This is will be a quick documentation of how I create leatherwork in a small area.
This will be a basic sturdy landscape/vertical style tote with the cover being one large panel and two panels for the gussets.
(a gusset on each side verses one gusset attaching two covers. More on that later after I create a page on “anatomy of bag”)
This piece of leather was purchased from Rocky Mountain Leather Supply
It is a half hide of the Badalassi Carlo – Minerva Smooth in natural. It will eventually age to a deep tan hue.
The first part I go through is laying out the leather and seeing how much I have to work with. This size piece is the perfect amount for a tote. This piece can accommodate a vertical style with a deeper/wider gusset or a horizontal style with a gusset not as deep/wide. If I was going to make a satchel type bag with a flap, I would need more leather. Of course, this size would allow for a small satchel or a few wallets, various covers and………..and I’m gonna stop myself before this bus gets totally lost.
I attach graph paper to the leather to mark the pattern and use as a guide for hole punching. ( I use metric grid because 5mm spacing works the best for me.) I like to use large sheets of Rhodia graph paper usually.
I ran out… but had this A4 graph paper journal that I removed a couple signatures and pieced the unfolded sheets together. Works the same.
This tote will be-
WIDTH: 42cm/ 16.5″(approx.)
HEIGHT: 33cm/ 13″(approx.)
DEPTH: (gusset width) 14 cm (5 1/2 “)