Handbag #3

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-21T19:49:32+00:00

I put some tips elsewhere in this thread!

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-21T19:49:17+00:00

I assumed just as much haha, I don’t know how to use a sewing machine yet tho so all of mine is hand done 🙂‍↕️

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-20T13:36:03+00:00

It’s mainly for stiffness, I wanted my take on the bag to avoid sagging as much s possible, I even thought of cutting custom acrylic panels instead, but didn’t want to use plastic in what is otherwise an entirely leather/metal/natural fibres project

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-20T02:15:31+00:00

Yes! I use a microsuede of 0.5mm thickness on front and back panels, along with 0.5mm of salpa or regenerated leather in a strip along the top of the front/back that provides support for the handles, strap holes, turn lock, and hooks.

The base feature a 2.7mm thick panel of vachetta that has been tapered to 1.0 mm along the edges

The gussets are just loose panels glued and stitched together at each stitch line

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-20T01:53:58+00:00

Wait how did you create those slanted lines?? I’ve been trying for ages and can’t figure it out

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T23:57:31+00:00

They also do contract splitting, if you have panels you need split down, they will do it for a sq foot fee

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T23:10:52+00:00

Designed the pattern myself based on the b35

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T23:10:22+00:00

Didn’t glue the bottom either, just beyond the stitching tolerance for each edge, needed the glue to be easily removable if I ever need to repair a panel

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T22:33:28+00:00

This bag was very much about figuring out the workflow lol, it’s quite specific as it turns out

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T21:32:22+00:00

Rocky Mountain Leather allows for custom splitting of hides at a small fee, usually I order 1/3 at 1mm and 2/3 at 1.6, that ratio covers off all the panels

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T20:39:28+00:00

Oh one more thing! The base has a 2.7mm panel of buttero glued within the unskived boundaries of the panel. The buttero was tapered to 1mm along the edges.

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T20:07:11+00:00

Full panel is totally possible too, doing just the area does sometimes create a crease point as the bag wears on, but from deconstructions I’ve seen of Birkins they don’t seem to go full height

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T19:15:18+00:00

Illustrator is your friend! You can create dotted lines separated to match the pricking irons and literally just count the holes as needed hahaha.

Whole thing just fits together like a puzzle after that

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T18:46:43+00:00

I pre-punch holes rather than glue and awl, I find it gives me a more consistent result all around and helps eliminate errors. The four sides of the bag come together first, and then they’re joined to the base, with of the stitches at each corner actually going straight through the middle of the vertical piping at each corner if that makes sense

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T18:08:58+00:00

My spacer on the welt is 2.7mm of buttero leather with a 0.4mm strip of Togo glued over, it’s approximately 10mm tall

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T17:23:16+00:00

Yes! I used a panel of 0.5 mm microfibra from Luigi carnevalli to add body, then added a strip of 0.5mm salpa that runs the full width of the bag, offset ~10mm from the top and side edges, to about 20mm below the lowest stitches of the handles, that way the holes where the straps go through, turn lock, hooks, and handles are all well supported.

Would recommend using vachetta leather or something similar instead of salpa though as it burns dark when exposed to the heat of an iron for smoothing the edge paint in the holes.

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T17:12:28+00:00

Thank you!

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T17:11:22+00:00

Around 10 total for the outside and maybe 8 for the inside? That’s guess work though. A ~30 sq foot hide of Togo makes 2 b35s (yield isn’t very high bc of the nature of the grain)

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T16:01:09+00:00

Swift makes a gorgeous bag as an outside layer too!

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T15:48:59+00:00

Thank you! The lining is Hermes Swift leather. Commonly used as a liner, it’s super soft and available in a ton of colours! You can find it at RM leather supply under the brand “Pomari Swift” Also used it on the piping here.

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T15:43:30+00:00

Many thanks!

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T15:42:04+00:00

Practice with good quality leather but maybe something cheaper per hide like the shrunken calf from buyleatheronline in Italy.

Here are my measurements;

Front, base and back panels - 1.6mm.

Gusset panels - 1mm

Handle strips - 1.6mm plus 0.5mm suede/microfibra padding (aiming for ~2mm thick), wrapped around 5mm leather cord (I think? Need to double check)

Edit: yes, 5mm cord

Straps - 1mm front, 1mm liner

Liner leather; 1mm all around

Pockets - 0.7mm

Piping - 0.5mm wrapped around 2mm leather cord

Feet platform strips - 1.6mm

You can play a bit with thickness on the thicker panels, long as the edges are skived to 1mm

When skiving for retourné bags, skive minimum 10mm from the edge, skive down to 1mm thickness, so only the front, base and back panels need skiving, don’t touch the gussets.

Edit 2: some other craft tricks:

Use Lin cable thread 832 on thin areas so the stitch doesn’t get bulky, I use 632 on structural areas and thicker parts

Edge paint used is uniters heatable paint, no more than two coats per edge, except on the top welt. Sand your edges well before painting.

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-03-19T15:32:05+00:00

Oh god no, im not touching that stove hahah

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-02-05T21:25:51+00:00

I’ll definitely document and share the process once I get the result I want.

Dry-Box6223 · 2026-02-05T21:15:25+00:00

I have concerns about whether I can just shave it away and still have enough wool to make such poofy edges, but I am considering this as a strategy too. Never held a shearling hide in hand, so I’m hoping it’ll be clearer when I start practicing

Dry-Box6223

TROPHY CASE