How big is it?

[way2fractious]

I've made several sporrans from leather and fabric. The strip of material that goes around the edge of the sporran is about 4 to 4.5 inches wide and, for my slightly larger sporrans, about 22 inches long. The width allows for a half-inch seam allowance on the front piece (1/2" cumulative), then turns back over itself (1" cumulative), covers the two-inch depth of the sporran (3" cumulative), half-inch seam allowance on the back piece (3 1/2" cumulative), and finally wraps around and fastens with glue or second seam onto the back of the back piece (4" cumulative). If you are using thick leather for the front and back pieces, a tiny bit extra is needed for the wrap-arounds.

Remember, however, that such exactness is not essential. If the sporran comes out 1 3/4" or 2 1/8", who is going to notice or care? Wear it proudly because you made it.

My fur sporrans are made with a fabric front piece and the fur is hand stitched over that. Those sporrans appear (and are) dramatically thicker than two inches, but the interior is the same dimension (+ or -) of the non-fur ones.

[arrogcow]

The one I'm wearing right now, at just over one inch thick, holds everything I'd have in my pockets if I were wearing pants.

Well with keys, wallet, change, pocket knife, cell phone, lighter, cigs, pen, and business card holder (feeling a little like George Carlin right now) my Freelander is a must. My <2" day sporrans will get wallet and keys if I'm lucky and I'm actually going to sell both soon since I no longer use them. My dress sporran will maybe hold a pack of Chicklets, but I'm afraid to try since the stress may ruin it .

Adam

[prattw]

A conventional day sporran has very stiff back and front, is 7 1/2 x 7/1/2 inches and just 1 inch deep. With a good organizer wallet, you can carry just about all that you would in your pockets.

For daily use, though, I'd recommend dimensions more like 7 1/2 x 7 x 2 inches, and soft back and front, with the flap stiffened. You can actually get away with a rather smaller sporran when it's soft sided. Mine is 7" wide x 6" high by 2" deep and I carry more in it than I ever do in my pockets. I'd actually recommend a height of at least 6 1/2", though. The smaller width and height might let you get away with greater thickness, which is really more critical. In the average sporran, there's a lot of space at the sides that doesn't really get used.

Will Pratt

[BLAZN]

For daily use, though, I'd recommend dimensions more like 7 1/2 x 7 x 2 inches, and soft back and front, with the flap stiffened. You can actually get away with a rather smaller sporran when it's soft sided. Mine is 7" wide x 6" high by 2" deep and I carry more in it than I ever do in my pockets. I'd actually recommend a height of at least 6 1/2", though. The smaller width and height might let you get away with greater thickness, which is really more critical. In the average sporran, there's a lot of space at the sides that doesn't really get used.

I'm looking at about 8" deep by 7" wide by 2" thick at this point. Thanks go out to everyone who has chimed in here.

As soon as I turn one out (initially, I'll be making a fabric one... leather will come eventually), I'll put some photos of it up on my web site and link you all to it.