DIY: small repairs, global satchel + hemp curtain

I fixed my leather satchel which I bought in Nepal, broke in Greece, stapled in Thailand, and now sewed back together in Japan.

{felt like doing kintsugi (gold ceramic repair) but with leather + allowed me to try out a new prescription lenses}

Quite pleasing working with needle and thread, so much so that I also fixed up a piece of sturdy hemp cloth from Poland to hang as an insulating curtain and drop the back door.

Memo:

Yesterday, put hockey game on radio and worked on ironing & hand sewing a large piece of Polish hemp cloth to use as an insulating curtain/panel in front of drafty old entrance door (now service door).

Bought this hemp in 1997 to make the (legendary) “HempenWare, Essentials Bag” – Do you remember this product/project?

The bags were designed to hold all of your travel essential documents in a secure and practical matter. Came in natural/tan, black and this wonderful green with different colors of embroidered brandmark/麻 logo.

Made around 1000 of them and sold craft fairs and through up-and-coming hemp shops and online. As it goes, none of the channels were really established/mature enough to make it a “big win“ project but still the bag had great fans and supporters and I occasionally hear from people who are still using them all these years later.

I still have the prototype for the “next generation“ ones which had a few refinements, and now with the ease of selling stuff on the Internet, would be a great project to resurrect but I’m very busy with other things (being a great husband and Papa and trying to healthy up my body, plus occasional poems, paintings, postcards and forging passports etc.)

Note: This hemp cloth has been stashed in various vans, garages, storage sheds and what not since then it doesn’t have even a hint of mildew/mold or any signs of wear whatever despite all the different climate changes and not even being wrapped up. 

If you’re curious, or have never seen the bags before, i’ll take out some photos… I have a blog post half ready to go so maybe I’ll just finish that up.