As for the buckles, I found an old purse laying around and took them off of that, this was convenient because the adjustable straps that went to the buckles originally were long enough to work with my backpack with minor alterations. The top 3' inches are folded over and sewn to the back.

My own measurements are tagged in the first photo, I based them off the length of straps on my other backpack keeping in mind that it was going to be adjustable anyway. There are 3 parts to making the staps, the main piece, attaching the buckles, and sewing the bottom of the adjustable part to the bottom of the bag. I went a step further and used a pipet to get oil right in the seam and let it soak in, this is not necessary but I found it helped the stiff leather become workable, which will really help in the next step. I used the saddle stitch for this whole bag, you just have to make sure the knots are secure.įor these 2 seams, both edges will be on the inside, meaning the leather will have to bend quite a bit, so make sure you oil the bend and the seam well. I've found that it helps to place a piece of wood under the section you are working on, this protects the surface under and provides the stability that helps the punch go through easier.

Before punching the holes, I gave myself a guideline to make sure it is straight and properly spaced from the edge. So this is where I started actually sewing the parts together, for the 2 bottom inseams you can easily clamp the leather where you want it, punch through both layers at once while they're lined up (depending on your punch, you can see mine in the second photo), and sew them together without having to realign them.

A township tale backpack