After the great success that Bag One enjoyed (and still does!), I was faced with a choice – perfect the first bag’s shape and construction, or move on to a new shape and style and see what other shapes were workable. Construction on this bag was done with no existing pattern to alter; the entire thing was thought up in my mind and drawn up on my iPad. Then I used graph paper, pencils, and paper drop cloth “fabric” to work out the pattern and the details.
Again, the construction is never straightforward, but with some effort, I am learning the tricks and making fewer mistakes to achieve the level of tailoring I am looking for in the final output.
I’ve watched way too many YouTube videos where the “bag makers” are sloppy on the details and I have no interest in following in their footsteps.
The boxy shape entertains both a sideways and a flat lie depending on where you are and how much room you have to stow your bag; the clever use of recycled denim on this version created a unique closure – made from the waistband and button of a pair of jeans that were well past their prime.
Bag Two features inside slip pockets and a lobster claw key fob holder, so you can forget about digging around in the bottom of your bag, desperately searching for those little suckers… and the bottom of the bag is supported by hand cut and finished wooden feet, which help to keep the bag bottom from getting wet or dirty when sitting on the ground or in the airport.
Did I mention that I cut the feet out with a scroll saw? Or that I sand and wax them to a low luster finish?
The blue toned floral is complemented by the use of crocodile print vegan leather, but the strap supports turned out to be a bit of a problem – the tubes had a tendency to slip out of the handles, so finally they were removed. When I created Bag Two, I had almost no concept of hardware and how to use it to make life easier. Once I found wholesale hardware suppliers I discovered a whole new world of options.
Finished size of this bag is 16″ tall, 12″ wide, 5.5″ deep.