bag sewing patterns and tips thread

let's discuss making our own bags or other gear in this thread since the market for good gear is pretty soykaf atleast where I live. I'll start: how should I approach making my own vintage military-style messenger bag/musette? some advice on how to draft my own sewing patterns or premade patterns for similar bags would be greatly appreciated since the patterns I've found have much too simple/unstructured designs

Not sure why you didn't just bump the backpack thread or is it gone now?

>>13113 It's called "do it yourself," not "consume someone else's hard work because native advertisers told you to," that thread deserves to die.

learn how to grow your own fibers, like flax, cotton, wool. or use weed fibers like stinging nettle or hemp. learn how to hand spin the fibers into yarn, or build your own spinning wheel. learn how to weave the yarn into fabric on a loom you can build yourself. or learn how to raise cattle or goats, tan and prepare leather or other animal skins. learn how to design the gear or clothing or footwear or headwear you want , cut the material, and sew it well. there are free books on gutenberg.org that contain all of this information, and much, much more.

>>13114 Multiple Lains including myself posted patterns. Plus not like you can't just repair or modify or at least reuse material of an existing bag you got from a thrift shop or dumpster or something. As >>13115 pointed out unless you are involved in every step of the process you're still consuming a product of someone else's work. >>13115 Oil tanning leather actually probably wouldn't be too difficult.

>>13116 oil tanning is kinda fake but chrome tanning or i.e. brain tanning is pretty easy but the results Ive seen from people who've done it just as dabblers is pretty inconsistent vs the professional stuff. Chrome tan is pretty fast as tanning goes >OP Bags like your pics arent super complicated. Sit down and think and figure out something you'd like, or find one to actually look at/take apart and extract from. For bags like these a big factor is just material choice; stiff canvas can give you structure where even fairly sturdy duck will just flop around, 4oz leather vs 2 oz is also pretty stark a difference. What do you plan to carry? this dictates your dimensions, pocket requirements, etc.

>>13117 How is it fake? Chrome tanning is toxic though and you have to deal with proper protection and waste disposal. I like the look of oil tanning better aside from it not having as many color options,

>>13113 I just thought having a sewing thread on this board would be nice. this isn't just about bags y'know? >>13117 thanks lain

>>13116 >>13117 >>13118 i've done some hide tanning (only 5 or so (mix of deer and squirrel), but enough to know a little) - bark tanning takes ages, but can give really nice colors, and makes the leather tough (unfortunately, i've had bad luck with hair slipping on the deer hides I prepped this way). hemlock bark is what i've used for all of mine since it is easy to get nearby. just make sure it is relatively fresh (not from an ancient, half-rotted, super-rain-leeched tree). - aluminum sulfate tanning is stupid fast and easy, no hair slippage, much easier to break the hide too, but not as tough. you used to be able to buy it as a garden-thing, but harder to find now. you CAN still get huge 50lb sacks for pond work, so look for one of those if you get into it. if you are sulfate tanning, i HIGHLY recommend making a paste and painting it on (i can post a recipe if anyone wants one). note that if you are tanning your own hides, you probably also need to be GENERATING your own hides (or know somebody that hunts, 99% of hunters just toss the hides so you can get them for free this way easily). for equipment, i'd recommend: - a fleshing post (make with scrap wood) - a fleshing knife (buy one, super cheap works well enough for starting) - a big plastic bin - some rocks to hold the hide down - a yard to do the fleshing in (city dwellers need not apply) - fingernails (for picking little bits of stubborn fat/gore) - paintbrush (if doing a paste method) i used an old taxidermy book to learn, can dig it up and post the name if someone wants it.

>>13118 >How is it fake? Oil tan is heavily oiled chrome tan >chrome tanning is toxic the entire process of tanning leather is somewhat dangerous; if it can do that to a [cow,sheep,goat,etc]'s skin it can do that to yours. The big question is speed, chrome tan is fast so its more dangerous.

>>13121 >the entire process of tanning leather is somewhat dangerous; if it can do that to a [cow,sheep,goat,etc]'s skin it can do that to yours. Maybe with modern chemical tans... but bark/wood-derived tannins are effectively harmless (i'd bathe in it, although i'd probably come out three shades darker) even aluminum sulfate is perfectly skin-safe for modest periods of time (source: i've slopped it on myself while tanning and didn't notice any ill effects. i wouldn't bathe in it though) brain tans are probably also in the harmless category, although i haven't had a chance to try this before.

>>13122 >maybe with modern chemtans, but barkwood derived tannins... yes but a lot of those you keep the skin in for months. I would not stand in barktanning solution for months. Other ones you keep the skin in for hours, and you should not keep your hands in for hours, but in both cases a few minutes, some splashes on the skin, these are fine.