These instructions are written to go with my Squiggle Squares purse but will work for almost any pattern that can be turned into an open cylinder of fabric. I am a bit rough on my purses so I knew that If I was going to crochet a purse for myself, it would need a bit more durability at the bottom and a lining.
These instructions will help you to create a basic leather bottom and reinforce your crochet work to hold the extra weight. They are written with the intent that you will add a lining to the purse to finish.
I have also added some notes on handles as these caused a lot of trouble for me.
I tried to keep these instructions simple and thorough. I have included a very basic guide for some of the sewing stitches that will be useful to know at the end of the instructions for reference.
- Relevant Links
- Materials and Tools
- Measuring, Calculations, Marking and Cutting
- Preparing for Stitching
- Stitch the Side and Bottom Seams
- Stabilizing the Crochet Panel
- Attaching the Crochet Panel to the Leather Bottom
- Handles (my least favorite part of this project)
- Lining the Purse
- Sewing Techniques
Relevant Links
- Squiggle Square Pattern Introductory Blog
- Purchase the pattern on Ravelry
- Purchase the pattern on Etsy
- Adding a Lining to a crocheted Purse
Materials and Tools
To work with leather there are a few specialized tools that you will need to have. There are also a few tools that are not strictly necessary but will make this project a lot easier.
Materials:
- Finished crocheted panel, sewn into a tube
- Leather: the size of the piece of leather needed will be calculated in the Measuring, Calculations, Marking and Cutting section. I recommend a lighter weight leather; I used one described as 3oz/1.2mm.
- Buckram or Sturdy fabric: we will add a rectangle of buckram or sturdy fabric to either side of the interior of the purse, this is what is going to take all the strain between the bottom and the handles. I recommend that you match the stiffness of the leather you are adding. For my yellow squiggle squares purse the leather I got was quite stiff, so the buckram was a good for providing matching structure to crochet panel. If I had less rigid leather, then using rectangles of a stronger fabric such as canvas or duck cloth might have been a better fit.
- Thread for leather work: you will need a sturdy thread for stitching the leather. A waxed thread is often used for leather work, if you don’t use a waxed thread just make sure the thread is sturdy enough for leather work. The thread can be a color that matches your leather to blend in a bit or a contrasting color if you want more visible stitches.
- Contrasting basic thread for basting: I recommend using a lot of basting during the construction of the purse. Basting is a great way to hold parts together as you assemble them. Basting stitches will all be removed when the purse is complete so using a contrasting color of thread will make them easier to see and remove. I used an all-purpose sewing thread in red.
- Handles: you will need some type of handles (see the handles section for a discussion on this)
Required Tools:
These tools are what I consider the minimum that you would need to get this project done.
- Two Sewing sturdy Needles: two strong needles are needed to complete a saddle stitch.
- Straight Edge Ruler: a quilting ruler is perfect for this job, but a regular ruler will also do, and in a pinch a tape measure and something with a hard straight edge can be made to work, you just need something to measure and something straight to help you mark out lines for cutting.
- Craft knife: a good sharp crafting knife is needed to cut the leather.
- Awl: an awl is basically a pointy bit with a handle. If you don’t have any other tools, you can use this for making holes for stitches as well as using it with a straight edge to make a stitch groove. Even if you have other specialized tools having an awl is handy for poking out that one hole that didn’t quite get all the way through or needs to be a bit wider (there is always at least one).
- Tough working/cutting surface: when cutting the leather and making stitching holes work on a surface such as a cutting bord or block of wood. For cutting the leather with your craft knife a sewing cutting mat if fine but DO NOT use one when making stitching hole, this is how I ruined one of mine.
- Scissors: to cut the buckram or sturdy fabric scissors are needed.
Optional Tools:
These tools are not strictly necessary to get the job done but will make things a lot easier and nicer.
- Stitch chisel or stitching prong punch: If you only get one specialized leather working tool for this project, get yourself a set of stitching prong punches or stitch chisels. These are tools made for creating the holes in the leather where your stitches are going to go. If you don’t have one you can use an awl to make the holes, but a proper tool will help you get more even spacing and save you a lot of time. A stitch chisel looks a lot like a fork with very short tines and will poke 1 to 5 holes at once of an even diameter and spacing in a straight line. They sometimes come in sets with a 4–5-pronged chisel, a 2–3-pronged chisel and a 1 prong chisel, you can use the larger number of prongs when working a long straight line and the smaller number of prongs when working a short line or around a curve. A stitching prong punch is much the same but will have little hollow cylinders for the prongs to literally punch out a hole. I find the prong punch a little easier to work with as it always creates a hole although mine seem to go a bit dull rather quickly. I don’t have a great technique with the stitch chisel and find I don’t always create a hole, or I bend the chisel by hitting it too hard to try and get the hole. Admittedly, I have very cheap versions of both tools as I do very little leather work. If you have one available, it might be worth going to a local leather shop to get a decent tool and request instruction on how to use it best.
- Maul/mallet: a leather maul is made to hit the end of a stitch chisel or stitching prong punch as well as other leather working tools while providing more control than a mallet or hammer. You could use a basic mallet hammer or even a good clean rock but if you’re going to get a stitch chisel or prong punch it’s probably worth also getting a proper maul.
- Leather edge groover tool: a leather edge groover is a specialized tool for making a stitching groove a specific distance from the edge of the leather all around. It takes a bit of practice to learn to use but is handy for creating an even stitching line once you get the hang of it. If you don’t have one of these or are struggling to get the hang of it, you can use a straight edge such as a quilting ruler and your awl to make a groove.
- Magnets: pins are not useful for holding leather together while sewing since they would make extra holes in the leather. I recommend a few pairs of very strong magnets to hold the leather bottom onto the crochet panel while you baste and sew it in place. If you don’t have these, you can baste the bottom in place without the magnets, they just make it a bit less awkward.
- Pins and clips: pins and clips will be helpful in holding the buckram to the crochet panel while you baste it into place.
- Thimble: sewing leather is hard work and a thimble will help you protect your fingers.
Measuring, Calculations, Marking and Cutting
The first step to making a leather bottom for your purse is to measure the dimensions and calculate the size of the piece of leather needed before marking and cutting it out.
A Note about Measurement Units: I have written these instructions to work in whichever units of measure you are most comfortable with. However, all my sewing supplies are in imperial units as that is what is available in my area so that is what will be shown in most photos.
Measure your Crocheted Panel for your Purse.
- Total Width _____________________________________
- This is the full width of the purse/bag/pouch when flattened.
Decide on the depth and height of the leather bottom.
- Bottom Trim Height: _____________________________________
- This is the height of the leather trim at the bottom of the purse. I used about 2 ¼ in (5.75cm).
- Depth: _____________________________________
- This is how deep or thick your purse is at the bottom. I used about 4 ¾ in (12cm).
- Bottom Width: _____________________________________
- Total Width minus Depth: This is the width of the purse at the bottom once completed.
Make sure that you are happy with these dimensions before moving on.
Determine the overlap. This is the amount of leather that will overlap sewing two parts of the leather together, it will also be used as the distance from the edge for stitch placement. I used a 1/8in (~3mm) overlap.
Mark your leather to measurements. Working on the back of your leather piece, use a pencil or something to mark with, a ruler, and your calculations above to mark out your leather bottom piece as shown in the diagram below. This shape is basically a rectangle that is the Total Width plus 2x Overlap by the Depth plus 2x Trim Depth, with rectangles cut out on the sides leaving a little overlap for folding and sewing up the bottom corners.
Double check your measurements before cutting anything out.
Cut the Leather Piece. Once you are confident your marking and measurements are correct, use a sharp craft knife and a straight edge to cut out the leather piece as marked.
Preparing for Stitching
Before sewing the leather, we need to make all the holes for the stitches.
Make a stitch groove. Using an edge grooving tool or a ruler and an awl make a shallow groove for the stitches about 1/8 in (3mm) from all edges.
Mark the side center point. Measure and mark the center of each bottom side seam (this is where all three parts of the purse will overlap). Mark the matching corner of each flap and make a small hole in each with awl.
Make the holes along bottom of cut out for bottom seam. Starting from the marked center point, make hole for stitches along the bottom seams in stitch line using a stitch prong punch or stitch chisel and a maul/mallet or an awl. If you are using a stitch prong punch or stitch chisel you can keep even spacing between stitches by overlapping the first and last stitch hole with each use of the prong punch or stitch chisel. If you are using an awl you may measure out the spacing with a ruler and mark each hole prior to piercing so that your stitches are even and your holes line up.
Make the holes along the side of cut out for bottom seam. Starting from the marked corners make matching stitch holes along the sides of the cut out for the bottom seams.
Make the holes along sides of leather piece for the side seam. Starting from the same marked corners make stitch holes all along edges on either side of the of the cut out
Make the holes along the top and bottom of leather piece for the top edge of trim. Make stitch holes on stitch line all around the top edge of leather piece.
Stitch the Side and Bottom Seams
Now that all the holes for stitches are made, we can stitch up the side and bottom seams.
Cut a piece of waxed thread and attach a needle to each end of the thread. Sew up bottom and sides of leather panel with a saddle stitch. If you are unfamiliar with the saddle stitch, see the brief description in the sewing techniques section below. There are also many great videos available online explaining the technique, here is one I particularly like.
When completed the side and bottom seams should look like an upside down “T” shape.
Once fully sewn the leather bottom piece should look something like the picture below.
Stabilizing the Crochet Panel
Before attaching the crochet panel to the leather bottom, we will add two pieces of buckram or other strong fabric to either side of the purse. This is what will support the weight of the bottom of the purse and anything it is holding, preventing your crochet work from being pulled and stretched.
I will refer to the stabilizing fabric as Buckram throughout the instructions. So, if you are using canvas, duck cloth or any other material for lining replace this buckram with whatever you are using. Also note that Buckram is made such that it’s not necessary to finish any raw edges, particularly since they will be well hidden inside the bag. If you are using a fabric with a raw edge that might fray, consider running a zig zag stitch all around, close to the edge, to prevent any fraying.
Cut out the buckram. Cut two rectangular pieces of Buckram the “bottom width” by the height of the crochet panel.
Position the buckram. Turn the crochet panel inside out and position the buckram pieces on the wrong side of the crochet where you would like the front and the back, the seam should be on one of the sides of the purse.
Baste the Buckram in place. Using a contrasting color thread temporarily baste the buckram into place so it doesn’t shift around while being sewn into place. (Tip: slide something like a quilting ruler, cutting board or piece of cardboard inside between the layers of crochet so it’s easier to baste the layers without accidentally sewing front to back)
Attaching the Crochet Panel to the Leather Bottom
And now, we can attach the crochet to the leather bottom.
Fit the leather bottom and the crochet panel together. Line them up so that the back and front of crochet with buckram are in the back and front and the leather meets up with the same crochet row all the way around. I recommend holding this in place with pairs of strong magnets then using a basting thread to stitch it in place every few stitches and make sure everything stays lined up while you work.
Note: I accidentally attached my crochet panel upside down but decided that I prefer it this way, you may decide to position your panel either direction.
Once you have it temporarily secured double check that it is all lined up the way you want. Then, using the waxed thread and a saddle stitch, sew the crochet patten and buckram to the leather bottom. This is a bit of a pain in the bottom to do as you must reach all the way into the purse to get to the inside. Since the premade stitch holes will not be visible on the inside of the purse, I recommend working the outside of the saddle stitch first. Insert the outer needle through the leather stitch hole perpendicular to the purse and pulling it through, then you can insert the inner needle back out through the same location
Check the buckram positioning for sagging or pulling, if needed remove basting stitches and pin back in place. If not leave the basting stitches in place until the bag is fully lined.
Handles (my least favorite part of this project)
I am going to be very open here. I really struggled with the handles for this project, I tried a lot of different things, and it was extremely frustrating. I have handles that I am mostly happy, but I am not going to recommend that you do what I did so I will give you some alterative ideas that would recommend instead. I am also going to tell you about what I tried so you can see how I got to these recommendations.
My original plan was to cut out 4 strips about 2.5cm (1in) wide and 70cm (27.5in) long, mark stitch lines around each side and make holes for stitches in stitch line and stitch each handle together right sides out. I cut out all the strips and punched all the holes, it took at least 4 hours. Then sewed up one of the handles, which took another 2 hours and I found that my stitches didn’t line up properly, the edges were very uneven, the whole thing puckered oddly and just looked terrible. I tried trimming the edges to make them more even and this made it even worse.
Next, I tried to make a narrower handle using the same method by cutting off the stitched edges. Then used double sided tape to hold together the two sides together while I recut and punched all the holes. Again, this also looked terrible. I even tried again with the little bits I had but I found that I am not currently capable of making straight and even lines for and good-looking handle with this method. While the lines I make are straight enough for the purse bottom to look decent, every flaw stood out like a sore thumb on a strap. So on to idea two…
After all that frustration I thought perhaps I could just buy some premade handles and simplify things a lot. This is where my decision to make a yellow purse made things a lot more difficult. I considered a light grey or a contrasting color but decided I didn’t want that. After much searching, I found some lovely looking handles on Etsy that seemed to be the right color of yellow and attached in a simple manor with some hardware. I ordered them but when they came, they were well made (no complaints with the seller) but the texture of the leather was just too different from the bottom and the handle looked odd on the purse. I probably could have gotten away with it for pictures, but I was not happy with it.
I debated getting a strap cutter so that I could cut the strap out evenly and buying more of the matching leather, but I didn’t think that would work because the main issue was the stitch holes, and I didn’t think I could get them to look good and I really didn’t want to spend many more hours punching all the holes. I also watched a lot of videos on how to make leather handles and straps, but I didn’t have enough leather remaining and really didn’t want to buy more leather and potentially have it wasted if I wasn’t successful.
In the end I crochet two of the straps as written in the Squiggle Squares pattern out of grey, added a slip stitch pattern in yellow over top inspired by the separator from Week 4 | Scheepjes CAL 2017 – Hygge | Scheepjes CALs | CALs & MALs, and sewed the two halves I had originally cut for my second strap to the inside so the handle would not stretch. The unevenness of the cut straps and holes is not too noticeable on the interior of the handles. I think that this looks ok but a bit less polished than I was going for.
After all that I have some thoughts, recommendations, and ideas of what you could do for your own handles but keep in mind that this is your project and
Thus, here are my recommendations what to consider and ideas for your own handle:
My most important recommendation is that you decide what you are going to do for the handle before you choose all your materials.
Leather Handle options:
- Premade Handles: I think the simplest leather option is to find a premade handle that you like. If you search online there are many well-made premade handles that are easy to attach either with hardware or sewn. I found a lot of nice options on Etsy, just make sure that you read the description and check the measurements to make sure it is what you are looking for. Pick out the handle first then find leather to match for the bottom, there are fewer handle options than leather options.
- Making your own Handles: If you really want to make your own handles, I recommend that you find a video tutorial on YouTube for a handle style you like. Again, find and watch this video first before you get any materials. When you choose the leather for your project make sure you get one appropriate for the style and method you have chosen.
- Use a Precut strap: A precut leather strap is just a piece of leather that has already been cut into a long strip. If you find one that has a smooth back, then you could cut it to the correct size and only make holes around ether end where it attaches to the bag. Find leather for the bottom that coordinates with the strap. Or if you get undyed vegetable tan leather for the strap and purse bottom you could try dyeing them to match, just practice on some scraps first.
Mixed material option:
Remember those rectangles that get cut out of the side of the leather? When cut in half they can make perfect little loops to attach some hardware such as a D-ring too. Use these tabs to make perfectly matched attachments for a handle that can be any material on the other side of the D-ring. If you get a set of D-rings with Lobster Clasps this top part can even be interchangeable. For the top part you could use anything that makes a decent strap: nylon or cotton webbing, crochet, leather, fabric, etc. or even have one of each and change it out.
Crochet handle:
You can crochet the handles. My squiggle squares pattern includes instructions for a simple reasonably sturdy handle that is easy to customize to the width and length you prefer. For this use I recommend making 2 so that they can be sewn to the stabilized sides. You can attach them to the inside of the purse to not interrupt the pattern or the outside of the purse to add another design element.
Lining the Purse
These instructions result in a purse that is intended to be lined. Instructions for lining can be found on my blog post “Adding a Lining to a crocheted Purse”,
Sewing Techniques
These are basic instructions for some sewing techniques and stitches you will need to know to complete these instructions. There are a lot of great video tutorials available online if you need more instruction that can be found by searching for the term listed.
Basting also known as tacking is using temporary stitches to hold pieces of fabric together. Sew into both layers of fabric with larger stitch that will be easy to remove later. I recommend using a contrasting color thread.
Saddle Stitch is commonly used in leather work and involves using two needles to sew the front and back at the same time resulting in a continuous stitch line.
Start by threading two needles onto one piece of thread, one on each end. Pull one needle through the starting hole/point and pull the thread through to the middle. Pass the front needle through the second hole from front to back pulling thread secure against fabric/leather, pass the back needle through the second hole from back to front in same fashion then repeat with both needles.
There are also many great videos available online explaining the technique, here is one I particularly like.
Happy Crafting!
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Copyright © 2024 by Jessica Wifall. All rights reserved.
Please do not sell, redistribute, or edit these instructions in any way. You may sell the finished products but please credit me as the designer of the pattern.
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