a couple of nice jackets only because the leather was too thick and my sewing machine wouldn’t sew it.

4) Size – if you buy leather jacket with expectation to make a big bag, be sure to look for a large size with little details – in this way you will have enough material :) That’s why I usually buy men jackets instead of women – I have more space to create!

Now let me share my latest purchase (see the photo above), which fits in all 4 categories mentioned above: 0,75 Euro cents; great condition – seriously, I almost didn’t want to cut it!; amazing material – alcantara, which looks like suede, but made from polyester; large size - plenty of space to create. Great choice for a bag (which is in a process of making right now).

I hope this will encourage you to look for materials for your projects in thrift stores! Have a nice day :)

The Duffel Bag

There were a lot of variations of a duffel bag created by famous brands recent years, so I decided to make one myself. Frankly, I’m not the one to make/buy/wear something just because it’s “in”, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to test this shape, because it’s not something I would normally go for. Since this was meant to be a test bag, I used cheap heavyweight cotton (I used the same cotton in the cosmetics bag) instead of leather.

I’m a bit undecided whether I like the result. On one hand, I like that this bag fits a lot, even though it’s small. And I like the plain looks of it (you might have noticed already that I’m a fan of simple bags with little detail). But on the other hand it feels a bit too sporty for everyday occasions to me.

 Anyway, I’ll be using this bag for short trips, however, I don’t know if I will be repeating this shape any time soon, simply because it’s not exactly my style.

P.S. For the future record, this bag will also be known as “the one that doesn’t take good pictures”. Lucky for me, there are things like photo editing which saved the day :D

A close-up of the details

I made sides squared with rounded corners, while the traditional duffel bag has round sides

Tutorial: Cosmetic Bag

Before I started making bags I used to have only one bag at the time. Now, when I have several, I often switch them depending on occasion/outfit. Changing bags regularly is not a big problem for me though, because I usually carry just a few things in my bag. Yet I have a couple of items I usually forget to transfer and miss during the day, like a lip balsam, a lipstick or a pack of gum. Therefore, I decided that I need a small cosmetics bag for all the necessities.

Since I wanted it to match every bag that I own, I went with black fabric + black faux leather and classic shape for this cosmetics bag. And here is the result:

It's small, but fits a lot: you can see a lipstick, a lip balsam and a small perfume bottle inside and the are still plenty of room left!

The Already-Seen-Bag

Hello!

Today I'd like to show you a bag you already seen - the bag from Show and Tell №2. I really wanted to show you how it looks carried, but at the time I didn't have the possibility to take any other picture than a bag standing on the floor. So during last photoshoot for the shoulder bag/clutch, we took some photos of  №2 (I should have named the bags - it's now confusing ;D ). But photos with me didn't turn out well, so, with a permission of a friend, I'm showing the bag carried by my friend (to whom I actually forgot to thank for taking photos ;D ).

Have a nice week!

A friend carrying a bag 

Show and Tell №8. Classic Shoulder Bag/Clutch

Hello Everyone!

I've waited so long to make and show you this bag - the classic shoulder bag, with a removable/adjustable strap, which allows to wear the bag in 3 ways: like a regular shoulder bag; like a purse or as a clutch. 

If you read my previous post you know, that I was trying a lot of new things this time. And, well, I won't lie to you guys - I made some mistakes. On the other hand - I learned from my mistakes and I won't repeat them in the future, so yey! :D

Anyway, I glued way more than I planned, therefore I glued too many fingers (tipp: super glue are easily removable from fingers with nail polish remover that has acetone in it). Planned on sewing some seams by hand - it turned out to be mission impossible because of the leather (faux crocodile leather, by the way). But the glue came in handy and saved the day.

Oh, and in case you are thinking of making a handbag yourself instead of buying it, but still don't know if it's worth trying, let me give you one more plus to the "I'll make a handbag myself" section: it's very economical. I counted, that this bag is the most expensive handbag I've made - the materials costed less than 4 Euros (around 5$). All other handbags I made are much cheaper, some of them (re-constructed ones) costed basically nothing to make. Which allows me to say, that all the bags I made so far combined (I think I made 8 bags) costed way less than one bag from store! Isn't this a plus?

So, to sum up, the bag turned out to be better then I expected, though it has some minor mistakes. I'll probably make something like this again in the future, because, well, I really like it! ;D (of course, the next time I'm making it I'll make a tutorial, too!)

What I'm making now...

Faux croc leather in colour beige or nude (frankly, I can't tell the difference :D). In reality, those vertical lines aren't visible.

Wonder what I am currently making? Oh, a bag of course! But this time I'm making something different and using so many things and methods I've never used before:

1. Faux crocodile leather - actually it look very faux (see the photo above), but I wanted to try croc for so long that I thought I'll give this fabric a try (let's just hope it's not as bad as the leather I used on the previous bag...)
2. Gluing - can you believe I managed to go so long without using glue??? Why am I using glue this time? Well, this brings us to the next point:
3. A Sturdy bag - FINALLY! Making a very sturdy bag has been my goal for quite some time, since I really like them, but somehow I always end up making baggy bags. Actually my previous bag should have been very sturdy, but after starting sewing the leather I decided it would look better baggy (well, sometimes not everything goes as planned)
4. And last, but not least, - it's going to be a shoulder bag. If you're thinking, whether you've seen a shoulder bag here or not, the answer is no - this is going to be my very first shoulder bag! A classic shoulder bag is just the bag I needed for my so called "collection" :D

So, all these points combined - let's just hope this bag will turn out fine (though I can also see it going to the different - very wrong - direction :D). But if all works out well - new bag soon!

Tutorial: The Day Bag. Assembling

We're continuing making the day bag as seen  here . By now you should have finished making the pattern as shown in the tutorial part 1 (see here)

In this final part we are going to assemble the bag.

Tutorial: The Day Bag. Pattern making

As promised - the tutorial for the day bag you saw here. 

This is Part 1. In the part I'm going to show you, how to make a pattern. I've talked about pattern making here , but I know it might still sound confusing. Don't worry - I'll show you all the steps :)


Step 1. Draw the detailed bag sketch, try to be as accurate as possible: try to keep all the proportions the way you want to see them on the bag, draw the hardware if you are going to use it. Draw the front and the side. If you're making a different back of the bag, draw it too (the back on my bag is simply all-leather, without any details, so I didn't draw the back).

Show and Tell: №7

In today’s Show and Tell – the Day Bag. A medium size (32x24x9 cm) bag to carry all the things I need during the day. 

At the beginning, I decided I don’t want a zipper as a closure for the bag. So I had to think of another solution. And then I remembered my friend’s bag that closes with a flap. I thought I’ll try to make a flap, and you know what? I loved it! 

Though I like the design, I had a huge disappointment with this particular faux leather – it was very easy to sew, but it started cracking while sewing! Now some corners looks “used”, while, in fact, it’s brand new bag. I never had this problem before, and for a moment I was almost giving up on the entire project. But I decided to give it another try, and here it is.

Anyway, I like this bag and I’m definitely going to make something like this in the future (with better leather of course). And I'll try to make photos when I'm using the bag - it looks nicer when carried :)

About Handbag Making...

Long time no see, right?

I have no bag to show for you today, but that doesn't mean we can't talk about handbag making! If you are interested in handbag making, or even if you're not, I want to share with you something you might find interesting and inspiring.

Here is the video that I first saw at late spring and it was very interesting to see. It's an experiment titled "$35,000 Handbag vs. $35 Handbag", and the main point of it is whether a home-made copy of a Hermes Kelly handbag can stand for the real deal. The answer of course is No, but the video is still very entertaining to see:

$35000 Handbag vs. $35 Handbag

What do you? I don't like the idea of copying a bag and then pretend it's something else, but I liked the idea that you can make a nice handbag at home. Though I had one question during the entire video - $35 (I assume it's for the materials only) for a home-made bag? Isn't it too pricey?

The second thing I wanted to show you is (again) about Hermes Kelly - the article about how it's made:

How Hermes Kelly is made

Amazing, right?  I think it's very nice of Hermes to let people take a glimpse at how an iconic bag is made. 

And for the end, the making of the Miss Dior bag. I'm not a fan of a bag itself, but the whole making process is quite interesting to see:

Show and Tell: №6

Hello!

A quick post today :)

In this Show and Tell I’m showing you the bag I made for a friend of mine. That’s why it’s a little bit different than previous bags – the design was her idea, and I just helped to bring it to life. As you can see, the bag is quite big, has two front pockets, two handles and a long strap - just in case you want to carry it on your shoulder

The bag is from grey cotton (I think, but I’m not sure, might be a mix of materials) with leather details. The fabric isn’t as good as I thought it would be – my friend uses this bag quite a lot and unfortunately the bag already has fabric “bubbles” (don’t know if it’s the right name for that). Though this material has one plus – it’s machine washable.  

P.S. Before I forget - are any of you using Pinterest.com? How cool is it?! :) 

Show And Tell: №5. The Remaking

Hello Everybody!

Have you ever had something in your closet that you no longer use, but still keep it? The situation with this bag was the same – it was hidden somewhere in the closet, waiting for its turn to comeback. And then one day it came back… as a new bag!

It wasn’t hidden in my closet, though. It was my cousins. Then one day I told her I make bags, and she generously gave me a bag filled with bags she no longer used.

Oh, what a goldmine! You wonder why I was so happy? Old handbags are great for a couple of things: leather, hardware and decorative details that you can’t make at home. With leather it’s pretty obvious: you can use leather for a new bag or at least take leather scraps for your new craft project. When it comes to hardware - it can be hard to find sometimes, so it’s great when you find necessary parts somewhere in an old bag. And decorative details can whisper you an idea for a new bag. It happened with this bag too.

When I first saw it, I knew exactly that the strap and pockets can’t go to waste! So I carefully removed them from the bag, took an old long navy blue skirt, made a simple tote from it, added some lining and finally attached the handle and pockets. And that’s it! It took less than an hour to make this bag, which costed me nothing!

Show and Tell: №4 The Beginning

    The bag you'll see in this post is special. Not because it’s a first full-leather bag I’ve shown here (somehow I only show fabric-leather combo bags :D), but because it’s my first sewn handbag.  What an ambition for a beginner, right?

    Oh, I’ve learnt so much by making it…

    When I started making this bag, I knew nothing about handbag sewing. Everything started with an idea. An idea to make a leather bag. After a week of thinking, I went to the thrift store, bought the cheapest decent looking faux-leather jacket I could find, cut it and sewn pieces together. I didn’t use a pattern – just drew a couple of squares on a piece of paper and cut them out. 

Thanks for friend for making photos :)

  

    To be honest, I only used it once. I thought it was so far from perfection, that I hid it somewhere in the closet. And it would have stayed there if not for my friend – I showed it to her one day and she seemed to really like it! Her kind words inspired me not to stop after one bag, but to continue making them (if she is reading this, I’d like to say: thanks dear ;) .

    If you’re thinking about making a handbag, I have just one tip for you (though it’s different than tips you might find somewhere else). So here it is: make a bag you really want to make. I know that if you’re thinking of making a handbag, you already have a picture in your head how it should look like. Go for it. Don’t make the easiest bag you can find just because it’s easy – it won’t inspire you. Make the bag you really want to make –you will be happy making it and you will learn a lot.

Show and Tell: №3

    Today I’d like to show you a case for sunglasses I made back in summer.

    As I wasn’t making this for myself, I got one request: it shouldn’t be boxy (in other words, it had to be like a little bag). Having this request in mind, I let my creativity do its job. And, after less than an hour, the case was done.

Left photo - empty case, right photos - case with sunglasses in it

   There are a lot of patterns online for sunglasses cases. However, I didn’t use one. I just measured length, height and width of the sunglasses and cut the fabric. Yes, it was that easy. 

     I drew a scheme to show you what details I used this time (I wrote the exact measures I used on the side). 

A pattern for case

  

Though I prefer sturdy cases, this was definitely a fun and a quick project to do. And it is cheap to do – I used scraps of fabrics I already had.

Show and Tell: №2

Hello Everyone! 

Now it’s time to Show and tell №2. This time I want to show you the bag I like the most and use the least.

At a very beginning I didn’t know exactly what bag I want to make, but I knew how it should look like: very casual, very clean design, very simple, very fabulous. Then I saw a photo of Reese Witherspoon (she definitely has a great simple style!) with a fabulous tote. I decided to make something similar and here is the result.

  

I don’t use it as often as I thought I would. However I take it when I go for groceries shopping. It fits a lot of stuff!  

As you can see, I just love faux leather and fabric combo! It is very economical too:  faux leather is cheap and you don’t need a lot of it (I bought 40cmX160cm of black faux leather and it was enough for both bags you’ve seen so far and I still have some left). And you can either buy fabrics or use some clothing you no longer use!

No zipper in this bag, but I put 3 press buttons (the hammer is useful in bag making too! :D ).

                                                             Hope you all have a nice Sunday! :)

Show and tell: № 1

     Today I’d like to show you my latest handbag. My hardest work so far, despite the fact that the result looks very simple.  And the reason it was hard to make is that I had to remake it 3 times (!).

      At first it was supposed to be all faux-leather with a metal zipper in front. Did that and realized that the zipper did not look good at all. So I had to take everything apart.

     At my second attempt I did everything in faux-leather, with no zipper. Guess what? Didn’t like it either!

     Then I decided to give this bag a third – last – chance. I didn’t have enough leather to keep the proportions I wanted. I looked at my fabric stack and saw an old skirt that needed to be shortened. I made a decision that it would look better as a bag and not as a skirt, and turned it into the result that you see: a faux-leather bag with fabric detail.

     The fact is that I only made this bag because I had some leather left from my other bag. But now it is the bag I use the most, despite its imperfections. 

The bag carried