My dad and I designed and made this multi-pocket crossbody bag from dark brown and tan Italian leather.

We wanted it to stay fairly compact while still offering plenty of organized storage, so we built it around a structured main compartment, added two pockets on the sides, and placed two smaller pouches directly onto the wide adjustable strap.

The bottom is reinforced with an extra layer of leather stitched onto the outside, which gives the bag more structure and helps protect the base. Everything was hand stitched with 1 mm waxed polyester thread, and I finished the edges with Uniters edge paint.

There are many separate pieces and layers in this one, especially around the pockets and strap, but I really enjoyed seeing the whole design come together.

I hope you enjoy it .Feel free to ask me anything about the materials or construction.

Hi,

I bought two massive pieces of very soft chrome tanned (saddle) leather from an closing fiactory. The guy told me i should store it hanging to prevent wrinkles, but these two cows are way to big to keep it hanging in my flat. Is it save to store it rolled up like in the picture for years or will this irreversibly damage it over time?

(payed 95€ for both (~2,2x2,2m each). was this a good deal?)

Full‑grain Italian leather, solid brass hardware, 40 cm frame opening. Every seam is saddle‑stitched by hand. The bag holds its shape well and has good capacity for weekend travel or daily carry. Classic doctor bag silhouette with a clean, minimal finish.

How do I replicate this sort of flap shape? I have a feeling I can't achieve it with a simple coin and cutter can I? I want to avoid the basic sharp corners like the one in the final photo

I bought a pattern off of Etsy. I tried to use the trace function.... That created something usable but not great. The other problem is some of the patterns that I've bought have watermarks over some of the lines (even in the purchased file)

Just getting into this and was curious if you people prefer knifes or scissors to cut

Hello! Would you guys recommend me gluing this or leaving it be? It’s not super deep but i also don’t want to ruin the bag.

If you recommend gluing or repair, what products should I use?

I made some vinegroon (1L of vinegar, and serious amount of extra fine steel wool). I had the vinegar sit for over a month, and had enough to dye two pieces of white suede (12”x12” each) and I got a decent dark chocolate colour, but when I rinsed it it turned quite a bit lighter. Honestly I was under the impression it’d get black out of this process. Any tips? or do I just need to keep treating it to get the colour I’m hoping for?

How the heck are your guys’ edges and corners so clean!? I slowed down, burnished longer etc. and mine are still rough. Any advice would be appreciated!

Full grain leather, detachable pocket, possible to hang a keyring, magnetic closure. No machine used to make it. What do you think?

hi all! i'm trying to tighten the leather on a finished product (a filofax similar to this) and i saw a method (here) that tightens up worn-out/stretched-out leather by:

• applying conditioner first
• blow drying that area on high heat (and applying more conditioner during the blow dry process if needed)

until the leather is tight again. this method was used on a couch seat, but i'm wondering if it might work for my needs? i'm not able to do the water/blow-dryer method so i'm looking into alternatives. thanks!

Three photos of each bag

​Just finished up this piece and wanted to share the results with you all. I really love working with vegetable-tanned leather for its durability and how beautifully it ages over time.

​Material: Premium vegetable-tanned leather.

​Construction: 100% handmade using traditional saddle stitch with contrast red thread.

​Features: Multiple card slots and a secure snap closure.

​I'm quite happy with how the edges and stitching turned out, but I'm always looking to improve. Any feedback on the design or construction is welcome!

​Thanks for looking!

This is thr first project where I drafted the pattern, worked on iterations to better clearances and didna tiny bit of wet moulding just to modify the level of friction when pulling out the cards. im really happy with how it turned out. I design the patterns on Illustrator and its worked great for me so far.

would love to get your feedback!

Hello! I'm trying to dye a belt edge from tan to black (sedgwick bridle isn't struck through), and am not used to working with dye rather than paint on smaller leather goods. I am hoping to find a dye that is more or less explicitly safe to use indoors, and doesn't require an acrylic sealer and can basically eliminate rub off entirely with just buffing and tokanole. Does such a dye exist? Any recommendations would be incredible! Thank you!

I've seen threads about are stitching ponys worth it, but I have a couple specific questions I hope someone can help me with.

First, Are the nicer/more expensive stitching ponys worth the extra money. I know you can get sub $50 ones from Tandy and other places but there are also ones that are $250+. Are the fancier ones worth the extra money?

Second, I see how a stitching pony would help with sewing flat items, but what about things like sewing a gusset onto a purse? That's where I need more hands but don't see how a pony would help.

Thanks in advance.

My niece is a horse girl (real horses) and is having a birthday soon. She has some professionally made leather goods, including a highly tooled saddle. I think she might enjoy leatherworking - leaning towards western style stamps and carving.

Does anybody have an idea for what would be a good kit or ??? for a newb? Where do you start with leather working?

Hello,

I bought some "designer side" from Tandy. Its really soft and the label says Epsom. Its also very thin. I have been looking into how to work with nappa because that is also soft and thin but I cant find a lot of advice regarding it specifically. There are so many videos and guidances on thicker veg tan but not so much on this very soft product.

It appears to be dyed but it doesnt have a protective coating on it from what I can see. Its dirty and wiping with a microfiber cloth takes away some of the color.

Have any of you tips or tricks about this type of leather when fashioning a slouchy handbag? What should someone know before going into it? It seems like I need to clean it and put a protective coating on it at least so any advice there would be great since it doesnt appear that knowledge on thicker veg tan products wont apply here. I also tried skiving it and it was super easy until my blade appeared to crap out. Google says that can happen due to the oils released from the leather but I just cannot get it working again. Piercing it appears to be easy but it can be stretched out horribly.

Thoughts? What should I know?

Thank you everyone!