Bag Making:

A HOW TO...

LEATHER vs. FABRIC

So many bag makers want to know how easily they can create their makes in leather versus fabric. Welcome to EXAMPLE Bag's first post in a LEATHER vs. FABRIC bag making series where we're going to find out just how easily (or not) we can sew our favorite bags using leather instead of fabric.

If you're a domestic sewing machine user making bags today, it's likely you began your journey using cottons and denims, eventually graduating yourself to corks, canvasses and vinyls, but even after years of bag construction experience, many of us seem to shy away from stepping into the world of leather. The two biggest reasons why? Cost and Confusion.

My personal experiences learning to sew leather were wrought with frustration and little available resources for learning the differences in material needs, techniques and finishes. Not to mention that leather comes at a higher financial cost which can lead to terrible feelings if/when you mess it up. - and boy oh boy, do I know those feelings well! 

In this 10 part series, I am going to tackle some of the most fundamental considerations that I learned as a bag maker sewing leather versus fabric, including different machine types and their capabilities, leather specific construction techniques and the most helpful leather-relevant sewing notions. We're even going to talk about the proper care of your final leather product. So keep on reading as we begin this extensive 10 part series of machine sewn leather, right here on ExampleBags.com.

What's to come:

Part 1: Leather Characteristics, Types and Choices

Part 2: How To Properly Calculate Quantity

Part 3: Before You Cut!

Part 4: Interfacings

Part 5: Pressing

Part 6: Which Machine Should I use? (Domestic, Semi-Industrial, Industrial)

Part 7: Make Your Domestic Sewing Machine Leather-Ready (Needles, Thread, Presser Feet & Other Useful Tools)

Part 8: How To Combine Leather and Fabric In The Same Project

Part 9: Seams & Leather Edge Finishes

Part 10: After Sewing: How to Care for and Clean Your Leather Product

Ready to begin?

Click here for Part 1: Leather Characteristics, Types and Choices.