Artist Medium: Visual Arts: Fiber/Fabric; Recycled leather
I search for old leather coats and garments, leather remnants, or upholstery leather pieces that can be repurposed into leather bags and other accessories. I clean and do any deconstruction that needs to be done on the leather and then lay out the pieces to see the lines and features of a coat or jacket that could be incorporated into a new bag. I also use cotton or silk clothing items, found at thrift shops for the bag linings. These have to be laundered and disassembled. Each bag piece is interlined and each lining piece is interfaced so there are actaully 4 layers to each handbag that I make. I use several different types of sewing machines in my process. The finished product is a soft, but durable, one of a kind handbag. I also use the smaller scraps of leather to make cuff bracelets, brooches, and headbands.
Small clutch bag $75-$90
Medium sized bag $130-$150
Large shoulder bag $225-$300
Duffle bag $375-$400
Cuff bracelet $36-$42
I am self taught. I have been sewing since I was young and have read everything I can get my hands on to learn more about sewing. When I got the idea to use recycled leather to make handbags there was really no place to go to learn the techniques for this type of thing. I have mainly learned through trial and error.
