finished flap edge on the back of the bag

[Ohio Rusty]

I am making a new haversack, smaller than the one I had and sold. It will have a linen body and a leather flap. My other haversack was made the same way, but I never liked the unfinished sharp edge of the leather sewn to the bag on the back. You couldn't see the edge because it was on the back of the back and held with two rows of stitching, but it still looked like a piece of leather overlapped onto a piece of cloth and sewn together.
My new bag I want to make that leather flap edge look more finished and look like it blends better with the linen body. Any ideas or pictures of how you bag makers have solved this dilemma, or is that the way you make yours also? The outer flap will have leather edging sewn around the outside of the flap to hide the raw edge and make it look finished on the outside. I want to back where the leather meets cloth to look finished also.
Thanx in advance ....
Ohio Rusty >

 

[mazo kid]

Can you put the leather inside of the linen bag, then fold the linen over it for a finished edge?

 

[dodgecity]

Would a 2 or 3 inch strip of linen overlaping the flap to look like the back of the flap was edged with linen and then extending down the back of the bag for a couple inches thus covering the area where the leather joins the linen work? This double thick linen at the top of the back of the bag would then offer additional support where the straps will be sewn on.

 

[Eric/WV]

2 ideas:

1. Sew both raw edges together on the inside of the bag.

2. You could "interlock" the pieces together. Fold approx. 1 inch of the linen on the outside/back of the bag and iron it so it stays folded. Fold the bottom of the leather flap and slide under the fold in the linen so they "interlock". Sew together with 2 rows of stitching (you'll be sewing through leather-linen-leather-linen). There won't be any raw edges showing. I hope this makes sense. :grin: