Someone has asked me to create a lady dior purse cake. The texture of the bag is a bit mind boggling, particularly the raised circles. 

(pictured- real purse, and a well done cake version)

My guess is that the circles are underneath, then another layer of fondant is added and the line up all the stitches and quilting... but that seems really, really difficult to do. Surely there is an easier way? 

I tried contacting the person who made this cake, and they did not want to disclose the method to me, which is too bad...

I would  buttercream the cake, put fondant panels on it.  Use a  hexagon or circle cutter to make the hexagons /circles, being careful not to cut thru the fondant.  Use a quilting tool to make the lines.

They aren't circles. They're not really hexagons either; at least that would be more complicated If you look closely at the enlarged pattern, it is made entirely of straight lines. Make diagonal straight lines so you have vertical rows of squares on point. Then put the straight lines, two together, horizontally and vertically, so they clip the corners off the squares. The squares that the "two lines together" don't go through will look puffed up.

AI'd imagine those are circles until the stitching is done, creating the new hexagon like pattern. Interesting indeed.

AOh I'll look closer shanter, you're probably right.

AShanter- you are so right!!!

I think maybe the black purse cake was not done the way I described, but the real purse was done with straight lines.

Good luck!

 I didn't realize the black one was a cake!  I can't zoom in but those look more like circles. Probably put circles on back of fondant and create the panel prior to putting it on cake.