A Guide to Sourcing the Finest Bag Making Materials: Leather and Wool Felt
It’s hard for me to think about designing bags and not consider fabric as one of their defining features. There is color, shape, pattern and hardware, of course, but then, it’s the fabric. I am using the term fabric loosely as some of the textiles used to make the finest bags aren’t actually fabric at all. Leather and Wool Felt are two that come to mind. Both are natural resources, of course and offer exceptional durability, color fastness and a sculptural quality that fabric can’t really match.
These materials are sumptuous on their own but in combination, they are a tactile delight. If you want to take your bags up a notch, you will want to try sewing with leather and wool felt.
Shopping for Bag Making Materials: Leather and Wool Felt
Leather
Before purchasing leather for sewing a bag or garment, it is always good to know a bit about how it is sold. This will help you to better select a leather that will work with you and your sewing machine.
Leather is measured in terms of ounces which refers to liner thickness rather than weight. One- ounce of leather, equals 1/64 of an inch thickness. This means with a weight of 7 to 8 ounces, the leather is about 7/64 to 8/64 of an inch thick.
1 oz. is about .4 mm thick
2 oz. is about .8 mm thick
3 oz. is about 1.2 mm thick, etc.
Leather comes from animals and like humans, each one is unique. So is our skin. Some have beautiful flawless skin, while others have lived life to its fullest and have the scars to prove it. During the splitting and tanning process, the variations in the thickness and character of the individual hide are revealed. To account for the variation, leathers are generally sold in a range of thickness, such as 2 to 3 ounces or 4 to 5 ounces.
Lighter weight leathers, up to about 4 ounces can be sewn on a domestic sewing machine. Anything heavier it is really best to use an industrial machine or even punch and hand stitch. More Tips and Tricks for Sewing with Leather here:
This chart by Tandy Leather can help guide you to selecting the ideal type and weight of leather for your next project.
These are some of my favorite sources for purchasing leather.
Leather, Suede, Skins is my go-to source for leather. Call and ask for Faina. She is exceptionally knowledgeable and will guide you to finding the ideal leather for your project.
Mood Fabrics Mood has a small but very fashionable selection of garment weight leather and trim.
Tandy Leather The granddaddy of all things leather. The website is full of great educational links and tutorials as well as a dizzying selection of hardware, paint, tools and accessories.
Don’t forget all of the leather that is readily available in thrift stores, ebay and in your own closet.
Wool Felt for Bag Making
Merino Wool Felt
Wool felt is gorgeous for making bags and other small accessories. Merino wool felt has a beautiful and soft feel, it is available in nearly any color imaginable, is naturally water repellant, renewable and sustainable. Merino wool felt is a non-woven textile that is produced by densely matting fine wool fibers. As such, it does not fray or unravel and has no wrong side and doesn’t pill. Bags made of felt are able to withstand weight without losing their shape due to the inherent tensile strength or the fiber.
Wool felt is not always easy to find at your local fabric shop, but is readily available online. When shopping, look for a felt that is more of an industrial weight (2-4mm about 1/8”) and mostly wool.
When making bags, you will be working with multiple layers of felt. To help keep your seams smooth, a Walking Foot and clips are essential. Also, you will want to increase the length of your stitch. You may need to cut a test swatch and practice to determine the ideal machine settings.
Synthetic Industrial Felt
These are fairly inexpensive options that are ideal for small accessories, making bag bases, adding structure and to create bag organizers.
Are you curious to read more about The Best Fabrics for Bag Making? In this article I discuss sewing with leather, wool, decorators weight fabric and canvas.
The perfect handbag is elusive- I hope to change that by giving you the tools you need to design and make the bag of your dreams. For more about bag making, check out my blog posts under the tag “Bags” and of course, my book; Sew Bags: The Practical Guide to Making Purses, Totes, Clutches & More
XO, Hilarie