Are you or someone you love a designer handbag enthusiast? Do you sometimes find yourself staring at bags you see in magazines, or even on someone's shoulder in the grocery store wondering how to recreate that bag? Then the Handmade Couture series is for you. We pick a designer bag and tell you how to recreate it using available sewing patterns, materials and hardware.  You can have the same look, but make it totally "you" and for a fraction of the cost. When you sew your own bag you know exactly what is going into the bag and can add or modify features to suit your preferences. Today, we are going to show you how to recreate this Brunello Cucinelli Large Metallic Leather Tote:

Talk about making a bold statement at the pool! This lush bag is made with a beautiful metallic leather, and comes with a matching zipper pouch. The metallic leather is a stand out on this bag, and it's simple but classic. It measures: 15" W x 7.75" D x 15" H.  This lovely is available for pre-order and it could be yours for the tune of 2875 USD. 

Like the look of the Brunello Cucinelli Leather Tote?  Lets be our own brand.

Pattern + Hardware + Fabric= Handmade Couture

Pattern:

The Poolside Tote by Noodlehead Patterns is the perfect starting point to recreate our inspiration bag. The Poolside tote has a very similar shape and size. She measures: 14.5" Wx 14.5" H x 7.5" D. The Noodlehead tote features bold straps that run the complete exterior panel of our bag, and is ROOMY, just like our inspiration bag. 

Additionally, the Poolside tote has two different pocket options for the exterior, so you can choose your favorite or leave the exterior plain as in our inspiration bag. To rectreate the Brunello, we will modify the exterior and lining panels of the bag to cut straight across. Simply avoid cutting out the curve along the top of the panels.

Hardware: 

We need very little hardware to recreate this tote, a simple Metal Bag label will add the same touch of class:

Fabric:

If you wanted to recreate our inspiration bag, you can find a similar leather like this gold metallic skin from the Tannery NYC. 

Add some black leather for the straps, like this skin also from The Tannery NYC.

If leather isn't something that you aren't comfortable using, you can find a fauc leather that would work well for the same look of our inspiration bag, like this gold faux leather.

Another great option is natural cork fabric, which is available from MM Cork Supply in Canada or from Sew Sweetness in the US.  You can get cork in a various colors and finishes, like this natural with gold flecks:

Pair this with a black cork and you have a perfect recreation of our inspiration bag. 

You can choose to do this in whatever fabric you are comfortable working with! A fun cotton print, canvas or even denim!  That's the benefit of creating your own, it's what YOU want it to be. Handmade can be couture too!

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Photos and content provided and written for Emmaline Bags by Cyndi Farfsing, from The Nosy Pepper. Cyndi's blog is chock is full of more bag photos and make making tips. Check out her bag series "It's in the Bag! Better Bag Making Series," to learn a ton of new bag making skills.

Share your projects made from Emmaline patterns and/or with Emmaline hardware in our facebook group Emmaline Sewing Patterns Group, or on instagram with the hashtags #emmalinehardware, #emmalinepatterns, #emmalinebags, or tag us @emmalinebags.

 

Hi everyone, I'm turning my blog over to Marsha today, a great Canadian blogger who is going to kick of our Canada 150 - In the Bag Blog Tour.  I can't wait for you to see all of the amazing handmade bag projects that are going to be shown on the tour! Oh, and the prize list is LOADED! Here's Marsha:

Happy Birthday, Canada!!

Come on, everybody!

The quiet neighbours up the street are throwing a massive party to celebrate their sesquicentennial (150th) birthday and the whole world is invited. Tout le monde est invité. Kick your shoes off, grab a cold can of Molson Canadian, and join the festivities. If beer isn't your thing, we have wine — lots of it because we make our own.

Bet you didn't know how many talented handbag and wallet designers and makers are in the house! We didn't know either until we went snooping around. For the rest of this week, 10 blogging sewists from coast to coast will feature bags and wallets they've made with patterns from our homegrown designers. Some of the designers, like Janelle, are well-seasoned and ready for the grill, and some are as fresh as Manitoba sweet corn on the cob in August.

We've harangued several of our Canadian suppliers into providing prizes and they all add up to an epic giveaway scheduled for June 10. But each of the bloggers is also giving away a special prize so you will have to visit all the blogs to enter individually. That's right! It's our birthday and we're giving you prezzies! (Just say thanks, and watch us blush.)

Get yourself a plate of maple-smoked bacon, Quebec cheese and fresh veggies from farm country. Pick up a glass of wine from one of our wine regions, check out the tour agenda below, and get read to mix and mingle with warm, friendly, hospitable northerners. We've got everything you could ever need. And if you don't like our weather, wait 5 minutes. (Corny old Canadian joke.)

Come on in and let the party begin. Just don't peek in our medicine cabinet. That's not polite. ;)

Bonne fête, Canada !

Marsh

PS. You must try ice wine from Niagara at least once in your life. Put it on your bucket list.

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Each blog has an exclusive giveaway, so be sure to visit them all.

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Tour Discounts

• 10% off! Tangled Blossoms Design is offering 10% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code HAPPYBIRTHDAYCANADA

• 15% off! Bringberry Handbag Hardware and Design is offering 15% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code LOVECANADA150

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Tour Stops

(These links will be active on and after the day they are scheduled.)

June 4

June 5

June 6

June 7

June 8

June 9

June 10

July 1

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Giveaway Prizes

• Grand Prize: 2 PDF patterns from Blue Calla Patterns, $50 voucher from Bringberry Handbag Hardware and Design, $40 voucher from Fabric Please
• Second Prize: 2 PDF patterns from Blue Calla Patterns, $35 voucher from Emmaline Bags, $25 voucher from MM Cork Supply
• Third Prize: $50 voucher from Blackbird Fabrics
• $30 voucher to spend on any in stock fabrics from Tangled Blossoms Design, 1 Pattern from Thread Riding Hood
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 Pattern, plus hardware kit from Emmaline Bags
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from Thread Riding Hood
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from FABulous Home Sewn
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from FABulous Home Sewn
• $30 voucher from Sitka Fabrics
• $25 voucher from MM Cork Supply
• Ooh La La Jewellery* bag pattern & hardware kit from Among Brenda’s Quilts (Includes shipping within Canada & USA.)
• A selection of items for bag making from Flare Fabrics (Includes shipping within Canada.)
• $25 voucher from Stay Home Fabrics
• $25 voucher from Funky Monkey Fabrics
• Store credit for 1 yard of custom knit from Crookshanks Custom Textiles
• Store credit equal to one meter of custom knit plus one meter of solid from Midnight Mountain Fabrics

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Our Sponsors!!

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  Please join us in thanking our tour sponsors by visiting their websites.

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* Jewellery is the Canadian spelling.  


Thanks Marsha!  So that's it for this stop on the Canada 150 blog tour, make sure you check back and stop in to the next 3 blogs tomorrow!  Thanks of reading! Janelle

Have you wondered where to buy good quality, affordable, leather that is suitable for bag making? Cyndi from The Nosy Pepper is here to give us the skinny on where we can get beautiful leather for bag making, give us tips on how to sew with it, and give us a discount code that we can use while shopping at one of our favourite leather shops, The Tannery NYC.

I should mention that we were not paid for a positive review on this leather, but we were given some leather to try out so we could judge for ourselves. Truth be told, we're already devoted customers to The Tannery NYC anyway! Cyndi will tell you all about it in this post! - Janelle MacKay, Emmaline Bags.

Have you been curious about sewing with leather? Not sure where to start? It can seem super intimidating but it doesn't have to be! With a few tools and knowing what your machine can handle you can start incorporating leather into your bag making.

The Tannery NYC carries an amazing selections of colors and finishes that are often hard to find. Many leather suppliers sell mainly to manufacturers leaving few options for those of us who just need a small amount for a project or two. This is what makes The Tannery NYC different, they sell the same high quality leather but in sizes that are affordable for bagineers. They're constantly adding new skins and their customer service is amazing! If they don't have exactly what you are looking for just ask, chances are they can get it for you! I'm particularly in love with the metallics they carry. They are incredible!

I used their silver metallic skin to make this bag:

It was absolutely amazing, and it's hard to capture how gorgeous this leather is. It's so luscious and catches the light in a way that it's hard to show in a picture. It almost takes a different hue depending on the environment. It's such a perfect pairing with the Emmaline gunmetal finish hardware. I made this bag with Emmaline's Miss Maggie's Handbag pattern. I love this pattern because it's so easy to change up the look with different features and hardware. For this bag I used the Long John Strap Anchors, Script Style Bag Label, purse feet and hanging tassel cap all in this luxe gunmetal finish.

Miss Maggie is a great starter leather bag if you are ready to take the plunge. There are few seams to worry about with the exterior and no curves either. Another way to reduce bulk is to cut your exterior in one piece. I did this with this bag, as you can see there is no bottom seam:

Laurie Dasso makes the most incredible leather bags and has used various leathers from The Tannery in her stunning creations and has helped me tremendously in venturing into the world of leather. Check out some of the incredible bags she has created with some of the gorgeous leather from The Tannery NYC:

Obviously Laurie is a master with leather and has an industrial machine and years of experience,  but that doesn't mean that you can't sew with leather too! I have a domestic as many of us bagineers do and Laurie has taught me so many things about modifying construction for domestic machines.

Here's some info to keep in mind as you get started:

First, it's important to know what your machine can handle. Most domestics can handle sewing with a leather that is 3oz weight or less. Make sure you always use a leather needle and use some scraps to test out your machine, see how many layers you can reasonably. Adjust tensions, your pressure foot pressure and find what works best for your machine. Don't forget, you can always hand crank!

Leather, is unlike any other material. Some inconsistencies with grain, texture, or even some marks are part of what makes it leather! Some believe these flaws are what makes it indicative of an artisan work. Always use care when cutting out leather, especially if there are marks or parts that you don't want on your bag so you can cut around these. Lay out your pieces carefully before cutting to make sure you fit your pattern pieces in a way that maximizes your leather.

At the Tannery you can purchase by the half or the full skin. A half skin is about 10 ft², a whole skin roughly 20 ft². You can get a smaller bag out of a half skin. Skins come irregularly shaped so keep this in mind when choosing a project. It's very different than buying by the yard.

Always use clips and not pins with leather, once a hole is there it's permanant! Leather tape is also a great alternative.

For the handles, leather is something that you don't have to worry about raw edges because it absolutely will not fray. I didn't want to leave the side edges raw, so I used Laurie’s strategy of doing a tri fold, so that there is only one raw edge and it's more or less hidden on the back of the strap. This greatly reduces the layers your machine has to handle but looks more finished than leaving the side edges raw. As you can see, it's hardly noticeable that there is a raw edge:

Do NOT use cotton thread with leather, it will eventually break down. Choose polyester or nylon thread instead. A leather needle is a MUST. 

When sewing on a domestic machine, realize that you may have to change up parts of the pattern and keep in mind the bulk your machine can handle. Don't be afraid to hand crank if things get tough.

As you can see, I opted not to topstitch my Miss Maggie. This is because I was afraid with the bulk of the layers, my stitching wouldn't be as smooth as I would like. Better no top stitching than messy stitching or even worse: a bunch of holes in the leather after I rip those icky stitches out!

Sewing with leather is something that's doable for almost anyone! Just choose easy projects first to get a feel for what you're dealing with. It's something you can try to incorporate into other bags by making leather straps and accents if you're not ready to jump into making an all leather bag. The Tannery also sells scrap packs, so you can try out some scraps and make some small projects. 

Get the Discount Code!

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Photos and content provided and written for Emmaline Bags by Cyndi Farfsing, from The Nosy Pepper. Cyndi's blog is chock is full of more bag photos and make making tips. Check out her bag series "It's in the Bag! Better Bag Making Series," to learn a ton of new bag making skills.

Share your projects made from Emmaline patterns and/or with Emmaline hardware in our facebook group Emmaline Sewing Patterns Group, or on instagram with the hashtags #emmalinehardware, #emmalinepatterns, #emmalinebags, or tag us @emmalinebags.

Are you or someone you love a designer handbag enthusiast? Do you sometimes find yourself staring at bags you see in magazines, or even on someone's shoulder in the grocery store wondering how to recreate that bag? Then the Handmade Couture series is for you. We pick a designer bag and tell you how to recreate it using available sewing patterns, materials and hardware.  You can have the same look, but make it totally "you" and for a fraction of the cost. When you sew your own bag you know exactly what is going into the bag and can add or modify features to suit your preferences. Today, we are going to show you how to recreate this Chanel Gabrielle Large Hobo Bag:

Gabrielle is made from a luxurious calfskin leather, and does something we don't see a lot: mixes hardware finishes. This one features both gold and silver hardware (I know some of you bagineers took a collective gasp along with me). It measures 10" H x 12.2" W x 3.9". I has a zippered top closure, and a mixed leather and chain strap. 

This is the newly released Gabrielle for Chanel for spring 2017. In fact, it's pretty hard to find online, it's only available in select retailers. You can read about it in the latest style watch, but you may be hard pressed to find your own to add to your collections.  Luckily, we are going to show you how to recreate this look, unless you want to scope out your own for 4,000 USD. 

Like the look of Gabrielle?  Lets be our own brand.

Pattern + Hardware + Fabric= Handmade Couture

Pattern: Blue Calla Tansy The Tansy by Blue Calla Patterns is the perfect template for us to recreate the Gabrielle. 

Tansy measures 15" W x 10"x 3.75" D, and is a zippered top tote with the same shape as Gabrielle. Tansy has a lot of great features and is a great pattern on her own, but is also easily modified for our purposes here. To recreate our inspiration bag, we can omit the front zippered pockets and instead, quilt our main panels. Tansy already has a bottom accent and the straps are attached to the sides like our inspiration bag. Instead of the contrast fabric at the top, we can add a contrast binding. 

We can simply shorten the side strap tabs so that they are not as long, by just cutting them shorter and making strap tabs out of them.  We will also be cutting two shorter straps, instead of one long adjustable strap, we can make two shorter straps that end with a D-ring so that we can feed the chain through it. 

Hardware: 
(1) Single Link Chain in Nickel:

If you want to really recreate the look of the chain strap on our inspiration bag, we can weave a small piece of leather through the chains in the strap.  (2) 1.5" O Rings:

We will use these to attach our strap anchors to our straps. 

(2) 1" D rings:

We will attach these to the ends of our straps, so that we can feed the chain through to attach to the O-rings on our strap anchors. 

(1) Metal Zipper Pull: 

We aren't Chanel, but we are our own brand and handmade is better! Swap out that Chanel pull for a Handmade pull instead. 

Fabric:

As always, The Tannery NYC has the perfect leathers for us to recreate our inspiration bag. Like this Apricot Leather and this black smooth grain leather:  

If leather isn't something that you aren't comfortable using, you can find a faux leather that would work well to recreate our inspiration bag, like these available from fabric.com:

Available here

Available here

Another great option is natural cork fabric, which is available from MM Cork Supply in Canada or from Sew Sweetness in the US.  You can get cork in a various colors and finishes, like the cream and black corks:

You can choose to do this in whatever fabric you are comfortable working with! A fun cotton print, canvas or even denim!  That's the benefit of creating your own, it's what YOU want it to be. Handmade can be couture too!

----------- 

Photos and content provided and written for Emmaline Bags by Cyndi Farfsing, from The Nosy Pepper. Cyndi's blog is chock is full of more bag photos and make making tips. Check out her bag series "It's in the Bag! Better Bag Making Series," to learn a ton of new bag making skills.

Share your projects made from Emmaline patterns and/or with Emmaline hardware in our facebook group Emmaline Sewing Patterns Group, or on instagram with the hashtags #emmalinehardware, #emmalinepatterns, #emmalinebags, or tag us @emmalinebags.