Making a Possibles Bag Part 1

Adventures in Recycling - Making a Possibles Bag from Reclaimed Leather
Part 1: Selecting and Preparing Leather

When selecting a garment or other leather item to remake, pretty much anything goes depending on the size of the bag you want.  There are, however, two major considerations: 1) Quality of the leather and 2) Environmental conditions expected during use.

1) Quality of the Leather
     The primary consideration when making a bag from another leather item is quality.  The leather needs to be heavy enough and of good enough quality to hold up to deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as day-to-day use.  Leather that is too thin, or has weak sections will not hold up to any normal level of use, and may not hold up to the deconstruction process (I speak from experience here).

2) Environmental Conditions
     The secondary consideration is just as important.  If a bag will be used in a day-to-day setting, pretty much any leather item designed to handle occasional exposure to water, etc. should be fine (i.e. jacket, skirt, etc.).  If a bag will be used in rugged areas and expected to come into frequent contact with water, the item in question will need to be of a somewhat heavier leather and preferably treated with a waterproofing solution.

Adventures in Recycling - Making a Possibles Bag Intro

Adventures in Recycling - Making a Possibles Bag from Reclaimed Leather


Introduction


Recently, I had the harebrained idea to make myself a leather possibles bag.  Now keep in mind, I haven't sewn a stitch except for attaching a button in 25 years.  On top of that, I didn't have a local place to get decent leather that didn't cost a fortune.  So, what's a guy to do?  If he's as nutty as me, he looks for completely unrelated parts to make something new.  Enter the Salvation Army Thrift Store.