The second most popular question I get about this bag is about the stitching. As the leather in a leather jacket can vary in thickness and texture, I did my best to match all areas that come in pairs.Īs a modification to the pattern, I stabilized the back of the leather with Decovil light,Īfter that, everything else is following the bag pattern. The front and back were pieced together to fit the needed pattern piece as well as match each other. And I’m so glad they did! I cut several large pieces that would take up the needed space, sewed them together, then topstitched along the seams.Īfter that, I cut out the pattern pieces according to the pattern. The vertical and diagonal lines are not part of the pattern, but because I needed to piece some leather together to fit the pattern, they became a well-thought-out design element. The largest pattern pieces were not able to be achieved without some piecing together. Next, I cut out the biggest areas, taking into careful consideration my sketched-out plan and the necessary pattern pieces. I cut out the jacket lining (and hope to have that as its own upcycling project soon). Doing this made sure all of the pieces were accounted for. Once I had a general idea of which pattern pieces would work best for the different areas of the bag, I sketched it out. This was taken into consideration before cutting. Some areas of the jacket were more worn (elbows, lower back, and edges). Once all of the paper pattern pieces were cut out, I laid the jacket out and started moving the pieces around to decide where each pattern piece should come from. There are seams that came from the original jacket construction that stayed as part of the design of this bag, and it took some initial planning. I don’t recommend just start cutting into the jacket. Since this isn’t my first leather jacket upcycled bag, I had a few tricks to ensure I get the best use of the leather jacket.
LEATHER KNAPSACK HOW TO
The most common question I get about this bag is how to deconstruct a leather jacket to make the bag.
![leather knapsack leather knapsack](https://shop.samsonite.com/dw/image/v2/AAUE_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-product-catalog/default/dw25d37f8d/collections/_samsonite/mensleather/500x500/1048621041be01.jpg)
“handmade” label by Emmaline Bags, can be purchased on Etsy.zippers, zipper pulls, tassel cap, zipper end, purse feet, and rivets from My Handmade Space.
![leather knapsack leather knapsack](https://cdna.lystit.com/photos/3afa-2013/12/19/dsquared-green-cotton-canvas-leather-backpack-product-1-15922317-3-950889199-normal.jpeg)
LEATHER KNAPSACK PLUS
Read on for some notes about upcycling a leather jacket into a bag, plus the pattern, hardware, fabrics, and other materials used. It still smelled like him when I stuck it in the mail to her. While I even impressed myself with the outcome of this project, most importantly I was able to gift my dear mother-in-law a sentimental gift that she will cherish. She’s a tassel girl, so I added a tassel charm that’s backed with the interior fabric. The contrast turquoise thread was a last-minute choice. She wanted the lining to “pop” and she chose a floral watercolor fabric. We discussed hardware finishes and she immediately gravitated to the rose gold/copper hardware.
![leather knapsack leather knapsack](https://cdnc.lystit.com/photos/michaelkors/92e8d35f/michael-by-michael-kors-Black-Rhea-Medium-Leather-Backpack.jpeg)
She picked the one that I was hoping she would. We poured over several handbags and purse sewing patterns. But those unique traits make it a one-of-a-kind handmade leather bag.įor this bag, I wanted to use a pattern vs drafting my own.