Woman details plans to make handbag out of skin taken from her amputated leg

A woman has revealed plans to make a handbag out of her own skin taken from her amputated leg.

Joan, 55, from Manchester, is expecting to have her lower leg amputated soon as a result of suffering from peripheral arterial disease.

Faced with the unsettling prospect of losing her leg, she has shared her unusual idea on Sewport, a platform which pairs designers with manufacturing partners in order to bring their ideas to life.

Joan – who wishes to keep her surname private – acknowledges her idea might seem “odd and gross”. However, she says her leg is “part of [her]” and she wants to keep it in some way.

The post comes complete with a rough sketch created by Joan, together with Sewport’s designs based on her vision.

The prospective design for the 27cm by 38cm bag features “skin panels” to make the best use of the material from the amputated leg.

Joan has budgeted £3,000 for the handbag, according to her post.

She adds that she cannot bear the idea of the amputated leg being left to “rot” somewhere.

The post has since been highlighted in a blog by Sewport founder Boris Hodakel, which explains the woman’s unusual request.

Hodakel calls the project “actually understandable and very personal”.

While this story may sound like fake news, a representative from Sewport has confirmed it is “100% true”.

It is believed Joan contacted Sewport after hearing of a project advertised on the platform last year where a woman sought a designer to make a wedding dress out of her deceased mother’s hair. Sewport also confirmed this woman was successful in making her wish a reality.

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