Leather Colorblocked Tote (+Giveaway!)

The Leather Hide Store provided the leather for this project and the giveaway prize. All content and opinions are my own. Make sure you read through to the bottom of the post to enter their giveaway!

I think this might have been the hardest sewn gift to give away yet. I made my sister this knitting bag for Christmas, but when I slipped my knitting things into it for these photos, they looked so at home in them…

That’s how much I love my beautiful big sister, who put up with my annoying “you are so bossy” complaints in my younger years, and now talks me into knitting projects so we have excuses to message and call each other as adults.

Beth has classic style and loves autumn colors, and I tried my best to choose colors that reminded me of her, but my O.M.G LOUD COLORS!!!! preference burst through on the pocket lining. If she hates it, she can just keep that sucker closed. sorry, sis.

The Bag Design Details

At first glance, this tote looks simple and straightforward. Well, it is simple and straight forward, but it has some fun design tweaks that I am nerding out all over.

First, leather! Is my leather enthusiasm getting to ridiculous on here? It just adds so much class to a project that I keep coming back to it. (I’ll tell you more about where I got my leather in a minute.)

Second, this isn’t a straight up rectangle tote. The top opening is smaller than the base which prevents it from tipping over, and keeps the top “winging out” like  a poorly drafted a-line skirt (if that makes sense).

Thirdly, the leather provides just enough structure to the bag,without getting into all sorts of stabilizers and interlinings. Structured, but not too structured.

Finally, I figured out how to sew in a divider pocket into a flat-bottomed tote.  (happy dance of victory!) I really should write it up sometime, because I can’t be only Bag Making Geek that is interested in this sort of thing.

The Leather

When my package from The Leather Hide Store came, I was more excited than a kid on Christmas. They shipped it safely rolled in a long skinny box, and despite it being a “leather remnant” there.was.so.much.leather (about 20 square feet). I may or may not have danced around my living room wearing this hide as a cape. heh. The hide I chose for project is called “Dark Copper Mountain Saddle” and it is a nice thick leather, but it is not so thick that your home machine can’t sew through it. (See their Leather Buying Guide for more details.)

Leather really has a bad, and undeserved!, reputation for being difficult to work with. If you are intimidated by it, give it a chance to win you over! Use a “leather needle”(I used a size 18 for this 3 oz leather), a roller or a walking foot to help it feed nicely, and no pins. That will do it. I’ve cover these leather sewing tips in more detail here. 

To help you pull the trigger on your leather sewing, The Leather Hide Store is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of you!

But what should you show with such luxury as genuine leather? Well, I’m glad you asked, because me and some other Super Fabulous Bloggers have been collecting all the amazing leather tutorials and patterns that we can find. Check it out…

Then don’t forget to…

Enter The Giveaway

This giveaway will award one winner a $50 gift certificate to leatherhidestore.com. It is open to residence of US & Canada, 18 years and older, only entry per household. It will run until January 27, 2014th at 11:59 PM EST, winner will be chosen and contacted within 48 hours and they will have 48 hours to accept the prize. (Detailed terms and conditions found in the link on the Rafflecopter widget.)  Enter using the widget below. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Again, thank you to the Leather Hide Store for sending me this leather to work with and for sponsoring this giveaway.