Make This - Leather Shoulder Bag Part 2

This is Part 2 of the leatherworking sew-along.  In yesterday's post, I discussed cutting and preparing the leather, sewing the lining, and getting the small pieces ready for bag construction. Click here for Part 1.
 

Adding the fabric pieces to the leather frame:
The fashion fabric I used has been backed with fusible interfacing.  I used a quilting weight fabric and the interfacing is very important to maintaining the stability of the bag sides.  If you are using a heavier weight fabric (like a twill or upholstery weight fabric) interfacing may not be necessary but I still recommend using it. 

The pattern I used for the bag in this tutorial (available for download) has sewing holes arranged so all layers of the shell, fabric, and lining are sewn together.  Because the lining is smaller than the shell of the bag, not all of the stitch marks on the frame correlate with stitch marks on the lining.  Put the fabric piece in place for the frame.  If you choose to use sewing pins (as I have - shown in the photo below), be sure you pin through the pre-punched holes for stitching lines.  If you put a hole into leather, it is there forever so be very careful about doing this.

Sew through the frame and fabric for the first 10 stitches from each corner as shown in this photo:

Place the lining of the bag inside the frame. Proceed to sew through all layers (shell, fabric, and lining) using the pre-marked stitching points as your guide for the 2 sides and the bottom of the frame. DO NOT SEW THROUGH THE TOP EDGE OF THE BAG AND THE TOP EDGE OF THE FRAME. Use compression clips to hold the layers together as needed. 

Place the fashion fabric between the frame and lining to create the front of the bag. If using this pattern download, one side of the lining should have a series of stitching marks for attaching the buckle supports.  This is the front of the bag.  
 

Stitch all 3 layers together (shell, fashion fabric, lining) around the frame edge. 

Add the fashion fabric to the back of the bag. Sew the sides and bottom of the bag around the frame edge - leave the top of the frame stitching line and the top edge of the bag unstitched at this point. 

Click here for part 3 - putting the finishing touches together!