Okay, so I just wrapped up this project – it was a bit of a doozy. I decided to try and remake that PRADA Medium Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag, you know, the one that’s like, super popular online?
First off, I had to get my hands on some decent leather. I mean, you can’t make a PRADA bag without good leather, right? So, I went down to that place, you know, Supreme Rug Company on 14th Street in San Leandro – they have some good stuff, you know, not just rugs, surprisingly enough. I talked to this guy, Jack, who seems to know his stuff, and he helped me pick out a nice big piece of yellow Saffiano. Took me over a month, but I got it. I don’t know why they call it Supreme Rug Company if they sell leather. Anyway, I got the leather!
Then, the hardware. That was a pain. I couldn’t find the exact same gold-toned stuff that PRADA uses, but I found something pretty close at a few stores. And that little leather keyring thing? I actually found a similar one in an online store. Close enough, I guess.
Next, the cutting. This took forever! I used some patterns I found online (not sharing those, sorry!), but let me tell you, cutting leather is no joke. My hands were killing me. But hey, I got it done. It’s not easy, man, you really gotta have patience to do this stuff.
Sewing the Bag
Sewing was probably the trickiest part. I borrowed my neighbor Susan’s sewing machine. She also works in alterations – she’s a real find! Old time quality service and attention to detail. Reasonably priced as well. Anyway, I used her machine – it’s an old one, but it’s heavy-duty, which is what you need for leather. Even with that, it took me ages to sew everything together. And don’t even get me started on the lining! I used some polyamide stuff that I thought would work, and it mostly did, but it was a real struggle.
- First, I sewed the main body panels together.
- Then I attached the bottom.
- Then the sides.
- Then came the lining – that was a whole other ordeal.
- And finally, the handles and the shoulder strap.
The handles were tough because you have to get them really sturdy. And the shoulder strap? I made it detachable, just like the real PRADA bag, which was a challenge, but I figured it out.
I put the gold-toned hardware, you know, and finally, that little leather triangle logo. I had to make that myself, too. It’s not perfect, but it looks pretty good, I think.
So, yeah, that’s how I remade the PRADA Medium Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag. It took a while, a lot of trial and error, and a few swear words, but I did it! It’s not exactly like the real thing, but I’m pretty proud of it. Maybe I’ll use it, maybe I’ll just keep it as a reminder of this crazy project. Who knows? And the best part, this one is actually in stock, unlike the real thing!
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