$24.00
CONFIDENT BEGINNER 
MAKE TIME: 1–2 hours
Beginner projects will introduce you to the basics of bag making. You'll learn to sew heavy-duty fabric, punch holes in fabric and leather, set metal rivets, and sew your first zipper!
Confident Beginner projects involve managing more pieces of fabric and leather. They'll teach you to add interior and exterior pockets and install new types of hardware, like snaps.
Intermediate projects involve a more in-depth making process. They'll teach you to work with a wider variety of tools and hardware techniques, like setting extra-strength tubular rivets.
Advanced projects are for experienced stitchers ready to invest a significant amount of time and energy into becoming a bag maker. Complex construction and seriously professionals results.
Waxed canvas is the original water-resistant fabric. It's a densely-woven cotton fabric that
has been saturated with wax, giving it an extra layer of protection. Waxed canvas shows scuffs, marks
and creases that blend into a weathered patina with age.
Our leather is sourced locally at Oregon Leather, as well as from a tannery in
Pennsylvania, and hand-selected for its quality. Our hides are cut into straps with a
hydraulic press to ensure precision and consistency. NOTE: Our tan leather might feel stiff at
first, but it will soften and darken to a lovely caramel brown with use.
Hardware can take a bag from looking homemade to truly professional—and it's not hard to
do! With a few basic tools, you'll be able to set rivets, snaps, magnetic closures and more. All of
our hardware is real metal and strong enough to hold up to years of wear and tear.
The zipper and lining expansion pattern was easy to follow and I was very pleased with the end result. This really completes the tote project and is worth the extra time commitment.
I found the instructions with the video tutorial link very easy to follow. I’m so glad I added it to my first Portsmith.
I added both the lining and zipper extension to my Portsmith bag. This was my first recessed zipper and the instruction were very clear. The extension lays flat when unzipped, you hardly know it is there. It does lie lower than I expected. I had added an extra zipper pocket and open pocket on the sides of my lining and in order to access them I have t
