Problem With Tooled Raised Edges Being 'naked' - Paint Over Dye?

[meagain]

I'm very new and working on my 2nd dog collar. The first one was flowers with twigs. After I carefully dyed around the flowers/twigs, I painted them. At some point it seemed the dye? shrunk around the raised edges of the pattern. I was left with many spots at the edge of the patterns that were naked. Areas I'm convinced I fully painstakingly dyed with a small brush. Am I losing my mind or does this happen?

Also I very painstakingly painted the edges of the flowers to cover up their edges. This is a PITA. I'm wondering if I can just dye the entire collar with dye - then paint OVER the dye where needed? I'm using Fiebings spirit dye. I figure if I could dye the whole piece and paint over the dye - I wouldn't have any areas of raw leather waving at me. It would save a ton of time. And if this would work, should I seal the pattern (flowers, etc) before painting with Satin or Super Shene? Or just directly to the dyed leather so it sticks nicer?

Else - I'm taking suggestions. Thanks!

[bex DK]

I routinely dye a piece completely in spirit dyes (different brand because of what is most available here in Europe). Then I use very thinned acrylics or spirit dyes on top to paint the patterns (spirit if they are darker and it matches what I need to make, always acrylic for lighter colors). Then I use supershene only on the painted areas. I always paint directly on the leather ebcause I feel it bonds better with the surface that way. BUT I do sometimes find, at least with some colors, that some of the spirit dye will bleed into the paint... but I do intentionally use very thinned paint and several layers. It is painstaking, but I worry thicker paint will peel off more easily. I am often painting into deep letter stamps, and I suspect more excess pigment from the dyes accumulates in the stamped areas and I can't buff it off with a lcoth like I can on the rest of the surface. I dip dye with the spirit dyes for a more even coating.

Stohlman does have a nice book on coloring. You might want to check it out if you haven't.