How To: Minimal Phillip Lim-Inspired Leather Backpack

Dreams of the 3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Hour Backpack have been filling my mind for the past couple months, when every morning I watch my shoulder bags get abused banging against my bike tires on my ride to work. The minimalist leather backpack's time had come.

TOOLS:

Leather (quantity depending on the size of backpack)  |  Metal zipper  |  Strap clips as shown  |  Sewing machine + leather needle and strong thread  |  Binder clips to use instead of pins

I. Cut out patterns for the different pieces from paper. This will help in estimating what's the best arrangement to make most out of the leather you have. I determined the size by the width and length of my 13" MacBook (35 cm long, 25 cm wide, 12 cm deep).
II. Trace the pieces and cut them out with an approx. 1cm allowance (the bottom piece here is a bit different, I used a relatively soft cow hide for the backpack with the exception of the bottom part, which I made out of slightly thicker leather). The two thin pieces will go on either side of the zipper, so their width will depend on the width of your zipper - the total width of the two straps + zipper width - seam allowances should be the same as the depth of the bag (see step IV for the visual).
III. Fold the allowance of the two long pieces that will be attached to the zipper with the help of an iron. Yes, you can iron leather. Just need a cotton cloth in between (an old pillow case will do).
IV. Place the pieces on the zipper (the overall width should be the same as the side pieces as shown below). Sew a straight stitch on top of the fold.
V. Press the side piece allowance fold with the iron and sew a straight stitch approx. 2 mm from the edge. Repeat for other side piece.
VI. Place the rectangular front piece right side facing the right side of the bottom piece, and sew the two together on the wrong side.
VII. Place the front piece right in the middle of the zipper piece. Use binder clips to attach the pieces together (pins don't work, leather is unforgiving when it comes to puncture marks). Continue going around and attaching the zipper piece to the front piece sides. Sew slowly along the line you drew when tracing the pieces.
VIII. Make the short straps to attach the clips to. Width should be double what fits through the clip. Fold the sides to the middle, pressing with iron through a cloth. Sew a straight stitch on both sides and slip through the clips.
IX. Place the straps folded in half on the bottom part, and attach the front piece with binder clips, with the two straps in between. Sew a straight stitch trapping the straps in their place.
X. Continue sewing the remaining edges of the side pieces and the back piece, leaving a gap at the top where the long straps will go.
XI. Cut out the straps (I had to make them from 2 pieces each to get them long enough). Using the iron, press the allowance down into a fold on each side of both piece.
XII. Fold both piece in half, pressing with iron again through a cloth. Sew a couple mm from the edge, all the way.
XIII. Same as with the bottom straps, attach the back and side piece, sewing a straight stitch with the straps in between the two pieces.

XIV. Slip the straps through the clips as shown below, and sew the ends of the straps creating a loop at the end, securing the strap to the clip. Reinforce all stitches supporting the straps by hand-sewing them tightly.
And you're good to go!
xo,

Julia