Another Monday, Another Bag

Sounds a bit funny, but lately, that's how it is. I'm doing my best to make a bag per week and post it on Monday. Normally I could make more than one bag, but the limited time I have for creative works, this is the best I can do.

Another Monday, Another Bag.jpg

Today's bag is a very unusual one, but before you jump to any conclusion, let me tell you the whole story so you can see the big picture.

Would I wear this bag? No, I wouldn't. It's not my style, I'm way past of this ripped or distressed fashion phase of life, but that's beside the point.

When I'm designing a bad, I don't have my taste and preference on first place. (It's a bit strange to use the word design as I don't consider myself a designer, I'll let this word for those who are into designing and live off of what they create, but I don't know another word that would describe the process.) When I want to make a bag, my taste in fashion doesn't count. I'm not the one who's going to wear it, so I'm looking at what it could sell and obviously, what I find interesting. This is how this bag was born.

It's been ages since I wanted to try out this distressed, ripped design. It's a very out of the box style and has other advantages as well and I'll tell you what it is.

Usually interfacing comes applied when the front and the back is done, but in this case, I needed as a base as the design is not a usual one, so I cut out a 40cm x 40cm piece.

... and this is where the fun begins. You have a big pile of off cuts, leftover jeans fabrics, whatever you want to call it and what you literally do is pull out one piece of the pile and see if it fits, where you want it. Then you pull out another random one and so on, till you find the pieces you need.

After finishing the bag, I can honestly say, it was a nice experience. when I started it, I thought I'd make the front first, as that's always the main focus and many times it's more stylish, than the back, but here, where you don't have a script, a predefined design, you don't know what you get and this is how, in my mind, the front became the back.

It also showed me what is working, what is not and how I can change the process to make the work more efficient and my life easier. When I started the front, I thought pinning every piece to the interfacing is the best idea, but after some time I had to realize that sewing piece by piece gives you a better result.

This meant to be the front, but somehow it became the back.

I like this one better, has more personality in my opinion, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter as the new owner is to decide what they like, which one to be the front and which one the back, not me.

I made the lining a bit funny, by adding four pockets and a label as well.

This time instead of a magnet, I decided to go with a zipper. Not everyone prefers an open bag, so you have more chances with a zipper and it's safer too. This is how you hide the end of the zipper.

It's been ages since I worked with a zipper, so I had to look up how it's done. It's not rocket science though, so here it is.

And voilà! Here it is. Ready to be listed for sale.

What motivated me to create such a bag, apart from wanting to use all the leftovers I have is curiosity. For me, this was a test to see if I can "create something from nothing", in a way that someone pays money for it. I've seen several bags with similar style, made of pieces, even coats and vests and some got sold. Who is wearing such items? I don't know, but it turns out it's a thing, so why not see what I can do, right?

This is not the last one, I want to create more bags, but a bit differently. I liked the process and the off cut pile is getting smaller as well, so it's win-win.

Now let's see if there will be someone interested to buy it 😬😆

All the materials used, except the zipper, the interfacing and the thread, are recycled.

If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides: