Did you ever scour the store looking for a new handbag, only to come up empty because you couldn’t find one that was “just right” for you? It can have you feeling like Goldilocks, right? Well, there is a simple solution to this problem, learn how to sew your own handbag.
Tips for Sewing Handbags
Part 1: Materials
That’s right, armed with a sewing machine and a little big of knowledge, you can sew your own handbag at home! You can customize it with all your favorite elements: color, size, structure, pockets, handle length, and more! Let’s get started with this collection of over 20 tips to help you learn how to sew handbags at home!
1. Sewing a handbag can be pretty different than sewing a quilt or a garment. For one thing, you often use really sturdy materials and fabrics to make a handbag because you want it to last! We’ve got a post on working with leather fabrics which should come in pretty handy; these tips would apply equally well for other heavy duty fabrics like duck cloth or canvas, too.
2. When it comes to sewing with heavy fabrics like leather, needle size matters! Your usual quilting needles aren’t going to cut it if you increase the weight of the fabric you use to sew a handbag. Don’t worry, we’ll explain it all in this post on needle sizes.
3. If you do want to use quilting cotton or other lightweight fabrics to make a handbag, you can make that work, too! Choosing the right interfacing for the job will go a long way toward helping your bag stand on its own, and stand up to abuse! We’ve got the details for you, plus a tutorial on making an adorable snap wallet to go with your new bag.
4. Many modern bag patterns come in a downloadable, PDF format – this means you can get right to sewing from the comfort of your own laptop screen, rather than having to make a run to the store to find a pattern there. Using and assembling PDF patterns can be tricky, but we’ve put together a series of tips to help you figure it out.
That’s not all – we’ve got plenty more in store for you!
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