I could not find matching shopper bag so I had to sew it by my self. Luckily I found exactly matching leather hide from Helsinki. Metal parts are from handbag that I bought with 20c from flea market.
As a practice I sew small address tag for this bag. Bag is lined with heavy recycled silk taffeta. Between silk and leather is layer of plastic that protects the leather.
I have been searching perfect handbag for years. Every time when I thought that I found it, problem has been price tag with 4-5 digits. During this search I got pretty good idea of my perfect handbag.
I am short so most of normal medium sized handbags are too large for me. I also wanted to have ethically made bag that would also be very durable. Sewing handbag on my own was not possible since I don’t have sewing machine suitable for sewing thigh leather.
While surfing in Internet I found small leather product manufacturer Nippanappa. Further search with Google revealed that customers had been pleased with products and service. In February I had change to visit this shop. I made sketches in train on the way and with this drawing I walked in the shop. I could choose all hardware and leather quality by my self. At the same time we made precise drawings of the bag with all measurements. Some details were altered to be more functional. They promised bag to be finished this week.
The bag arrived today
It is as perfect I wanted! Bag is handmade and even the leather is dyed by hand. Leather quality is very strong and sturdy and it will age beautifully. Shop owners had garments made of same material and they looked fine although they were years old. Sewing is made nicely and edges are turned as in very expensive bags. Inside is very simple as I wanted. Bag is stiff enough to stand on its brass feet.
This bag will serve me for long time!
Today I tested how my sewing machine will sew leather. More than couple of layers was tricky to sew. I used proper needle and foot. Materials were soft goat skin and calf skin pelt with short hair. Skimming of edges took atleast 3 hours because I dont have proper tool for that.
First I had to draw pattern. Lining material is recycled silk. Bag would be too floppy so I used pieces of plastic mat as hardening material. Unfinished bag looked miserable. Biggest chalence were handle straps. It took me an hour to push soft pipe inside leahter tubes.
Finished bag:
I try to make multipurpose jewelry when ever it is possible. Parts of this set can be used in many ways and styles.
This long key chain is made of recycled class beads and silver beads. Key hangs in large and sturdy s-lock. There is 3 larges closed jump rings in the chain. You can transform this key chain in to Viking style necklace. Third chain is made of silver jump rings.
Highest chain is made of recycled glass beads, silver bead and hundreds of year’s old silver dirhams. Dirham coins were very popular among Nordic women. People made even fake dirham coins if they could not get real ones.
All of these chains have large jumprings in their both ends and it is easy to put s-locks to these rings. You can lock 2 cains together or add pendants between the ends.
In reality Viking era and other Iron Age necklaces have been brightly colored. I decided to make one chain more realistic. It is made of glass beads and 2 silver beads. People used to have amulets hanging of the chain. Small casted silver bear and bird pendants pose as those amulets.
A porcupine protects itself with long and sharp quills. They drop them like we drop hair.
Quills are hard, bit flexible but light like feather, that’s why they are excellent material for hair sticks.
Hair sticks made of quills, sterling silver cones and charms and lapis bead.
