The Making of a SobeSata Co Handbag

My goal for this blog is to do weekly posts, but in order to write a blog about making purses I have to actually MAKE them, and that eats up a lot of my time. I have discovered that I would be terrible in doing step-by-step tutorials because I get so excited while a bag or purse is forming that I move on to the next step without stopping to take pictures. So if you're expecting a how-to on making a particular bag, you will be disappointed - this is more to show the creation involved in making one of my purses.

All of the bags I make are different - not just in size or style, but also in personality. It's the reason they all have names. Usually the beginning starts off with me knowing exactly how I want a purse to be. Then somewhere along the line I'll decide on a different handle, or choose a different lining, or find a brooch to add to it, therefore completely changing it's style. For example, Ruby (http://www.etsy.com/listing/88953629/ruby-clutch) started off as Cecilia, with a blue lining and a blue bangle for a handle. As I was making it, the lining was changed to red and the bangle idea was nixed, and I thought about Briony as it's name (...anyone read/seen Atonement? GREAT story). Even though the bag was finished and ready to be posted on Etsy, I hesitated because it just didn't feel like it was done yet. Then, while antique shopping with my friend, Emily, I came across the ruby slipper brooch and knew this was exactly what was missing from the clutch. And thus, Ruby became it's final name.

Leila didn't have a name when I was working on it. This bag is modeled after one of my favorite purses I had bought somewhere in NYC. An across the shoulder, roomy bag with lots of pockets, I wore this bag out during my time living in Brooklyn. It was only a matter of time before I was going to make my own version of this great bag.

First things first, I had to make the pattern. Thankfully being the daughter of an engineer comes in handy at this point. By taking lots of measurements (remembering to add a 1/2'' seam allowance) and by using a bit of logic, this step is not particularly hard. The hardest, and longest, process for me is cutting the beautiful fabric. Know that rule: measure twice, cut once? I triple-check everything before cutting, because I don't want to waste precious, pretty fabric.

In addition to the outer fabric, I also have to cut the lining pieces out, as well as the interlining - which you never see in a finished bag, but it adds stability and structure. This particular bag has two different interlinings - I wanted it to be able to withstand the same amount of love I had put into my NY bag!

Now I think you can understand why cutting takes the longest time for me. In addition to the interlining for stability, I also double stitch all of my seams, first with a straight stitch and then the edges with the zig-zag stitch. I want my purses to last!

Sometimes making a purse can be a bit like putting together a puzzle, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. This one was particularly difficult because of the handles and the way they formed the gusset (sides) of the bag as well.

The last step in bag creation is top-stitching, which isn't necessary for all bags, but it gives it a nice, crisp look to this one.

Now that the bag is finished, the last few steps are naming, photographing and posting it on Etsy for sale. Taking pictures for Etsy is extremely frustrating to me - and I've been taking photographs for years and my mother's a professional photographer. I think it'll be easier once I have a dress form to display my purses on. It would also be nice if the sun would come out once in a while. I like natural light, and try to use it for all of my pictures. After waiting a week for the sun to appear though, I finally gave up and did the next best thing. It's like that Staples commercial with the "Daves" - in a small business, it's all you. Which is why I ended up in the master bathroom (it has the most lights) with a lamp balanced on the top of my head taking pictures of Leila against the medicine cabinet.