I’m quite excited to share about a new sewing pattern that includes something that I’d never done before, hand-sew a leather purse. Halfmoon Atelier previously had a handmade leather goods business, before she started selling sewing patterns. This TRAVEL purse pattern is the first leather, hand sewing pattern that she’s released. She has converted her previous finished goods bag into a pattern for the sewist to have the opportunity to make at home.
I was a part of the test group to make this project ahead of the patten release. The test group reviews the pattern instructions and gives feedback before the pattern is released. I loved that you didn’t need prior experience of hand sewing leather to jump into making this pattern.
Never having sewn with leather made testing this pattern quite a fun project to jump into.
I’ll mention, Halfmoon Atelier may consider offering to sell more hand sewn leather patterns in the future. I’ll share a link to the TRAVEL purse pattern. If you have any interest in learning to hand-sew with leather, I highly recommend you pick up the pattern and jump in as well!
Pattern Review
Pattern Description: This is a hand-sewn version of a small purse I first designed in 2014. The goal was to create a small purse that would travel easily, hold only the essentials, but also include all the essentials, and double as a waist bag in a fashionable way. It became one of my best sellers when I was designing and selling leather bags, so I feel confident that I succeeded!
When I went back to Saba to teach some leather workshops, I redesigned this purse so that it could be sewn by hand by my students. Now it’s finally available for you to sew at home…
Pattern Sizing: One size. For the strap detail, the pattern includes how to convert the strap into a shoulder or waist wrapped option (within the same pattern). You can punch holes in the strap for both options.
Did it look like the photo/drawing when you finished sewing? Yes
Were the instructions complete and easy to follow? Yes. At the time that I completed this pattern test, I worked from the PDF view of the pattern. Video tutorials are now included with this pattern as well, from the designer.
Fabric used (did you use the suggested fabrics in the pattern)? Leather is the medium suggested for this pattern. I ordered leather for this project via Amazon. I’ll mention that I also decided to dye the leather. This was a really fun option to customize a plain leather into whichever finished color that you’d like.
Leather for the Purse: 30cm x 45cm of 1.2-1.6mm (12” x 18” of 3-4 oz)
Leather for the Strap: 125cm x 1cm (50” x 3/8”) of 2-3mm (5-7 oz)
One detail that is important when sourcing leather is the thickness of the leather. Following the recommended leather thickness via the ounce or mm measurements will be helpful. You could repurpose a leather jacket or other item from a thrift store to make this bag but if you’ve never worked with hand sewing leather before, I’d recommend you order leather that matches the recommended thickness (to start),
Did you alter the pattern in any way? No, other than I dyed the bare leather that I purchased.
Was there anything you disliked or would change? No
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes!! This was my first time hand sewing a leather bag. It was really fun to step into and learn how to do. I will mention that there is a small learning curve, if this is your first time sewing with leather as well. After I finished sewing the purse, I now own the tools to hand sew leather and feel more confident for the future. I’m quite excited to hand sew more leather projects in the future.
Do you consider the pattern beginner/intermediate/advanced? Enthusiastic Beginner was the pattern recommendation. I’d agree, I would have called myself this as well. If you’ve also never hand sewn leather, learning through the process of making the pattern does take some time. With that said, I think I’ll be faster in the future when I hand sew more leather goods (having now sewn one leather project). I really loved dipping my toe into sewing leather with this project.
Does the pattern include layers for easy printing? This pattern is one size so there isn’t layers for multiple size options within this pattern.
Seam allowances used in the pattern: Is the pattern cut or no cut pages? This question is applied a little differently when hand sewing leather (vs machine sewing a garment), however the hand sewn seam allowances are included in the pattern pieces.
This project was really, really fun to make!! I enjoyed the making process just as much as I enjoy using the finished project.
Regarding sourcing leather, if this is your first hand-sewn leather project, I’d recommend picking up leather online that matches the recommended thickness dimensions.
Once you’ve gotten this project under your belt, I’ll share another source that I’ve enjoyed finding for leather. If you can find a local business that sells handmade leather goods, this can be a source to buy leather as well. It’s common that handmade goods shops will also sell off their scraps at a significant discount. You don’t need a lot of leather for this project, so I’ve enjoyed finding this option as well. Plus, if you find this option, it’s nice to see the leather first hand in person to see the color and feel of the leather, before purchasing.
oak blue designs 