tboyce

my pleasure

It occurred to me that I can add to this pattern so that those who wish can make it out of all leather. So I added a leather gusset with gouge lines shown 1/4" and showed the placement of the dee shield for the shoulder strap wooden gusset messenger bag.pdf

Okay here you go. The design is for a 15"x12" Messenger Bag. I used parts from my other bag (dee's buckle straps, handles, billets, etc.) to fill in. The gussets are based upon you going to Home Depot and buying a length of 1x4 which has the actual measurements of 3-1/2"x3/4" You'll need to cut 2 of those 12" long each and round off 1" corners on one end of each for the bottom of the gusset. You'll also need som decorative nails. I placed the holes 2" apart for the sides of the bags but 1 in the middle of each curve and 2 on the bottom on each side so the bag will stand up. The print size is 42"x30" have fun wooden gusset messenger bag.pdf

Cool idea using wood for the gusset. Give me a minute or two

This is amazing. My kids are always telling me I ought to start designing armor. Maybe I'll give it a go. I've been playing with a pattern for a skyrim helm.

I was asked to make a pattern for a vambrace, something edgy so I came up with this. The print size is 11x17 I measured my arm for it so I would suggest cutting it out of paper first and wrapping it around your own forearm to see if it needs to be enlarged or shrunk. Have fun and keep on LARPing Tom vambrace.pdf

Thanks for posting this! It makes me want to think up more patterns to upload!

Standing Bears Trading Post? (It was a wild guess but if I was looking for one I'd start their. They used to carry the old craft aid templates )

Sure. I enlarged it twice. The smaller one is 10% bigger than the original and the larger one is 15% bigger. If that will do, let me know. Otherwise I can enlarge it again both print outs are 17x11 Larger Eyeglass Case.pdf

I love seeing these pictures. Tell you what. I'm socked in at work right now but, later in the week, I'll have time to devote to it. If you enlarge the entire pattern, the lengths between the stitches will enlarge as well. I'll do an updated pattern that is a tad bigger but with the stitch holes still being 1/8" apart

I was in a car accident about a decade ago. Went from 70 to 0 a tad too quickly. Gripping the steering wheel tightly while the air bag went off shattered both my wrists. I went into 18 hours of surgery being told I would likely wake up without either of my hands or my right leg. During the years of physical training that followed, the two skills I honed were tying balloons and leather working. Hand sewing literally was therapy for me and while my arthritic hands curl up and cramp after about an hour of it, I am reminded of the story of Matisse who was so arthritic he could manage but a few brush strokes an hour. When asked why he put himself through such pain, Matisse replied, "the pain subsides. But the beauty remains "

Thanks for the input

So, they are not even or achieving an even stitch is more difficult?

can someone explain to me the pros and cons of a patcher vs what we think of as a conventional sewing machine?

Thanks for the pics!

Thanks for the input nstarleather. I also thought that it was probably not necessary to cut out an entire interior lining piece but just the 'tongue' part that would cover the back of the snap and perhaps the middle part between the two sections. Now that I have my work area set up, I'm hoping to carve out enough time to make this myself. Christmas is around the corner and I've been wanting to make one for my son. If I do, I'll take pictures along the way to round out the deal and make anything that isn't clear a bit more obvious

Of course, now it's getting too cold to work very long

I finally cleared out a big enough spot in the garage to build my work table. No more rushing to get things done and cleared away before we need the dining room table

you're welcome

So...in my search to increase my skills in my chosen hobby of leather work, I have scoured the internet in search of ideas and exotic leather. Needless to say, my journey has lead me to some areas where even my not so delicate sensitivities have been shocked. Up 'til now, the winner of the most shocking award was a site I happened upon that makes wallets and shoes and belts from 'legally harvested human skin' But that has been surpassed by my discovery of a ladies wallet that 'holds up to 40 credit cards' WHAT PERSON NEEDS 40 CREDIT CARDS ?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (If you are someone who owns 40 or more credit cards, please don't let me know...I like all my friends and wish to keep them)

Stropping your swivel knife will help with that feeling that the knife is dragging through the leather. I agree with the other comments about the moisture content of your leather. Proper casing is an art form and you can read all you want but you'll just have to keep at it until you find what's right for you. Also, I've found that running my beveller over the strop board helps to polish it and get rid of some of those marks but nothing beats a good matting tool. All in all, I'd give you an A+ considering this is a first effort. It won't take long before you've mastered this

I'd love to help you out guys but I have no idea how to put a saddle together. However, I did come up with an idea that might do the trick. Riorondo.com sells miniature western saddle kits with all of the miniature hardware (including the tree), all the leather and pattern for 28 dollars. Here's a link: http://www.riorondo.com/index.html it seems to me that the trick would be to buy one of those, put it together, and stitch it onto one of these: https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1410-4364-western-classic-ii-handbag-kit-pattern.aspx

At least you're the woman of the house. Speaking as the man of a house I can say that if any of us had pulled something like that swift and terrible retribution in the form of a crap storm of Krakatoa proportions would rain down upon us...

A worthy first effort if there ever was one.

That was the deal. I will make you a pattern but, if you want to make it proprietary, you have to let me know up front. Sorry if there was any confusion...and thanks for providing us all with a pattern. My part is easy compared to coming up with the overall design :D