Okay, so check it, I finally got around to making that Goyard card case I’ve been yapping about for ages.
First things first: sourcing the stuff. The hardest part, honestly. Finding the right canvas that wasn’t gonna break the bank? Ugh. Ended up hitting up some online fabric scraps place. They claimed it was “inspired by” Goyard… wink wink nudge nudge. Whatever, it looked the part, felt decent, and was cheap. Score.
Next up: the leather. I wanted something that’d hold up, you know? Settled on some vegetable-tanned leather scraps from a local leather supply store. They always have odds and ends going for a steal.
Okay, so I started by cutting out the patterns. I just roughly measured the cards I wanted to carry, added a bit extra for seam allowance and wiggle room. Nothing fancy, just eyeballed it mostly. Cut out two pieces of the “Goyard-ish” canvas for the outside, and two pieces of the leather for the inside lining and the little pocket dividers.
Then came the stitching. This is where I always get nervous. I hand-stitched the whole damn thing. Used some waxed linen thread – the kind you see on fancy leather goods. Started by attaching the leather lining to the canvas outer pieces. That was a bit tricky, keeping everything lined up properly. Lots of pins involved, let me tell you.
Next, I added the pocket dividers. Just simple little strips of leather, folded over and stitched into place to create the pockets. I decided on two pockets on each side. Kept them shallow enough so you can actually grab the cards without needing tweezers.
Once the inside pockets were done, I stitched the whole thing together, inside out. Left one end open so I could flip it right side out. This part was a pain. The corners were especially tough to get looking neat.
Finally, I flipped the whole thing inside out. That’s always the moment of truth, right? It looked… okay. Not perfect, but definitely passable. I then folded over the open end, tucked it in neatly, and stitched it closed. This final seam was the trickiest, trying to hide all the raw edges.
Burnished the edges with a wooden slicker and some beeswax. It’s amazing how much of a difference burnishing makes. Gives it a smooth, professional-ish finish.
And that’s it! A (sort of) Goyard card case. It’s not perfect, the stitching’s a bit wonky in places, and the “Goyard-ish” pattern isn’t exactly aligned perfectly. But hey, it’s handmade, and it holds my cards. Plus, I saved a fortune compared to buying the real deal. Would I do it again? Maybe. Depends if I can find even cheaper canvas scraps next time!
- Lessons Learned:
- Measure twice, cut once is always a good idea (even if I usually ignore it).
- Hand-stitching takes forever. Seriously considering investing in a cheap sewing machine.
- Don’t skimp on the leather. Good leather makes a huge difference in the final product.
Final thoughts
Overall, it was a fun project, and I’m actually using the card case every day. That’s the best part, right? Creating something useful with your own two hands. Maybe next time I’ll try something even more ambitious… a wallet, perhaps? Stay tuned!
