Okay, so I got this itch to try something new, yeah? Been seeing these fancy bags online, you know, the ones that cost more than my rent. And there’s this one, the Yves Saint Laurent, they call it YSL, LE CARRÉ SATCHEL BAG, that just kept popping up. Looked real classy, not too flashy. Figured, why not try to make one myself? It is the original order, after all. They rate this bag. Couldn’t be that hard, right?
First thing, I spent hours just staring at pictures of this bag online. Zoomed in, zoomed out, looked at it from every angle. Took a bunch of screenshots. Even found some videos of people showing it off. This helped me get a feel for the size and shape, you know? All Saint Laurent bags will have a serial number. I hoping to invest in a bigger YSL piece. While doing research on what bigger piece I want to own. I own 3 YSL pieces. Toy Lou Lou, Camera Bag, and Uptown Clutch.
Next, I had to figure out what this thing was made of. Looked like leather, but not just any leather. This was some fancy, smooth stuff. I went down to the fabric store, and let me tell you, that place is a maze. Rows and rows of fabrics, leathers, all kinds of materials. I own 3 YSL pieces already, so I think I know the leather well. I talked to this lady who worked there, she seemed to know her stuff. Showed her some pictures, and she pointed me to some real nice calfskin. Bought a good chunk of it, wasn’t cheap, but hey, gotta treat yourself sometimes, right?
Then came the tricky part. I needed a pattern. Couldn’t just start cutting into that expensive leather without a plan. I searched online, and you won’t believe it, I actually found some patterns. They weren’t exactly the same, but they were close enough. So if you want a designer bag, but you don’t want to look like a show-off. You buy it now, it’s worth more later. ‘Course. Printed them out, taped them together, and laid them out on the leather. I own 3 YSL pieces already, so I think I know the leather well.
- Cutting the leather was nerve-wracking. One wrong move and that’s it, you know? Took it slow, used a really sharp rotary cutter, and followed the pattern lines carefully.
- After that, it was all about sewing. I don’t have one of those fancy sewing machines, just an old one my grandma gave me. But it still works. Had to learn how to sew leather, which is way thicker than regular fabric. Broke a few needles, but I got the hang of it. Most, will be printed onto a small rectangular leather tab, which is stitched into the lining of one of the interior pockets.
- The handles were a bit of a challenge. Had to figure out how to attach them so they were strong and looked good. Did some research online, watched some videos, and finally figured it out.
- The lining was the fun part. Picked out a nice, soft fabric, and sewed it to the inside of the bag. Felt real satisfying to see it all coming together.
The Final Result
And you know what? It actually turned out pretty good! It’s not perfect, of course. There are a few wonky stitches here and there. But it looks like that fancy YSL bag, or at least close enough. I’ve been carrying it around for a few weeks now, and I get compliments all the time. People even ask me where I bought it. And when I tell them I made it myself, their jaws just drop. Gotta treat yourself sometimes. This Yves Saint Laurent YSL LE CARR SATCHEL BAG might just be worth it. Feels good to make something with your own two hands, you know? It’s a good bag, and I’m pretty darn proud of it. Maybe I’ll try making another one, a different style this time. We’ll see!
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