Let’s take a look at the recipe of making a bag. What does it look like behind the seams that only the creator sees? What goes into a bag that you can and can’t see?
First, let’s look at the tools. What tools do I work with in bag making? There is the sewing machine. I have this grand plan in my head but can my sewing machines handle the job? Sewing vinyl and leather is different than sewing woven cottons. Industrial sewing machines are needed to get through the thick layers.
Hardware is up next. What do I need to complete a bag and what tools do I need to install that hardware? Zippers and pulls, rivets, grommets, rings labels, strap/handle connectors and adjusters all come in different colors and each needs a tool(s) for installation. Decorative bling! don’t forget the bling.
Now for the general sewing tools. Scissors, rotary cutters & mats, rulers, thread, pins, clips and basting tape, marking pens and the pattern. Tools and more tools. Guess where my husband can always find one of his hammers – yep in my sewing.
Fabrics! oh the choices. There are wovens such as quilting cottons, canvas and denim. There are the natural materials of leather and cork and man-made faux leather and vinyl. Some of these materials can cost well over $100 a yard. Don’t forget to decide what kind of material goes where. Pockets need lining, the bag is typically fully lined and then the exterior material or combination of materials.
Will it be a print?
Will it be a solid?
Don’t forget that all that hardware also comes in different colors. Will it be shiny gold or silver? Maybe a dark gun metal black or antique brass? What about rose gold/copper or rainbow colored?
Now to find all these different pieces. General supplies and tools can usually be found locally at the big box stores. Assorted hardware and custom specialty materials are all going to be special orders from various vendors and maybe from various countries.
On to the foundation elements. All those things you can not see. How do some bags hold a nice sturdy shape and others are soft and slouchy? Stabilizers and interfacings give a bag support and stability and well as reinforcing the holes punched for rivets and grommets.
When you ask the question “can you make me a bag?”, now you know just what you are asking for. This is a general description of what goes into each and every handmade bag. It is common to use over $100 in supplies and materials in a bag. Then it is time to add the cost of our experience, the time spent collecting everything and the time spent sewing.
