The Sugar Lady Report post Posted October 12, 2012 Been a lurker/observer for what....almost 2 years now. I guess it's about time I posted some of the stuff I've done. I need to dig out some of my other photos, but this'll give you a general idea. I like to work in leather and horsehair. I have tons of ideas in my head, and I'm working on eventually getting good enough with leather that I can start making some of the really involved pieces I've got sketched out. A leather noseband that I worked up. I just need the metal shanks to make it a hackamore. I have no idea where to get them. It was a PITA to sew through all that leather and sheepskin. I know I put a few extra holes in my fingers sewing it, and hubby had to listen to a number of swear words as I worked on it. Leather and horsehair cuff. The lady who ordered this wanted something that resembled her horse's dappled palomino color. I'm fairly certain I didn't swear as much putting this one together. Just wanted to prove that I could dye something NOT splotchy. Lots of bling on this one... Leather and horsehair hatband that my father requested from my 27 year old horse who passed away a year and a half ago. I have to dig up the rest somewhere.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeeter Report post Posted October 12, 2012 Nice work Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
benlilly1 Report post Posted October 12, 2012 Nice stuff...I especially like the cuffs and hatband. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdinUK Report post Posted October 12, 2012 Very neat work. I like the effect on the first cuff pictures. How did you get that effect? The horse hair used in leather projects is a great idea for those with horses, to use the hair of your own horse. I have yet to try sewing through sheepskin/fur onto leather. Must be hard to see whats going on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Looks great I really like the hatband but they all look good, thanks for posting them. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Thanks guys! You reminded me where the swearing came from, OdinUK. It was the sheepskin that drove me nuts. Combine that with some SUPER waxy thread. I was using a saddle stitch and every time I would sew from the sheepskin side, the waxy thread would grab the hair and it would pull through. I tried all kinds of different ways to try to stop that from happening. I think I just ended up holding the hair back with my hand, really tight and sometimes parting it. That reminds me, I need to find some more black thread, or find a way to get rid of some of that extra wax. I also need to find some more sheepskin. The only color I saw at Tandy was that orangey yellow stuff. The effect was, if I remember correctly, a double wash of Eco Flo Canyon Tan and....oh crud....I should have written that down...I think mahogany for the top part. I combined a few water color tequniques to get the effect. I like haveing the option of either using hair from my collection to get certain colors and such or being able to make something really unique for horse lovers who don't typically wear jewelry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WinterBear Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Look at the sheepwool remnants that they sell for dyeing Sugar Lady, if all you need are smaller pieces and if you don't want that orange stuff. The last time I got some from Tandy, it was all in one or two large pieces in the remnants bags. One piece was almost a square foot of a misty gray, and the other bag I picked out had a buttery yellow piece tipped with rust that was maybe about twice as large as the piece on the underside of your noseband. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Oooooh thanks for the tip! I think that's where that sheepskin came from. When I was a kid, I used to make tack for my Breyer horse models, and my dad was always picking up scraps if he happened by the Tandy in town. I've been sitting on those scraps for...oh, crud...at least 15 years. I actually had to blend 3 different pieces together to get an entire noseband. it took a lot of fanagling and a little trimming and fluffing to blend it all together. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WinterBear Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Well, that's enough to drive you bonkers for sure. Just call up the nearest store and nag them a bit. If they don't have any in a fair sized piece, message me and nag me a bit, and I'll wander down to mine and see if they have any decent sized pieces that you could order from them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted October 13, 2012 Hey Sugar Lady! When I hand sew saddle skirts through the sheeps wool, I loop my thread over a nail or cuphook and grab a hunk of brown paper bag from the grocery store or that my leather comes wrapped in. I fold it so that one double thickness passes between the two threads and the other parts pass over the outside of the threads. What ever you do, make sure you have brown paper between your hand and the threads. Hold the ends of the thread in your other hand and pull them tight from the nail. Run that brown paper up and down the thread as fast and hard as you can. You will feel a fair amount of heat through the paper, that that's what's pulling the excess wax off the outside of the thread and is driving the rest of it into the thread. It's called burnishing, and you will find that you won't be pulling any more wool through your stitch holes. Stop every so often to change the paper against the thread and to make sure it hasn't cut through the paper. Your hands will be sore enough after hand stitching without burnishing with bare skin!! Hope this helps. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for the tip Mike! I may just stop putting off making a black hackamore for a friend of mine now with that info. And I can finally use the rest of that giant spool of thread that's been sitting there for months. Thanks WinterBear. I usually poke my head in our local Tandy every Friday, so I'll see if they have any bags of sheepskin. I do seem to recall seeing some round pad of sheepskin, for dying, I think. I might take a closer look at those as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charliewz Report post Posted October 14, 2012 Really nice work. Thanks for posting. Charlie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jazznow Report post Posted October 14, 2012 Like your work. Very neat Design. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JinxedDream Report post Posted January 23, 2013 Thanks for the tip Mike! I may just stop putting off making a black hackamore for a friend of mine now with that info. And I can finally use the rest of that giant spool of thread that's been sitting there for months. Thanks WinterBear. I usually poke my head in our local Tandy every Friday, so I'll see if they have any bags of sheepskin. I do seem to recall seeing some round pad of sheepskin, for dying, I think. I might take a closer look at those as well. Did you find your sheepskin? I have a factory in town that sells sheepskins and remanent bags. Really top-notch stuff. As for the shanks, I haven't seem them anywhere, I use 1 1/2" rings, two of them because I don't like the bend in the generic shanks, it leaves me with conflicting cues. If I finally get someone to teach me how to weld, I'm going to weld some rings together, gag-style to get a touch of leverage on my hackamore. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cameroo Report post Posted January 23, 2013 That's some really nice work, you have an eye for details Thanks for sharing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rufusjames Report post Posted January 23, 2013 Unique and well executed. I really like your work! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Thanks guys! I'll have to see if i can figure out this kindle to post a few more recent things I have done. There is a bit of a learning curve on working this thing vs my laptop. WinterBear directed me to a really neat seller of sheepskin than i plan to make an order from when i get a moment. I havent had much time to play around with bitless prototypes as much a i like. i agree about the shanks typically found on this style of mechanical hack though. i hardly ever use them myself. i typically ride in my rope halter, and would like to make a bosal similar in feel to the rope halter i have. it would be nice to ride my mare in something that looks like finished gear instead of "just a rope halter" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Let's see if I got this to work right... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Sugar Lady Report post Posted January 29, 2013 A watchband that I made for my father for Christmas. Not bad for forgetting the leather that i had planned to use to make with it while I was visiting. He happened to have some extra scrap laying around and I eyeballed the pattern based on the watchband he had. I will have to try another one once i have time and real materials. The other is . dog collar I made for a friend's Great Dane. The black was w vinegaroon black. I also antiqued the brass hardware myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmantz Report post Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) Love the look of the case you uploaded today. Mind me asking how you got the "sponged" look?...and what kind of leather you started with? Oh..and I do LOVE the items with the horse hair!!! Edited January 29, 2013 by cmantz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
