bex DK

If you don't like them for yourself... don't they have a high enough quality to be sold or given away? They look real good to me! Maybe find somewhere you can donate them for the tax writeoff and let them auction them off if nothing else... a handicapped riding program or something.

You can also flip over the traced pattern and retrace it backwards.... or make a photocopy of it flipped you can use to trace the flip onto the same tracing. Personally I prefer GIMP to Photoshop, but that is irrelevant.

Thanks everyone. The paperclip method did the trick. Now I know how to do it in the future, too. I am running Firefox on Vista.

This is a really stupid question. How do I save the images to my hard disk? I don't get the usual "Save image as" option when I right-click on it. I feel like an idiot.

I was afraid you'd say that. Never seen the stuff over here. Lexol we brought back from the US on our last trip...

I do not want to start a big debate. That's why I explained that my needs are unusual--not related to a horse bucking or anything else. My mare is VERY careful when things go wrong--I know she can tell. Other times she may be eager to move fast, but as soon as I'm miserable, every step is careful. I guess I will have to experiment and see what I can figure out. I was hoping to save some of those experiment steps by asking here. I am well aware that something could happen while I am incapacitated (she could get startled, etc., etc.,). If I end up lying on the trail, so be it. I am just trying to make it a little easier for my horse and my husband to get me home. My mare is always very unhappy if I fall off and I can't get back up without something to stand on and even then it can be a challenge.

Yeah, I tend to agree with Go2Tex. I should be able to get the necessary support from a strap that is still weak enough to break if I were hanging in it. I'm not exactly a lightweight, so that's something of a weight hanging off it in that instance. The three-hole lace lock method is what I am thinking about. Would the lace holding the two ends of the strap together break with that much force but still be strong enough? On a bad day, I am VERY clumsy getting off and sometimes getting on. If my leg were being unusually uncooperative, I might end up lifting it over the horse's back in front of me by hand, leaving me very prone to falling off and catching a spur if she jumped.

Most tool holders take up a lot of space. There is a radiator behind the desk we use for most leatherwork, so the hubby took a thick piece of plastic and cut it into a nice curve. A couple pieces on the bottom act as legs. Then he drilled holes into the edge of the plastic along the curve. So we have a long thin sunburst of tools. Easy to sort them by type. A couple larger diameter holes for modeling spoon, swivel knife, etc. And it fits on the radiator but still lets heat out.

Will any baby shampoo work or only a particular one? Casing is something I have a lot of problems with. Even with letting some things sit overnight, I don't feel like I'm getting burnishing like people on here do. I'm doing SOMETHING wrong obviously.

Thanks cowgirlrae. The pic helps. I think I am more comfortable with leather than rope. Thanks TwinOaks. I'm familiar with the split strap method. That would probably make a very comfortable handle...

I have seen pictures of nightlatches a couple times in Western Horseman, but nothing that shows me how they are made. I've never seen one in person. I searched the site and found an older thread in the saddle accessories category that talked about the dangers of them--because grabbing one can pull you more out of balance and make you more prone to fall off in that kind of situation. Also the idea of relying on holding onto something instead of training the balance to stay sat. But the horse getting startled on occasion isn't why I need one. I need one for the times my hip pops out of place on the trail and I am close to passing out due to pain and can't sit right. My joints are quite a mess and one of those startles--I stay sat fine but the hip pops out in the process--or even just nothing at all can easily push my left hip out of place (partway anyway). It's a nasty situation, but I'm not going to give up horseriding because of it. Most of the time the rides are such a benefit for my joints that they're pretty much all that keeps me walking (and semisane). Another problem is shifting my weight on hills. Sometimes my legs don't work enough to hold me in a slight stand leaning forward. I need to hold something with my hand to support me in position. I don't like to grab the horn. For one thing, my current saddle is a reiner and I don't trust the horn on it. I also find the horn quite awkward to hold (my hands have problems too). So since I first saw a nightlatch I've been thinking about one, but I'm not sure how best to put it together. I realize a simple loop like a dog collar could somewhat do the job, but I like the idea of a stiffer "handle" I don't have to fish for in a weak moment. My thought is that I somehow need to do a two strap rig. One strap fits tight to the swell and the other one attached to it is longer so it goes up and offers the handle. But is there any kind of tradition in what one looks like or are they so banned by cowboys that no one cares? Any tips for stiffening the handle part of make it easier to find or more comfortable for my hands (my thumb is more unreliable than my hip and the slightest pressure bends it backwards. I'll be relying on my fingers to hold on)? Would edging both sides with double or triple loop lacing do the trick? Or should I use a couple layers of leather saddlestitched together? or what? What's the best way to hold it on? I imagine a buckle would wear a lot on the swell but can the three-hole with a strap through it method be used on something that fits sort of tight (any name for that method or do I need to photo it to explain what I mean? My horse and leather vocab is almost exclusively Danish these days)? Any suggestions for making it strong enough that it won't come off in my hand but weak enough to give if I get a spur or something caught in it flying off? Any suggestions on how to put it toghether (or how NOT to do it) would be greatly appreciated. I'd like for it to look half-decent and don't mind putting some time into it--good practice for my leather work. So if a better method is more difficult, I am not likely to get scared off too quickly, although it may take me a while to get it worked out. Thanks! Rebecca

You never learn if you don't try and if the gift is a personal one from you to someone you care about, they are sure to appreciate the effort. If you need more help, let me know. I could probably find time to adjust a picture a bit in GIMP for you and do some graphical explanation of it. What are you making? A purse? a wallet? If you are really nervous, think about whether you could make the flower on a separate patch that you attached to the main project with a decorative lacing effect or plain saddle stitching. Then you need less leather if you have to redo the patch a few times until you are happy with it.

I use plastic all the time, but it sure does dull my thonging chisels FAST. Hence my suggestion to put a piece of scrap leather under.

Try using paper. Tape together and try putting on until you get something that works. It's easier if the cover is soft and can be bent. Trickier otherwise but can be done. I would do one large piece that covers front, back, and end then two smaller pieces inside to hold the book in place. Make sure the book works comfortably with the paper cover on it--nothing so tight it can't be closed and opened. Then when you have the sizes, add a tab to the back piece that is long enough to go around the open edge up to close on the front with whatever you prefer. Magnetic snaps are pretty nice, IMO.

I would guess your awl needs to be sharpened if it looks like it is ripping rather than cutting. I wouldn't want a punch like that for a watch band. It may be made for saddle stitching, but going from the size, I'd expect it takes a thick, strong thread. I hadn't noticed those before--not something I'd need--but for a watch band you want something that will close itself up so you only see the thread, not the hole. Are you using the handheld "sewing machine" Tandy makes? I'd expect it to be far too heavy for your needs. But I am much less experienced than the others here, so they can probably give better advice.

A beginner set is probably enough. I think I've had one of those. If I remember right, you have a veiner or two, a basic beveler, and a pear shader. Oh, and a camoflauge tool. What kind of iris do you want? Try googling for "iris drawing". Even use the picture search. My first hit looks do-able. ETA: I am probably violating copyright laws with the pic I first pasted, so deleted it. Be sure you make some changes and do not directly copy the pic you find. This is why I usually use photos and draw freehand. But I use to draw a lot of flowers when I was younger. What I would do: Open the pic in a photo program (I use The GIMP) and scale to my desired final size. Print it out. Trace the outline of the petals, stems, leaves, and other important parts with a different colored pen. Once satisfied they are enough, trace onto cased leather. Cut them out with the swivel knife. Bevel all the edges so that you get the frontmost parts in front of the back parts. Use the cam tool on the back petals where they meet the center. Use the textured backgrounder or matting tool on the centers--theyre probably really a fuzzy blob of pollen. Use the pear shader to give the petals shape. Use a modeler or something that you can push into makeshift service as one to round the edges of the protruding elements. That can also help push shape into the petals. Cut the lines in the leaves with the swivel knife after everything else is finished. I am sure someone else could do a better job of it than me, but I don't have enough feel for cam tools and veiners yet to feel confident using them elsehwere on the petals.

The four prong thonging chisels are for lacing, not sewing. They are designed to make holes large enough for that size lace. I wouldn't dream of using them as-is for sewing with thread. The resulting holes are made to stay open, not disappear like the ones you need to make for sewing. If I need multiple layers of lace in, I generally stretch them with a stylus or something, but even if I didn't, I am sure they would be ugly with thread. Same deal with round punches. My understanding is that for sewing with thread, you want to make the smallest possible hole so it will close back up afterwards. I haven't learned saddle stitch yet, but did use a different stitch for putting in zippers, etc. (don't know a name for it, but the front shows neat even stitches and the back is kinda ugly. but it is strong). Before I had the wheel for marking stitches, I sat with a ruler to make even spaces. Much easier with the wheel. You need to press firmly on a solid background to get clear marks. If you have unevenness in the marks, I would suspect either an error in technique or a poor quality or damaged wheel. I use the groover to cut the groove for my stitches so they "disappear" flat into the leather. Then run the wheel in that with the desired spacing. You want to set it in carefully so your first hole is where you want it. I then use an awl for the holes. I usually make all at once, but haven't done any large projects yet. With large ones it might be easier to do a few at a time. I don't know that my technique for that is completely correct--haven't studied enough yet--but I hold the awl blade so it crosses the "line" of stitches on an angle. Have to push it in far enough for the needle to go through, but not farther than necessary. My hands are pretty weak due to health conditions, so I often use a pair of pliers for pulling the needle through when it is a little tight. Then after stitching, line up the wheel again and run it over the stitches. It helps even them up and presses them into shape. that's why the wheel isn't just points--it has a curve to "shape" the stitches. Hope that helps some. I realize more experienced people are mentioned modifying the thonging chisel, but I imagine that can only work if you have a very low number of stitches per inch. Oh, and whether you use chisel or awl, be sure to use something soft underneath that won't dull the points. I put a thick leather scrap under so I can push the tip into that safely. My plastic board otherwise dulls the point and prevents the thonging chisel from cutting deep enough to make a slit that is comfortable for lacing. Good lcuk! Rebecca

Buttons: That's the book I have. It has 2-tone double loop but not 2-tone mexican round braid. But I do strongly recommend it otherwise. very easy to follow directions. I feel confident doing an entire large project the first tiem I read the directions for one.

I did one with trillium recently. I downloaded pics for reference then drew freehand. Did a lot of tracing of my own drawing to get the final image. You can do quite a lot with limited tools. I would say a beveler is essential. You can probably find something else that can work to cover for a modeling spoon.

I realize this is an older thread, but I have a very easy solution for this as well. Table with leaves in it. Pull a leaf or two out and put on a sheet of plexiglass or glass. Put a lamp on the floor under the table. I use my coffee table. I am sure a lot of people have dining room tables with leaves that can be removed temporarily.

The easy way to make a pattern is to use paper and tape or fabric and rough stitches. Perhaps if your wife wants the bag, she would help you back a mockup out of fabric?

Thanks! My book had directions for one color, but two tone looks cool.

Thanks! I tried to figure a couple knots out from a book the other day with no success. Hopefully I will understand better working through your tutorial. Not sure when I will get to it though. I saved a copy. THANK YOU!

Photographs are copyrighted even if not marked as such. So at the very least they can be forced to stop using his picture. If you can find out where their web site is hosted, the photo's owner might be able to get their site stopped even if they company doesn't respond to direct contact.

I think it is beautiful as it is! Did you draw the pattern yourself? I like it. very elegant and symmetrical.