This is the first leather handbag I’ve sewn on my sewing machine.

I used cream-coloured and beige nappa leather, brass o-rings, a brass-coloured metal zipper, and blue and white striped sateen as lining. For the handle I used a thick sisal or hemp rope, covered with thin beige leather.

I’ve added different sized pockets to the lining. It’s completely machine-sewn, except where I’ve attached the lining to the zipper. It’s sewn on my old mechanical sewing machine.  I’ve read that one should increase the thread tension and use thick strong sewing thread when sewing leather. And that didn’t work at all! Either the machine didn’t make any stitches, or made thread loops. Additionally, when I’ve tried to sew two leather pieces together, the rough suede undersides wouldn’t move under the presser foot. I just had some small leather pieces for the bag; so I practiced, as much as I could, on scraps left over from cutting. But I just couldn’t get a seam right, so I put the handbag aside for some weaks.

Then some day, I thought I’d try to use normal sewing thread, normal thread tension, and a sewing needle for sewing jeans etc. And it worked instantly, creating beautiful seams with even stitches! 🙂 All problems had vanished. So, finally, I could finish this small handbag. 🙂