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  • Chinorlz
    Senior Member
    • Sep 2006
    • 6422

    The Maurizio Amadei (+) bag



    Going fiddle around with some muslin and my sketchbook tonight (mentally worked on deconstructing on the train ride to work today) and figure out the pattern for the 1-piece leather bag.



    I'll post my findings, eventual pattern and everything else soon!



    Anyone have locations where one can purchase good quality sheets of leather online?



    -A

    www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

    Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "
  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    #2
    Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)

    [quote user="Chinorlz"]

    Going fiddle around with some muslin and my sketchbook tonight (mentally worked on deconstructing on the train ride to work today) and figure out the pattern for the 1-piece leather bag.



    I'll post my findings, eventual pattern and everything else soon!



    Anyone have locations where one can purchase good quality sheets of leather online?



    -A



    [/quote]



    Not sure about the leather, but let us know how it goes!

    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine

    Comment

    • Chinorlz
      Senior Member
      • Sep 2006
      • 6422

      #3
      Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



      Will do. Should be able to post some pattern work and muslin versions tonight.



      After digging around online, I contacted a leather specialist that will sell full hide sheets (also leathers in the thickness required for the belts) online. Let's face it... construction-wise, the belts are easy-peasy. Genius in their design no doubt, but... I'll do it myself.



      As for that zippered folding travel bag. My god... I checked it out at A and it's STUNNING! I wish it were just a bit bigger so that it could really function as a weekender bag. I'd seriously consider buying it then.

      www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

      Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

      Comment

      • drexl
        Senior Member
        • Sep 2006
        • 798

        #4
        Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



        Funny stuff, I figured out the pattern and did a scale model (1/1000? haha) of the pleated bag with a sheet of paper last week. It's deceptively simple to make. From the size I did mine I figured it would need a 110cm by 110 cm piece of leather to make one that's about 45cm long, 30 cm high and 15cm wide. And you'd also need a long-ass piece of thicker leather for the strap. I did mine with a longer front flap though (I made it like the pocket flaps from Cloak's fall 2005 jackets).





        Other than that all you need is a sharp knife, a hole puncher, some solid brass or silver/steel wire for the hardware. I still don't know how to pleat the leather (well, more how to keep the crease sharp).



        Here are some (ghetto) piccies of my (ghetto) model and pattern if anyone's interested in making one. Feel free to laugh at its sillyness.





        Comment

        • xcoldricex
          Senior Member
          • Sep 2006
          • 1347

          #5
          Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



          that's awesome! might make one for the girlfriend then haha.



          i drew up a schematic of the wallet also. i bought one from A but ended up returning it as it was a tad bit too small and one of the leather pieces was loose (the wallet was made out of 3 leather pieces, not one). you might have to "score" the leather a little bit to guide the pleats? maybe someone can inspect one the next time they go in a store..

          Comment

          • Chinorlz
            Senior Member
            • Sep 2006
            • 6422

            #6
            Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



            Very impressive Drexl! I actually have a slightly different pattern in mind (going to try it out right now actually) that generates a slightly different shape (more "purse" like I think) than the rectangular version you've created here.



            It's definitely a doable project.



            As for maintaining the pleats, I've been thinking it's a similar process to the baking that's done to distressed jeans (a la Dior Homme). Create the bag in the form, then compress the pleats and put it in a gently humidified oven (think kitchen oven with an open pan of water in there too) for a few hours or overnight at a lower temp and then let cool in that form.



            We'll figure this one out!

            www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

            Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

            Comment

            • Chinorlz
              Senior Member
              • Sep 2006
              • 6422

              #7
              Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



              Alright! Here's my evenings labor... rather, a couple of hours of measuring and drawing haha:





              Sketch which is a modification of Drexl's (thanks buddy, you laid the foundation!). I realized that for the tops of the accordioned sides, each pleat must have a flat top to create a smooth, flat, even top when cinched together. Also notice that the covering flap of the bag has folded in edges (something I noticed at A as well... you can kind of see it in the photos on this thread) so you need to account for that overlap when making the accordioned sides. You'll see this accounted for in the upper right (sorry, the pink skeching pencil doesn't show up too well).





              Here's the cut out version. Each side that will be accordioned is split into 6 equal sections that each fold inwards. The flap I was referring to in the upper right corner is more evident here.





              The final product.





              Here you can see how the accordion siding came out very nicely for the portion that I did a very precise sectioning, the other side wasn't as clean.





              Top view.





              So in the end, this is pretty easy to make. Just need to be slow and precise with the measurements and ratios. This can be done! For a fraction of the MA+ price! I'm going to make one in a weekender bag size for personal use likely this weekend (or as soon as I can get the right stiffness leather that I want)!



              The belt is also on the list of "to-make's" hehehe



              Just for reference, this bag was made of muslin and is approximately5 inches wide.

              www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

              Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

              Comment

              • kucejoe
                Senior Member
                • Sep 2006
                • 348

                #8
                Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



                Wow, well I for one will be awaiting the finished product. If it turns out well, I may even try it out myself. Why search for the perfect messenger bag when you can make one. Will you be, as was previously mentioned, somehow "baking in" (sorry, don't know a better term for it) the sides. On another note, do you think the same design might work, and keep its shape, if done in a heavy cotton?



                Good luck

                Suspension Point Store (Online + Montreal, QC) / Tumblr / Instagram
                ...

                Comment

                • Chinorlz
                  Senior Member
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 6422

                  #9
                  Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



                  [quote user="xcoldricex"]cotton canvas may be your best bet. you could probably get some mud and bake in the creases so its stiff. but as i remember it, the pleats weren't stiff- but that was awhile ago and i wasn't really paying much attention.
                  [/quote]





                  Thought about it a bit more today. To get the stiffness and rigidity required for the accordion portion to hold correctly with fabric, you'll have to use some fusable interface. I'm going to stop by the fabric store today and buy some rough/thick cotton canvas and some interface and see if I can make the main body of the bag this evening or this week.



                  As for the leather version, I don't think the pleats were so stuff that they couldn't be stretched out, they just have been pressed so well into shape (or baked) that they will spring back into the accordion form. The benefit with the heat-fusing interface is that after you heat fuse it, cut it to shape and fold it up, all you need to do is run an iron over to tops of the accordioned portion and let it cool while compressed and it'll stay in that form! I smell a weekender bag coming up!

                  www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                  Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                  Comment

                  • xcoldricex
                    Senior Member
                    • Sep 2006
                    • 1347

                    #10
                    Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)

                    faust, maybe you should make the student work section a DIY section also. we can put stuff like this, that shoe distressing post, and maybe new dawn fades can do a shoe making post... and whatever else we come up with.

                    Comment

                    • drexl
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2006
                      • 798

                      #11
                      Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)



                      Damn Albert, nice job! You've certainly given it more thought than I did, with the correct ratios and all. What do you think about making more pleats? The problem I noticed when you do 6 pleats like on the real MA bags, it tends to reduce the size of the opening of the bag (since the pleat widths would be "longer").



                      I think it would look killer if done in a waxed cotton or waxed wool. If you're doing it with fabric, it could def. use some interfacing and a lining as well.

                      Comment

                      • Chinorlz
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 6422

                        #12
                        Re: + (amadei formerly at cdiem)

                        [quote user="drexl"]

                        Damn Albert, nice job! You've certainly given it more thought than I did, with the correct ratios and all. What do you think about making more pleats? The problem I noticed when you do 6 pleats like on the real MA bags, it tends to reduce the size of the opening of the bag (since the pleat widths would be "longer").



                        I think it would look killer if done in a waxed cotton or waxed wool. If you're doing it with fabric, it could def. use some interfacing and a lining as well.



                        [/quote]





                        You're right... a waxed cotton would be sick. I'm gonna check my local fabric store tomorrow to see if they have some mackintosh fabric or something else like rubberized cotton/waxed cotton. I really couldn't have done the version I did without your pattern. When sketching it out I was definitely off on some of the dimensions until I saw yours! Good collaboration hehehe.



                        I agree with you on the opening of the bag being smaller with more pleats like that... Something I'll have to think about some more. When I saw the real bag though at A, it didn't look like it was too big of a problem. To make it less "pouchy" and more like a rectangular messenger bag, you'd just have to make the base of the bag (the center rectangle) not as thick I believe. Personally I like the pouchy nature of it in terms of using it as a weekender due to it's collapsible nature.



                        Good idea on the treated fabrics! Gonna check it out tomorrow and buy me some fabric for this! In all honesty this should be a decently easy project with most of the work spent on getting the measurements symmetrical and equal. The cutting and pleating is easy peasy. Finding brass/stainless steel hardware that will hold up a heavy bag without bending (that one can still bend into the appropriate shape when making the bag) will be a little bit trickier!



                        I'm thinking about leaving all cut edges raw (maybe even fray them a little bit and then apply the liquid ripstop you can find at fabric stores) and doing the strap in the same fashion to retain a bit of that deconstructed/raw look to match the CCP/Carpe/+/ etc. look.





                        Fun times!

                        www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                        Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                        Comment

                        • Chinorlz
                          Senior Member
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 6422

                          #13
                          The Maurizio Amadei (+) bag



                          Just wanted to get this thread started! I bought the fabric yesterday and will be stopping by Ace hardware to purchase brass heavy duty wire and staples for the bag.



                          Materials:



                          3 yards black cotton canvas (the outside of the bag)



                          3 yards interface



                          3 yards dirty white/light gray thinner cotton canvas for the interior



                          1 can spray adhesive



                          low gauge brass wire



                          brass staples (optional... I'd just like to put the MA + on the bag somewhere hehe)





                          Plan:



                          Interface is only adhesive on one side when steamed so I will steam press the interface to the black cotton canvas exterior to bond the two. Once cooled, I'll spray adhesive the other exposed face of the interface and lay the off-white grayish fabric inside to generate the unified 3 layers for the bag.



                          Then measuring will be done making sure to preserve an unbroken strip of layered fabric for the strap.



                          The hardware will be bent with some pliers with rubber or thick paper wrapped around the wire to make sure no instrument marks show up on it.





                          I chose the colors I did (photos this evening) because they are both dark and semi-organic. The black and off-white/gray combination struck me as very Carpe Diem which was the feel I wanted to get with the bag. I'm also not finishing any of the cut edges and I may actually manually slightly fray them. Plus black is the darkest fabric and helps match the "antiqued" tone of the brass hardware while providing the greatest contrast and most durable fabric (that doesn't show dirt easily).



                          To finish off the ends of the shoulder strap, I plan on clamping them like the belt loop on MA belts with some invisible reinforcement... this'll be something I'll have to think about since those parts will be supporting the greatest weight.



                          Photos soon!

                          www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                          Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                          Comment

                          • goethe
                            Member
                            • Oct 2006
                            • 47

                            #14
                            Re: The Maurizio Amadei (+) bag

                            thanks so much for posting you pattern! im so excited to try this now. i was thinking of trying what someone had suggested of smearing dirt/mud onto the fabric then "baking" it... or burying it like chalayan used to do. im going to try it and see how it turns out. if anyone has had any experience with this process, whether it turned out well or not so well, please let me know!

                            Comment

                            • Chinorlz
                              Senior Member
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 6422

                              #15
                              Re: The Maurizio Amadei (+) bag



                              Here we go guys... a long evening's work here:















                              So the main body of the bag is done. Making the hardware is HARD. Gotta find strong and stiff enough heavy gauge wire that won't bend or warp under weight, and at the same time is bendable enough by hand. I'm having a hell of a time bending this metal (and even just cutting it) into form.



                              The interface is crap in terms of adhesion. I ended up using the spray adhesive on both faces of the interface and it is purely there for structure. If I do this again, I'd just sandwich 3 heavy cotton canvas layers together and spray adhesive it.



                              Since it's fabric, I'm going to have to go in and manually reinforce the holes I will punch into the fabric... I think. I may end up just reinforcing the front and back holes in the bag since those will have the most "pulling" and movement. As for the edges of the fabric in the bag, I still haven't decided yet what to do.... I may just gently pull the layers apart and apply a stronger glue and then fray the edges as planned. As this is a nice matte black cotton canvas, it already matches lmaltieri/cdiem stuff well. I may just let it be and let the natural wear bring something more out of it (hell it already has some marks from the spray adhesive hahaha). I'll work more on the hardware and strap etc. and post final photos soon!



                              -A

                              www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                              Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                              Comment

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