In this class, you’ll learn to create the Oberlin Tote with Ellie Lum, the founder and pattern designer at Klum House. The Oberlin is a sleek, stylish take on the classic market tote, featuring sturdy leather straps, a reinforced base, a magnetic snap closure, an interior zipper pocket, and four external pocket compartments.
This class will help you build a solid foundation of bag-making skills. You’ll learn to work with heavy-duty materials like waxed canvas, leather, and metal hardware to make a professional-quality bag—all on your home sewing machine! If you have some basic sewing experience under your belt and are looking to dive into the world of bag making, this class is for you. Build new skills, get lost in the flow of making, and create a shop-worthy finished product with “I made this!” bragging rights.
Your Instructor
Ellie Lum is the founder, pattern designer, and head educator at Klum House. With over twenty years of professional bag making experience, she draws on her roots in the industrial sewing industry to make heavy-duty bag making fun and accessible to home stitchers. Ellie has taught hundreds of makers to sew over the years and is known for her fun, casual teaching style and crystal-clear instructions. She believes in the joy, struggle, and triumph that comes from making something from start to finish with your own two hands.
Skills Learned
- Sewing multiple layers of heavy duty fabric
- Attaching leather straps
- Sewing a zipper
- Constructing pockets
- Sewing French seams
- Constructing a boxed corner
- Various ways to set rivets properly
- Installing a magnetic snap
- Conceptual elements of bag making
Digital Pattern + Resources Included with Class
- Fully-illustrated, step-by-step instructions booklet
- Tiled PDF pattern (for home printing)
- Large format PDF pattern (for professional printing)
- Complete list of necessary materials + tools
- Pattern drafting instructions
- Leather + Rivets Guide
Course Curriculum
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Start1. Cut Your Fabric (4:32)
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Start2. Prepping Leather for Bags (4:16)
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Start3. Prepare Exterior Pockets (4:03)
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Start4. Attach Exterior Pockets (7:07)
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Start5. Prepare + Attach Base Layer (3:00)
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Start6. Baste Pockets + Base (3:58)
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Start7. Prepare Tote Hem (1:45)
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Start8. Install Magnetic Snap (3:32)
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Start9. Sew Interior Pocket (12:45)
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Start10. Sew the Tote Hem (5:00)
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Start11. Sew the Bag Together (6:12)
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Start12. Construct Boxed Corners (9:51)
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Start13. Attach Leather Straps (12:28)
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StartConclusion (0:46)
Testimonials
"I knocked out a great Oberlin my first try. The videos made everything easy. I nailed the zipper and I always freak about zippers. The explanations were fantastic."
- Heather W.
"Ellie is a fabulous instructor. She gives just enough information with concise direction. I love her style & would love to take her classes in person at her workshop. Great job."
- Felicia G.
"Ellie is such an encouraging teacher and clear as a bell in her instruction. She broke complex information down into understandable bits, and explained the why's as much as the how's."
- Katelyn M.
FAQ
When does the course start and finish?
Do I need an industrial sewing machine to make this bag?