The Klum House Oberlin Bag

I can’t believe that’s its taken me 13 years of sewing to discover that I love to make bags, but better late than never!

My latest make is the Klum House Oberlin tote. It’s my kinda bag! Simple in design, but beautiful and oh so practical.

I have made this from the best quality organic oilskin (Merchant and Mills). I love how this fabric develops character with its creases and marks! It is durable (like leather) but much lighter to carry. I’ve purchased so many expensive leather bags over the years, only to find them too heavy to carry around (sound familiar?).

One of the things that I love about making bags is the ability to carefully select lining that really compliments the bag. The colours in this beautiful canvas work so well with the colour and richness of the bag. Wouldn’t you agree?

I decided to add a padded pocket to this version to enable a laptop to be carried in it. To avoid the pocket from falling open I added a sturdy snap. This really helps to keep things snug and secure.

The Oberlin tote also has 4 handy outer pockets (2 at the front and 2 at the back). These are great for easy access and are a good size. On the image below you can see how I have fitted in a notebook and headphones.

This bag is a great everyday use size. You can fit lots inside but as mentioned above the bag itself is quite light weight which makes it so useable.

I managed to source some amazing quality real leather handles. They are the most rich chestnut colour and are very sturdy. They are also the style of leather that ages beautifully so will match the bags character. I attached them with rivets and included leather tabs on the inside too to add extra strength.

I will definitely be purchasing the “licence to sell” for this pattern, so keep an eye out for some beautiful versions being added to the shop!