In a previous post we showcased our single growler bag made exclusively for The Ohio Taproom. A lot of folks like that the bags are handmade here in Ohio and ask about the process. Here is a little behind-the-scenes peek at our bag production.
As previously mentioned, the bags are made by my dad right here in Ohio. He retired a couple years ago from fighting fire after 37 years at the Cambridge Fire Department. When he’s not sewing State of Devotion bags he restores old motorcycles and gas pumps. This is a shot my dad and my first grader at one of his machines in his workshop.
Here they are sewing a seam together on the outer canvas liner.
With sewing, most of the work is done in reverse so you are constantly turning your inside and right side out to create the finished product.
After initial prototype work is done, cardboard templates are made and we can quickly cut out pieces to be sewn together. This is for the round bottom of the growler bag. A rigid plastic disc is sewn into the bottom between layers to give the bag strength and allows it to stand on its own.
We use this machine to sew the round base on to the cylidrical body of the growler bag. The long shaft allows access to the bottom of the bag.
When the pieces are combined, they create this outer skin of the bag.
If you look inside our bags you might notice a triple-thread seam of red, white and blue overlapping threads. That is one of our hallmarks and this Serger is the machine that makes those seams happen. It allows for a nice overlap keeping the ends of the raw fabric from fraying.
Our single growler bags cinch shut at the top using grommets which are pressed in to place using this foot operated press. The design of this tool has not changed at all in 100 years.
We are nearly finished with the final prototype of our double growler bag shown here. All it needs now are some straps and clasps.
My dad showing my son how to trim the ravelins off of what would become a lift-off lid for the double growler bags. If you were wondering from the first photo, yes that is a chamois on his head. Hey, it’s a great way to stay cool on a hot day around all these machines.
