Today, I tackled remaking the Yves Saint Laurent LE CARRé SATCHEL BAG. Yeah, that’s the one, sounds fancy, right? I saw it online, and I just knew I had to try my hand at making it. I mean, I’ve been messing around with leather for a while now, but this was gonna be a real challenge.
First, I spent hours just staring at pictures of the bag online. There are a ton of them out there, you can find them on those fancy brand sites or even just regular online stores. I zoomed in, checked out every angle, trying to get a feel for how it was put together. It’s a simple-looking bag, you know, but you can tell there’s some real craftsmanship behind it.
Then, I got to work sketching. I grabbed some paper and started drawing out the different pieces – the front, the back, the sides, the flap, everything. I probably redrew it a dozen times, tweaking the measurements, trying to get it just right. The hardest part was figuring out the dimensions. You can’t really tell from pictures, so I had to do some guesswork.
Next, I made some patterns. I used some thick cardstock and carefully cut out each piece, labeling them so I wouldn’t get confused later. This part took forever, but it was worth it to get those patterns perfect.
Once I had my patterns, I grabbed my leather. Now, I didn’t use the real fancy stuff they use for the actual bag, that’d cost a fortune! I found a nice piece of black leather that had a similar look and feel. It was still pretty pricey, but nowhere near as much as the original.
Cutting the leather was nerve-wracking. I double-checked everything before making each cut, because you only get one shot with this stuff. One wrong move and you’ve wasted a whole lot of money. Luckily, I managed to cut out all the pieces without any major disasters.
Then came the real fun part – sewing. I dusted off my old sewing machine, the one my grandma gave me years ago, and got to work. I started with the smaller pieces, like the straps and the interior pockets. It was slow going at first, but I got into a rhythm after a while.
- Stitched the front and back panels together.
- Attached the sides, forming the body of the bag.
- Added the flap, which was a bit tricky with the curve.
- Sewed on the strap, making sure it was secure.
Finally, after days of work, it was done. My very own handmade version of the YSL LE CARRé SATCHEL BAG. It’s not perfect, of course. There are a few wonky stitches here and there, and the leather isn’t quite as luxurious as the real deal. But you know what? I’m darn proud of it. It’s a unique piece, something I made with my own two hands. And that’s worth more than any designer label in my book.
It was a lot of hard work. I learned a ton, and I’m definitely going to try making more bags in the future. If you are interested in making bags, you can try as I did!
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