LEATHERWORKED: SCUBA AND LEATHER CLUTCH

I truly feel like a bit of a designer. And let's make it clear I've never desired to be a designer. But perhaps our very creativity and individual preferences mean we are in some small part designer. A creator of our own very unique somewhat individual pieces. Did I just make myself sound completely obnoxious/wanky (Aussies at least will understand the "wanky" reference)? I think perhaps I did. Ah well.

What was it about creating this clutch that made me feel like a designer?

Number 1: I did not reference any existing bag or pattern in creating this piece (almost a first for me).

Laid out: figuring out how to attach leather inner to scuba outer

Number 2: I dreamt it up from scratch (even though I'm sure there is a similar bag or even tutorial/pattern out there). Every dimension, the weight, colour and combination of fabric and leather, every construction step.

Pegs: Super hi-tech stabilisers/fasteners

Number 3: I had to constantly make changes to the design and construction to suit the materials I had on hand and the incredibly frustrating mildly annoying problems I encountered.

Step by step: label to pocket, pocket to clutch backing

Number 4: I felt like my fearsome and fearless 15 year old self again. That felt pretty good.

Attaching outer to fully prepared inner

This little number came about when I picked up this stunning remnant of laser cut scuba knit from Pitt Trading.

And at 45cm x 150cm I really wasn't sure what to do with it. In an IG poll Nic suggested using it for the front panel of a pencil skirt and a matching clutch. The word clutch was all the inspiration I needed. I also had a hankering to undertake my first machine-stitched leather project after a few hand-stitched ones. And tada!

I had a small piece of very lightweight navy leather I knew would look great peeping out through the laser cuts. But the blue was simply too lightweight to hold the shape. Fully line the bag with a stiffer, thicker vegetable tanned leather?

Neither of my machines would take the heat of four layers of leather, throwing their hands up and shouting "Seriously?????".

But they would stitch through a layer of mid weight leather, two of lightweight and two of scuba. Final design decided. 

I let the fabric overhang the leather flap, with the selvedge creating a fuzzy little edging

And of course we all need a little pocket to hold the ID and credit cards so that we can get at the cocktails.

Scuba, lightweight navy leather and vegetable-tanned leather to lend structure

Whilst the result makes my heart sing, its creation wasn't terribly pretty with successes interspersed frequently occasionally with dummy spits and stomping of feet when things didn't go my way. Actually that's totally like a designer. Huzzah!