2023 Resolution: Shopping my Own Bags and SLG Collection

[Vintage Leather]

A long standing tradition in this thread is to remind ourselves of how wonderful our own collections are by showcasing them. We can see how far we have come, collection wise, and we reminded that we have all (or most of) what we need making it easier to shop our own closets.



• New theme weeks start each Sunday

• Don’t jump ahead but, if you miss a week, please do show your bags “late”.

• Show bags individually or in a group

• You do NOT have to wear the bags that week

• For added fun, show old pictures from previous years to demonstrate how you have curated it over time.

• This is completely voluntary. There is no pressure to post at any time.





So what are the showcases? In the Fall, we group our bags by makers! Feel free to show bags, small leather goods, or however it is easiest to organize!

August 13 - Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta

August 20 - Burberry, Celine

August 27 - Coach, Chanel

September 3 - Chloe, Dior

September 10 - Dooney & Bourke, Fendi

September 17 - Ferragamo, Givenchy

September 24 - Goyard, Gucci

October 1 - Hermes, Kate Spade

October 8 - Loewe, Longchamp

October 15 - Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs

October 22 - Michael Kors, Miu Miu

October 29 - Mulberry, Prada

November 5 - Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Minkoff

November 12 - Saint Laurent, Tods

November 19 - Tory Burch, Valentino

November 26 - Bags by Jewelers: Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany Co, Van Cleef & Arpels. Alternatively, the pillboxes, compacts and other lovelies made by jewelers that fit in your bag.

December 3 - independent artisans and custom bags.

 

[dcooney4]

This is my Coach Snoopy bag from a few years ago.View attachment 5905950

So cute and I love the charm too.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Thank you its a perfect shade!

Omg i just went looking in my pic folders and i forgot i also bought 2 other bag charms this month
I am a bit nutty about them and need to stop buying so many Pix below! The AFF ones have not arrived yet or i would do a group pic.

Thank you feels good to let go of bags i know i won’t carry….love the rockstuds too
I swear by the Savannah Bee stuff! Love!


View attachment 5905646View attachment 5905647View attachment 5905648View attachment 5905649View attachment 5905644

The orange Hermes shopping bag charm really appeals to me!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

@cowgirlsboots — you are amazing! The vision and creativity and skill. Just wow

Thank you so much! You all don´t know how much all your positive feedback means to me!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

@cowgirlsboots, I wonder if train cases are coming back? These are two travel gifts with purchase being offered this month by a U.S. company called Lilly Pulitzer (known for their beach/resort/cruise wear).

Oh, I love this cute train case! Given the airline regulations I fear that if they come back it´s more for decoration than for actual travel. For the teeny tiny bottles we can take on a plane only a teeny tiny train case would make sense...

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Very much a cat person-I have 3..Bianca turns 6 today..she’s a white Balinese, if she were a human , I think she’d be wanting a designer bag!
I’m spending this morning singing Happy Birthday!
In fact here she is with my late navy Tsako, which she loved!

Happy Birthday gorgeous Bianca!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Oh my Gawddddd!
The duo is soooo amazingly beautiful! You're my HERO! I have been wanting to do something like this and I've been collecting leather so that I can.
Was it harder to make the smaller one?

I may have missed it, but what kind of sewing machine, needle, foot, and thread do you use? Or do you hand sew?
Do you have to get the stitches perfect the first time since it's leather?

Thank you!
Amazingly the tiny bag was an easy quick make. I mean I exactly knew what it had to look like and had practised getting seams right on the big bag plus I was free to glue the leather lining in- no chance to sew it. I had shrunk a small piece oth leather trying to iron on interfacing with too much steam and this ruined piece- now very stable- came in very handy for said leather lining. It gave instant structure.

My sewing machine is a domestic from the early 60ies- a Pfaff 230. She is fabulous and will sew anything from silk chiffon to leather. She was my mother´s. Mum used her all her adult life, I learned how to sew on this machine and when Mum passed I took the machine with me as one of my most prescious possessions.



I´m using the normal foot, a piping foot and an adjustable zipper foot.
I do not have any with teflon coated feet, so sometimes I need to put paper underneath.
For machine needles I experienced that most leathers are best sewn with a normal (German) size 70 or 80 machine needle. (For thin to medium fabrics.) A special leather needle that cuts the holes for the stitches when going in is only needed for thick seams and even then the smallest size possible is the best choice.
My thread is Amann Serafil, size 60. It´s recommended for leather, but not too thick for the domestic machine to handle. A size 30 gives more decorative topstitching, but my machine refuses it. (You need a pro leather machine to use it.)
The stitchlength should be long. Too small stitches perforate.
To help the machine go over height differences I recommend (stacked or single) popsicle sticks to put under the machine foot.
I only hand sew - and then preferrably with the size 30 thread- when the machine is no option.
And yes, you should get the stitches perfect the first time. Of course you can unpick, but there will be visible "tramlines". That´s why I did not even try to change my slightly wonky quilting.

I hope this helps.
Please share your projects when you start and kindly take pictures of the stages for dear @880.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Thank you!
Amazingly the tiny bag was an easy quick make. I mean I exactly knew what it had to look like and had practised getting seams right on the big bag plus I was free to glue the leather lining in- no chance to sew it. I had shrunk a small piece oth leather trying to iron on interfacing with too much steam and this ruined piece- now very stable- came in very handy for said leather lining. It gave instant structure.

My sewing machine is a domestic from the early 60ies- a Pfaff 230. She is fabulous and will sew anything from silk chiffon to leather. She was my mother´s. Mum used her all her adult life, I learned how to sew on this machine and when Mum passed I took the machine with me as one of my most prescious possessions.

View attachment 5906362

I´m using the normal foot, a piping foot and an adjustable zipper foot.
I do not have any with teflon coated feet, so sometimes I need to put paper underneath.
For machine needles I experienced that most leathers are best sewn with a normal (German) size 70 or 80 machine needle. (For thin to medium fabrics.) A special leather needle that cuts the holes for the stitches when going in is only needed for thick seams and even then the smallest size possible is the best choice.
My thread is Amann Serafil, size 60. It´s recommended for leather, but not too thick for the domestic machine to handle. A size 30 gives more decorative topstitching, but my machine refuses it. (You need a pro leather machine to use it.)
The stitchlength should be long. Too small stitches perforate.
To help the machine go over height differences I recommend (stacked or single) popsicle sticks to put under the machine foot.
I only hand sew - and then preferrably with the size 30 thread- when the machine is no option.
And yes, you should get the stitches perfect the first time. Of course you can unpick, but there will be visible "tramlines". That´s why I did not even try to change my slightly wonky quilting.

I hope this helps.
Please share your projects when you start and kindly take pictures of the stages for dear @880.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/314407590682

I am so impressed with your skills and talent!

 

[A bottle of Red]

Very much a cat person-I have 3..Bianca turns 6 today..she’s a white Balinese, if she were a human , I think she’d be wanting a designer bag!
I’m spending this morning singing Happy Birthday!
In fact here she is with my late navy Tsako, which she loved!

Happy birthday dear Bianca!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

I am so impressed with your skills and talent!

Thank you so much! Honestly all I do is "polish poo".

 

[Sunshine mama]

Thank you!
Amazingly the tiny bag was an easy quick make. I mean I exactly knew what it had to look like and had practised getting seams right on the big bag plus I was free to glue the leather lining in- no chance to sew it. I had shrunk a small piece oth leather trying to iron on interfacing with too much steam and this ruined piece- now very stable- came in very handy for said leather lining. It gave instant structure.

My sewing machine is a domestic from the early 60ies- a Pfaff 230. She is fabulous and will sew anything from silk chiffon to leather. She was my mother´s. Mum used her all her adult life, I learned how to sew on this machine and when Mum passed I took the machine with me as one of my most prescious possessions.

View attachment 5906362

I´m using the normal foot, a piping foot and an adjustable zipper foot.
I do not have any with teflon coated feet, so sometimes I need to put paper underneath.
For machine needles I experienced that most leathers are best sewn with a normal (German) size 70 or 80 machine needle. (For thin to medium fabrics.) A special leather needle that cuts the holes for the stitches when going in is only needed for thick seams and even then the smallest size possible is the best choice.
My thread is Amann Serafil, size 60. It´s recommended for leather, but not too thick for the domestic machine to handle. A size 30 gives more decorative topstitching, but my machine refuses it. (You need a pro leather machine to use it.)
The stitchlength should be long. Too small stitches perforate.
To help the machine go over height differences I recommend (stacked or single) popsicle sticks to put under the machine foot.
I only hand sew - and then preferrably with the size 30 thread- when the machine is no option.
And yes, you should get the stitches perfect the first time. Of course you can unpick, but there will be visible "tramlines". That´s why I did not even try to change my slightly wonky quilting.

I hope this helps.
Please share your projects when you start and kindly take pictures of the stages for dear @880.

Oh wow! Thank you very much for all the info!
That popsicle stick trick sounds amazing! I will try that.
And that's so cool that you get to use your mom's sewing machine!

 

[whateve]

Thank you!
Amazingly the tiny bag was an easy quick make. I mean I exactly knew what it had to look like and had practised getting seams right on the big bag plus I was free to glue the leather lining in- no chance to sew it. I had shrunk a small piece oth leather trying to iron on interfacing with too much steam and this ruined piece- now very stable- came in very handy for said leather lining. It gave instant structure.

My sewing machine is a domestic from the early 60ies- a Pfaff 230. She is fabulous and will sew anything from silk chiffon to leather. She was my mother´s. Mum used her all her adult life, I learned how to sew on this machine and when Mum passed I took the machine with me as one of my most prescious possessions.

View attachment 5906362

I´m using the normal foot, a piping foot and an adjustable zipper foot.
I do not have any with teflon coated feet, so sometimes I need to put paper underneath.
For machine needles I experienced that most leathers are best sewn with a normal (German) size 70 or 80 machine needle. (For thin to medium fabrics.) A special leather needle that cuts the holes for the stitches when going in is only needed for thick seams and even then the smallest size possible is the best choice.
My thread is Amann Serafil, size 60. It´s recommended for leather, but not too thick for the domestic machine to handle. A size 30 gives more decorative topstitching, but my machine refuses it. (You need a pro leather machine to use it.)
The stitchlength should be long. Too small stitches perforate.
To help the machine go over height differences I recommend (stacked or single) popsicle sticks to put under the machine foot.
I only hand sew - and then preferrably with the size 30 thread- when the machine is no option.
And yes, you should get the stitches perfect the first time. Of course you can unpick, but there will be visible "tramlines". That´s why I did not even try to change my slightly wonky quilting.

I hope this helps.
Please share your projects when you start and kindly take pictures of the stages for dear @880.

The popsicle stick trick is genius! I never would have thought of it.

 

[cecchetti]

Thank you so much! Honestly all I do is "polish poo".

You are so modest-you make it sound so easy..it’s absolutely Not!xx

 

[A bottle of Red]

Thank you so much! Honestly all I do is "polish poo".

Thank you so much! Honestly all I do is "polish poo".

Don't undersell your talent

 

[Bag peace]

Don't undersell your talent

Seconded!
@cowgirlsboots You must know how fabulous your work is. I've had a lot of handmade bags, from artisans all over the world, and most of them were not made to this standard. Those are people with a whole lifetime of experience in leatherworking and they're not creating pieces as seamless and polished as yours. You're incredibly skilled! Don't ever sell yourself short.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

The popsicle stick trick is genius! I never would have thought of it.

There are prefabricated tools to help the machine foot to climb upwards or downwards, but they are not very adjustable and fairly bulky.
Popsicle sticks you can stack and remove layers while you are going, you can put them under the behind side of the foot or under the front, but also only under one side when a seam allowance is narrow and does not take the whole foot. They make long ramps, too.
They are really universal, super easy to handle and a good sewing machine can go through unbelievable amounts of fabric when the foot has full contact and the transport is smooth.
I always have some on the sewing table.