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Just finished this leather notebook portfolio.

It is going to be auctioned off at the Arizona Cattle Growers Association Cattlemens College this summer. It is made from 7 ounce veg tan leather with a deer skin liner. The pen holder is red lambskin. I have made several of these with a few different designs, and folks seem to like them.

I am currently working on my PhD, and serving as the University's feedlot manager. I go to a lot of meetings and make a lot of notes when working cattle. These heavy duty portfolios just hold up and work better than the vinyl ones you buy at the office supply store.

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Portfolio2_zps7e981dc7.jpg

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Portfolio4_zps6b947e5f.jpg

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Still need to press it flat, hand stitching the edges usually puts a bend in the leather. I don't use a fancy stitching vice/pony. Just do it on the couch watching TV. I have to say, hand stitching these guys really sucks, but my old singer wont sew more than 7-8 ounce leather.

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That looks lovely! I love the decorative border. I am another stitch-by-hand-while-watching-TV kind of person. It can suck a lot, but the tedium can also be nice, sometimes.

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I like the design. I also like to sit on the couch and sew. Try a stitching pony. It really helps

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That is a very nice piece. Good job.

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I like the design. I also like to sit on the couch and sew. Try a stitching pony. It really helps

I really need to make a stitching pony. When I recently got into leather work, I had no intentions on making as many guitar straps and portfolios as I have been lately. Originally, I bought some leather to make custom guitar straps for folks who bought my hand built guitars. At the time, I basically refused to do any hand stitching. Then I got on this forum and realized I had to step my game up on guitar straps. Went down hill from there. Now I have a fortune in leather tools, and I am getting a lot of orders for leather work, which is pretty nice.

I guess I should get on that stitching pony. I also need to make one of those hand straps for pushing the needle through the leather.

Thanks for the compliments everyone.

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It's beautiful, what I like most is how you coloured it.

+1 stitch-by-hand-while-watching-TV

I really don't like stitching :head_hurts_kr:

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It's beautiful, what I like most is how you coloured it.

+1 stitch-by-hand-while-watching-TV

I really don't like stitching :head_hurts_kr:

Thanks. I hate stitching. It is a necessary evil when it comes to leather work.

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very nice job,i also make portfolios and hand stitch them but finally got a sewing machine hopefully it will help with the stitching.

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very nice job,i also make portfolios and hand stitch them but finally got a sewing machine hopefully it will help with the stitching.

I have been seriously looking at bigger machines. Those Cobra 4s look like the ticket, but they are pricey at near 3000$.

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Looks great! I did the stitching-on-the-couch routine for a while before I built a pony. $10 worth of hardware and some scrap wood is about all it takes. I did not like stitching at all before using it. Now with my pony and a SHARP awl I find I can get into a rhythm and enjoy it. You might discover the same thing. Definitely makes those really long seams around a guitar strap go faster!

Anyway, love the portfolio, and congrats on having orders stacking up!!

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Looks great! I did the stitching-on-the-couch routine for a while before I built a pony. $10 worth of hardware and some scrap wood is about all it takes. I did not like stitching at all before using it. Now with my pony and a SHARP awl I find I can get into a rhythm and enjoy it. You might discover the same thing. Definitely makes those really long seams around a guitar strap go faster!

Anyway, love the portfolio, and congrats on having orders stacking up!!

Thank you.

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