Motorcycle Tool Case?

[p-x-l.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone -- can you believe it's already October and time to start thinking about Christmas? Gah.

Ok, so my husband drives a vintage Vespa. We've been really tight on money over the last couple years, and a week before our wedding (because that's not a stressful time already at all) his got stolen. We got it back, but the kids who had stolen it seized the engine and stole/trashed the stuff that he had inside. Well, we finally have the cash to get it fixed, and so that's in the process.

Ok, onto the crafty part. One of the things that was stolen/trashed was a sewn case that held ratchets or wrenches or something along those lines. It's been a couple years so I can't remember the specifics. It was essentially one of those pencil/knitting needle/paintbrush cases that rolls up onto itself and ties, except bigger. I can figure out how to make it easily enough but I'm wondering if anyone has experience in making anything similar and can offer suggestion on what sort of fabric to use?

My vague memory wants to tell me that it was leather (like the softer, kinda suede-feeling type), which makes sense I guess, as that's durable and whatnot. Since I won't need a huge amount to make this (although I will be making two), price isn't too much of an issue. So would you go for leather if you were making something like this, knowing it will get thrown into a greasy wheel-well-trunk, covered in dirt and oil, rain etc? What do YOU think is the most durable-and-also-easy-to-find-and-sew fabric for something like this? If I do end up going with leather, where do I get that? I don't remember ever seeing leather at Joann's.

Thanks in advance!!