How to cut and make bag patterns

I specialise in leather fashion accessories and one of my main passions is creative pattern cutting for fashion and accessories. Using leather I love to experiment with bags and accessories to create unique bags through innovative cutting and pattern making. Sometimes my leather bags are cut using CNC knife cutting machinery and sometimes the leather is cut by hand or by press knives. Whichever way I cut the leather for a bag depends upon the detail in the pattern. Most of my saddle bags are cut using CNC knife cutting because the pattern is very intricate and this is the only way to cut this type of leather bag. This can be a very expensive process but ideal if the level of detail is very high so if a design is simpler I use press knives to cut leather bags patterns. Quite often I hand cut leather bags too! This is a useful skill and it means I can also make everything in my studio from scratch. When I hand cut theta her bag patterns it’s also easier to customise leather bag orders and make bespoke accessories such as multi-colour options or bags with specific functions. Creative pattern cutting to create innovative fashion accessories is at the heart of Lee Mattocks - Handmade in Nottingham because it also allows me to make products in different ways. Some of these new ways of making also means that our leather bags can be more affordable because I don’t need to rely of factories as the techniques I develop can be produced in my own studio without sending products out to be made. It also means that I can use any savings on purchasing better quality leathers and hardware for my bags, backpacks, saddle bags and satchels to ensure they last a lifetime.