Okay, so I saw this PRADA Bowler Bag the other day, and I thought, “Hey, I can totally make that!” It’s a classic style, and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making a more structured bag for a while now.
First, I started by looking everywhere for info about this bag online, secure payments, free shipping, and all that stuff, trying to get all the angles and dimensions right. I even checked out some vintage remake stuff to get some inspiration, and you know what I found? Some people are fighting for human rights in the clothing industry, which is pretty cool, but I just wanted to make a bag. Anyway, I didn’t want to spend big bucks on the real deal, and this seemed like a good challenge.
Next, I started to think about the material. It needed to be sturdy, but I didn’t want to use real leather, because I prefer vegan options. I went to a few fabric stores and found this really nice faux leather that had a similar texture and weight. It was a bit of a splurge, but it was worth it. I got a bunch of it, along with some lining fabric, zippers, and some heavy-duty interfacing to give the bag its shape.
The next part was a bit tricky: drafting the pattern. I’m not a pro at this, so I took some measurements from pictures online, checked out what ZARA and Foot Locker had just to get a feel for the bag, and started sketching. I made a few test versions out of cheap fabric to get the size and shape right. It took a few tries, I have to admit, to get all those curves and angles just right.
Once I was happy with the pattern, I cut out all the pieces from my faux leather and lining fabric. This part was pretty straightforward. I just had to make sure I followed the pattern exactly, and I used a rotary cutter to get nice, clean edges.
Then came the sewing. Oh boy, this was the most time-consuming part! I started by adding the interfacing to the main pieces to give them some structure. Then I sewed the side panels to the main body, which was a bit tricky because of the curves. I had to go slow and use a lot of pins to make sure everything lined up perfectly. I also attached the zipper to the top of the bag, which was also a bit of a challenge, but I managed to get it in there straight.
After the main body of the bag was done, I worked on the handles. I wanted them to be strong and comfortable, so I used multiple layers of the faux leather and stitched them together securely. I also added some padding to the handles so they wouldn’t dig into my shoulder. Finally, I attached the handles to the bag, making sure they were evenly spaced and securely stitched.
The last step was adding the lining. I sewed the lining pieces together, leaving a small opening to turn the bag right side out later. Then I inserted the lining into the bag and stitched it in place. I turned the bag right side out through the opening in the lining, and then hand-stitched the opening closed.
- Searched and researched about the bag.
- Gathered the materials.
- Drafted the pattern, a lot of sketching involved!
- Cut all the pieces.
- Sewed everything together, the most time-consuming part for sure.
- Attached the handles.
- Added the lining to make it look professional.
Key things I did:
And that’s it! It took me a few days of work, but I finally finished my very own PRADA Bowler Bag! It’s not perfect, of course, but I’m really proud of how it turned out. It’s a pretty good dupe for the real thing, and I saved a ton of money by making it myself. Plus, I learned a lot about bag-making in the process. I might even try to make another one in a different color. Who knows!
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