2-Day Leather Bag Making Course

About the Course

This is one of our most popular high end chrome dyed leather handbag making courses; a great introduction to making a professional leather bag from scratch. On this two-day course we will walk you through all the steps needed to create a professional handbag, teaching you how to use a pattern, sew on industrial sewing machines and all the tips and tricks to sewing leather.

With over 10 years of working in the accessories industry, having worked in Paris and London for numerous fashion houses and sucessfully run her own handbag brand. Rebecca is open to sharing all her knowledge and expertise with you on this one day course.

On the first day you get to choose from 6 different bag shapes: 2 variants of each style (2 types of Hobo, 2 sizes of satchel, a tote/shopper, or a backpack).

We have pre-prepared Rebecca-Jane patterns for you to use & keep, so you don’t have to worry about any complicated pattern cutting on this course. You are welcome to customise your chosen designs slightly if you feel confident.

This course is a chance to learn how to make a turned and fully lined soft leather bag with different types of pocket detail and handle options and leave with skills you can use for future bag making projects.

Day 1: Select pattern design to use, discuss chosen materials, cut leather & lining, practice on the industrial machines, start to sew the lining.
Day 2: Bag construction and final assembly.

Your course dates can be consecutive or separate, depending on what suits you best.

Skill level: Beginners – Intermediate

Key skills learned on this course:
• Adapting patterns
• Choosing materials and leather
• Professional leather and fabric cutting techniques
• Preparing pieces for zips, fusing and considering materials weight and combinations
• Fully lining a bag
• How to sew a zip & patch pocket
• Sewing different types of seams and how to finish them
• Different closure techniques & applying finishing touches to a professional bag
• Attaching handles with rivets

You have the option to work with domestic (Janome or Bernina) or industrial sewing machines. We have a Typical walking foot cylinder arm machine and 2 flat-bed industrial sewing machines, they are all fitted with slow speed motors so they are really easy for even a beginner. We now also have a skiving machine to help with reducing the thickness of the leather in the seam lines. You are welcome to use either depending on your choice of materials, although our aim is for everyone to produce professionally finished bags and so we’d recommend using one of our industrial machines to get the best results.

Our classes are very small (max. 5 students per class) so there is plenty of one-to-one tuition. All our courses are run in parallel, so you may be making something different to other students on the day. Course dates tend to fill-up fast so if your preferred dates are already fully booked we will be in touch to discuss alternative dates that suit you.
All classes will run with a minimum of only 1 person so you can have peace of mind that once you have booked your place you know nothing will change.

Wondering what other students have made? Visit the gallery on our website.

Rebecca Jane is a true artisan she has worked for many designers, including Givenchy, Stuart Vevers, Luella, Robert Cary Williams and Paul Seville. Her experience of working in these different design houses gave her the insight into how to run a fashion label.

In 2008 Rebecca combined this knowledge with her passion for eco design and Rebecca-Jane own handbag range was born. The label was sold world wide in boutiques, departments stores and markets. Clocking up a staggering 5000 bags being sold and creating them all in-house at the RJ headquarters. Rebecca comes from a creatives family she has a broad knowledge of making and designing and specialises in handbag design.

If booking with a CraftCourses voucher for part or all of the course fee, please fill in the contact form above. Your voucher code must be provided at the point of booking.

What's included in the price?

What we provide:
• Rebecca-Jane patterns
• Pattern card
• Pencils & rubber
• Pattern master (ruler for pattern cutting)
• Fusing
• Leatherboard if required
• Thread & Machines

We suggest bringing a notepad & pen and a camera for taking videos and photos to document your project.

We know that buying leather and components can be a little overwhelming so you have the option to buy the materials from us for £50, you can purchase the 'materials package' from our website.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to bring your own materials please make sure your leather is not too thick, no more than 1mm-1.5mm if possible. See the list below of materials to consider for your design:
• Leather - 6sq ft of leather for the outside of the bag
• Lining – 1m of fabric preferably of a medium weight
• Metal hardware – zips, d-rings, oblongs, fastenings, magnets, feet

There is a list on our website of places we recommend for purchasing leather and metal hardware.

We will have a half lunch break together and lunch will be provided for you. We will have a selection of bread cheese, ham, and salad. If you have any specific dietary requirements we recommend bringing some lunch. Coffee, tea(s) and snacks are provided to keep up our energy throughout the day. Please bring some drinking water.

Once we receive your booking and preferred course date(s), we’ll send you an email with driving directions and public transport info. If you arrive by train we can arrange for you to be collected free of charge from Lancing, Hove or Portslade station. There is limited free parking on site.
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About us:
The Rebecca-Jane Sewing School is run by a designer and our courses allow you to explore your ideas and leave with the confidence to continue your design & making journey for a hobby or creative career. We aim to teach you the skills and principles of innovative design and professional making techniques to create long-lasting innovative designs.