#52 large bookbag

I have ordered and received a large quantity of dark brown leather for my next bag. It is beautiful leather, but it is much softer than the leather I've used in the past. A lot of bags sold today are very soft, but I don't know if it will work for my designs. So now I've worked 25 hours on this bag, and I still have no idea if I'm going to like it. I'd say there's a 5% chance that it will be an incredible new direction for my work, a 45% chance that I will think it is o.k./tolerable, and a 50% chance that I have just wasted $300 on leather I won't want to use for anything! The annoying thing is, I won't know if the bag works until it is completely finished. Oh well, there is much to be learned from failure, right? So I'll keep moving ahead.

So far:


Wish me luck on the final product!

Thanks for checking in,

maureen

#51 bookbag finished

Last week, I shipped #51 bookbag. I didn't want to post this photo until it was delivered, because the box is a new design.


I shipped the bag with a dustbag and the box, both completely handmade. The box turned out pretty well, other than some adhesive issues. I had purchased the recommended pricey spray adhesive, which was virtually non-stick, yet I suspect it was killing brain cells as I used it.

I am now returning to the new bag design from this summer. I had started drafting the pattern, but the customer canceled the order. It will be a good man bag to add to my portfolio.

Thanks for visiting. Have a great evening,

maureen

#51 bookbag

My summer was full of distractions. I have finished bag #51, another bookbag.

My regular photographer, my 13 year old son, was at camp as I made most of this bag. So I had the added challenge of taking photos of myself.

Our cat Porsche was busy being cute as I marked the stitching holes on each piece. This bag has over 4000 holes. I tried to get an exact count this time, but I lost track. Hopefully I'll have better luck with that next time.



After the holes are marked, they must all be punched out of the leather.



I coat the canvas part of the bag with several layers of acrylic paint to make it stronger and stain resistant.



Each bag has a nameplate that says denver couture along with the number of the bag. For each number, I design a stencil by hand and cut it out.




After I trace the stencils onto the nameplate, the name and number are burned into the leather.



The finishing of this bag is the same as for the previous one and can be seen in my posts from May 16 and 23. I will now make a dustbag, and I am designing a box to be handmade as well.

Thanks for checking in with me. Have a great night!

maureen

P.S. Below are previous photos of the bookbag. I'll have new photos of this completed bag soon.


(above photo Brent Ward)

#51 detour

It's been too long since my last post.

My customer canceled his order. :( Then I spent a week with my family at my parents' house in Alabama. :)

I've purchased materials for my next project, which will be another bookbag (just like the last one).


My sister had a bag with her that I made.



I really liked the way the sunlight came through the stitching on the strap.

#51 materials and pattern drafting

Early this week I requested leather samples to be sent to me. This made me nervous because my salesperson in New York talks very fast with a heavy accent, and when I talk to her it seems like she's not listening very well. But on Saturday I got some really beautiful swatches in the mail. Three cheers for Ana!

I stitched some of the samples to show what they would look like on a bag. I also included a couple of pieces of canvas, which my customer had requested to see. I met with my customer, and he approved of my sketch from last week. In the photo below, he chose the bottom combination of materials for his bag. The small square piece on top of the swatch is the leather I use for the Denver Couture nameplate, which will be numbered 51. I will now order the leather and wait for it to arrive.



I also started the process of drafting pattern pieces. This bag is similar to the previous bookbag, but it will require new pattern pieces for the new size. All the stitching holes are marked on the pattern, and their placement is carefully calculated. This will be time-consuming and will keep me busy until I have acquired all the materials.

#50/51 between bags

I first created a dust bag for the bookbag I finished last week. I wanted the bag to be super posh, so I made it out of cotton velvet. Velvet is difficult to sew, so I hand-stitched all but a small part inside that doesn't show. It took hours to make. This might be a bit over the top for a dust bag, but it turned out really well.



Our cat Fifi thought I had made the perfect bed for her out of the leftover fabric. Now I'll have to clean it before using it on my next project.



Then I started on my next project, a bookbag similar to the previous one but larger and with different pockets. I sketched the new design and started the process of sourcing materials. I also battled my scanner to try to scan my sketch correctly. Apparently it has a feature that automatically "straightens" polygons it deems to be crooked. I have to admit the scanner won this battle, but I'll get it sooner or later.

#50 bookbag finished

After another 15 hours of stitching this week, I finished the bookbag.


First, I sewed the pockets into the lining.


Stitching the zipper in.


Putting it all together. This is the most difficult and time consuming step, because there are so many layers that need to be stitched together. The tips of my thumbs and pointer fingers are tender now!


The finished product:


I will also make a velvet bag to ship and store the bag in, so I guess I'm not completely finished.

My next project is a request for a custom-designed bag, similar to this one but larger with different pocket placement. I'm excited to start sketching and creating color samples for the client.

#50 bookbag

Bag number 50 is my favorite bag, the bookbag. The first time I made this one, I was almost out of materials, so I put together a few different things that I had around the house. Wouldn't you know, this creative approach to materials produced the bag I love most.


First, the pieces must be cut out, and the holes punched for stitching. Each bag is hand-stitched inside and out, and each hole that is stitched is marked on the pattern. The markings are transferred to the leather and canvas, and then the holes are punched with a tool that is similar to a paper punch. This bag has 32 pieces and more than 4000 holes.


Once all the pieces are ready, stitching begins.


After 9 hours of stitching, this is how far I am. Still a long way to go, and it gets progressively more difficult, because the closer I get to finishing, the more layers there are to sew together.

New Beginning

My name is Maureen De Haan, and I am starting this blog to document the journey of my fashion line, Denver Couture.

Denver Couture started in 2004 when I made my first pair of jeans for myself. I was taking pattern drafting classes from Ilse Romoth, a German woman who told spellbinding tales of European couture. I had decided to make any clothing I needed, so when I needed jeans, I made them. I have always had difficulty finding jeans that fit me. When I finally had that pair that fit me perfectly, I knew many people would appreciate the luxury of jeans custom made for them. This is how Denver Couture was born.

The name Denver Couture came from the idea of a custom-tailored product, which is the traditional meaning of the word “couture.” I referenced Denver in the name because I wanted to create something authentic that reflects the beauty and strength of this place I call home. Paris and New York are fashion capitols with their own unique styles, but a line from Denver need not attempt to imitate them. With the rich heritage of western wear and legends of the Wild West, there is ample inspiration to create products that can’t be found anyplace else.

A few months after starting Denver Couture, I met Ilse’s son, Mike Romoth, a multi-talented Denver writer, poet, and artist who works with leather and is influenced by Native American art. Mike suggested I try working with leather and helped me make my first bag. To continue making jeans, I needed to buy an industrial sewing machine, and it was challenging to have customers come to my home for fittings. I thought it would be quicker, cheaper, and easier to make leather bags, which do not require fittings. So I decided to focus on making handbags first. Four years and thousands of dollars later, I felt my line was strong enough to launch, and I worked to develop a website. In the meantime, I had also purchased an industrial sewing machine and was still making jeans for myself, so I decided to offer jeans as well.

In 2009 I launched my website, had a fashion show, and entered a local contest for fashion designers. These efforts gained me some local press coverage, but led to no sales. It was a disappointing year.

Recently, I completed a pair of jeans for a friend whose build is difficult to fit. They required several alterations, which once again, made the challenges of seeing customers at home painfully obvious. He is very happy with his jeans, but the experience has brought me to the conclusion that I need to simplify and offer only leather goods at this time.

This decision has been liberating. I work full-time and have a son. To launch my line with two different products has been overwhelming. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I am now impatient to achieve success and make this my primary source of income.

This blog is for sharing my experience with you and in the process, hold myself accountable. It is my goal to document my progress at least once a week.

I give special thanks to Mike and Ilse Romoth, who are the Denver and the Couture of Denver Couture. Thanks also to my very dear friend Sarah Vanderveen, who has started her own blog this year. She is a writer-surfer-mother extraordinaire who has been a great source of support and an incredibly positive influence since our college days together. She is one of those rare people who is beautiful inside and out. Also, thanks to my friend Tom Plassmeyer, a gifted musician whose dedication to his craft has been inspirational to me. Thank you to all my friends and family who have been there for me through the years. I am forever grateful for the important roles you have played in my life.

Thank you for visiting. I welcome your comments and feedback.

Much love and blessings to all,

maureen