Okay, so I’ve been eyeing this Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag for a while now. It’s a classic, you know? Simple, but real nice. They call this one the “Small” size. I saw it in the official store, and man, it looked good. But the price? Oof. Way outta my league.
So, I thought, “Why not try to make one myself?” I mean, how hard could it be, right? Turns out, it’s a bit more involved than I thought. First off, I had to figure out what this “Saffiano” leather even was. Turns out, it’s just regular leather with a special texture pressed into it. I found some leather scraps online that looked similar, not exactly the same, but close enough. They call it full-grain leather, and it can be either chrome-tanned or vegetable-tanned. I don’t know what’s the difference. But I just bought some pieces of leather.
Then came the cutting. I used a pencil and a ruler to draw out the shapes of the bag on the leather. Let me tell you, cutting straight lines on leather is no joke. Took a lot of time and some of my best practices to make it straight. My hands were sore after that, but I managed to get all the pieces cut out.
Next up, the sewing. Oh boy, sewing leather is tough. I tried using my regular sewing machine first, but the needle kept breaking. So I went and got myself a heavy-duty needle and some thick thread. Even with the right tools, it was a struggle. The leather was so thick, and my machine was not having it. I had to go real slow, and even then, the stitches weren’t perfect. Some areas have to be stitched by my own hand. It really needs a lot of time, and you need to be careful, or the needle will hit your finger. In the end, I have to admit that it’s really tiring.
But you know what? After hours of work, I actually had something that resembled a bag! It wasn’t exactly like the real Prada one. The shape was a little off, and the stitching was definitely not as neat. The thickness of the leather is also a problem. I can’t find the exact thickness as the real one. I guess it depends on its intended use and the animal hide used. I used a thicker one, and it makes the bag a little bit heavy, but it is what it is. And you know, the real Prada bag won’t develop a patina over time, but I think mine will, it will be unique, right?
I even added a little pocket inside, just like the real one. And I found a metal Prada logo online and glued it on. Not gonna lie, it felt pretty good to carry my homemade bag around. I will take a photo and post it in my next blog.
The Final Result
- It’s not perfect.
- It’s definitely not a Prada.
- But it’s mine.
- And I made it.
Would I do it again? Probably not. It was a fun experiment, but a lot more work than I expected. If you’re thinking of trying it, be prepared for a challenge. And maybe invest in a better sewing machine. Anyway, I am going to use this bag for a while and see how it goes. It can’t be worse than my old cloth bag. I will keep recording my experience and share it in the future.
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