ramrod

o.k....going strictly from memory here, i think the kingsmere website has a pattern. i tried to post a link, but i can't for some reason. i've seen a few replies about making gloves for those that asked the question. most people say to buy what you need for glloves as making them is way more trouble than they're worth. i'd like to make a pair some day just to see for myself. i had a pair of leather work gloves while at my old job. i ended up gluing an extra layer of leather to the underside of the palms and inside the finger tips to make them last longer. that worked very well. i also did that to a pair of gloves that already started to wear holes in the fingre tips....just add a layer of leather to the insides of the fingers and they last for quite a bit longer.

i'm interested to see your design to fix the locking mechanism. i hate that about mine....i end up using pliers to crank down on it to keep if from coming loose. i also need a new cutter for mine. i must have nicked it or something bcause i just can't get it sharp enough now. it won't cut real smooth lines anymore.

i've tried this to a small degree. it does make a very nice hidden stitch. very useful for the backside (or inside) of an object that will see wear from being used. when i made a quiver, i used it on the backside to hide the stitching so the arrow heads wont cut them. i like putman's idea about beveling to keep the cut open.

WOW! this is very nice! i love the inside of it. one of my best friends wants something like this. now i know what to have the inside look like. if you don't mind, i'd really like to steal part of your idea. i'm assuming that the right side will hold a standard lined pad with a cardboard back.....it looks like it will slip right inside of it from top to bottom. what is happening to the left side? 2 business card holders and two pen or pencil keepers.....does the left side open up - what i mean is: can you slide papers behind the inside leaf? what is the weight of the leather? is it lined? did you use any kind of stiffener? more pics pleeeze and thank you i love this!

this is a great thread. i find that the longer my project lasts, the more marks i will get on it. i made an absolutely beautiful quiver and was very careful about NOT marking it up - until the last few stitches. one of my (very short) fingernails made sucessive marks in the leather that followed the stitches very nicely. i DID point it out to the new owner and tried to pass it off as "tool" marks on a "handmade" item or some such nonsense. he said it added character and proved that it was handmade. i'll keep that comment about the glass slicker in mind for the nect time.

thank you, northmount. i really hope it does help someone else. still banging my head over this one.

o.k....a lot of embarrasment coming up. i reread this post and double checked everything. as i looked at the way the thread went through the needle, i kept saying to myself "yup, left to right....left to right". well, apparently i forgot what side my left was on. it went from right to left!! i am such an idiot. i just kept telling myself i have to be missing something. sure enough, the pros diagnosed it correctly. i have the machine up and running just fine. thank you so much for all of the input and the time you guys spent to help me out. you guys know really, really know your stuff. let the flaming begin. go ahead. i can take it. LOL

very nice looking bags! i love the antique finish.

yes, all i did was replace the thread. but looking back, i did force it through the initial jams. i didn't think of that earlier only because i've done it before without any problems. that alone makes me think that i threw it out of time. northmount......yes, pictures are coming. i charged the camera batteries last night. i gotta get some pictures up for all to see.i double checked to see if the bobbin was inserted properly. it is in there correctly. thread comes off the bobbin counterclockwise (from left to right on the bottom).

oh boy....well, i did hold onto the thread for what i hoped would be three stitches.....no dice. i made sure the bobbin thread came up through the feed dog so both threads were now up on top. as i cycled the machine, the top thread kept pulling back through the eye and finally it got too hard to cycle. JAM! ......crap. i'm convinced that this thing is out of time. i can read my online manual to see how to time it. i simply cannot afford to bring it somwhere for professional elp. in looking at the juki diagram, it looks like the way it was threaded was close - but not quite exact. i now know that it is threaded properly. thank you for that diagram, sewmun. i don't know where to go from here except to try to time it myself.

the manual that came with the machine is for a consew model 225. but, i have one that i found online and i have saved. the pictures are not clear at all, so it's hard to see what the instructions are referring to. as for threading it properly, i followed the route that the #69 thread had taken. i kept the #69 in the machine and ran the 138 parallel to it and then pulled the 69 out. so, here's what i did last night. i put the 69 thread back in the machine and tried it. it still doesn't pickup the bobbin. when i turned it over very slowly, i noticed that the hook will come around and take up the top thread as well as the bobbin thread. when the hook comes around the next time, it has the top thread from the first pass with it and it picks up the second top thread. now it will have two top threads in the hook. they'll just accumulate if i kep rotating it. i stopped it and snipped the threads and noticed that the bobbin thread was knotted to the top thread. if i kept rotating it, it would just keep picking up the top thread without letting the "first" pickup stay with the material. also, i noticed that the bobbin case is able to be rotated by hand 3/4 of a turn in either direction. i've not noticed that before. is that normal? if i could post a video of me turning it over by hand, i will. sewmun....i did fiddle with the tensions. they seemed to be a tad loose, but i am sure that i've gotten them to where they should be.

just got back inside to read this. i'll have a look at this. i'm using left twist thead, and i'll take off the throat plate....again. i did last night to watch what was happening, but as before, the bobbin thread just sat there, so to speak. i'm in for the evenng so i'll sit down to study this thing. i'm confused only because the only change i've made was the thread. (any opinions on that?). it was working perfectly - well, maybe a few skipped stitched now and then. thank you for the replies. i really appreciate the help. i'll post what happens to this beast. edit: i reread your reply, wiz. i have to clarify. the rat's nest was under the throat plate - not on the bottom of the material. the material never sewed. only the top thread pierced it and i pulled that right out easily because it wasn't captured by the bottom thread.

i'm having a bit of a problem with my 211g155. about a year ago, i asked a few questions about getting it going and the like. in one of the replies, wiz stated that i can use a 138 thread as a max size. well, i bought some 138 bonded polyester to use on the machine. i kept the 69 bottom bobbin thread in and threaded the machine, as i started to sew on some scrap, i noticed that the bobbin thread is not feeding at all. on the first go, i had to clear a rat's nest of thread from the bobbin assembly and went at it again. same thing - the bobbin thread is not being picked up. i never encountered a problem using 69 top and bottom. i didn't change the needle size (whatever THAT is - i can't read any of the designations on the needle. they're too faint) help!

as an aid to getting the stitches straight, did you use (or, do you have) a stitching groover? this will help to make the stitch line dead straight. if you don't have one, you might be able to improvise by running your fingernail down the ede of the leather where your stitch line will be. at least you'll have a line to follow. i like the bag you made i've been wanting to make something similar, but just haven't gotten around to it. you did a real nice job casing it and making the pattern. nd, as bluesman said above, check out the thread on edging. it makes the project look completely different when the edges are finished.

no issues here....BUT, you have to let it dry completely. i redyed someone's bag and thought that i ruined it. it seemed as if it would never "even out". left it overnight and it was prfect - just like coach did it from the factory. you really have to let it set and not apply anything to it for at least 12 hours.

also, chrome tanned leather is not typically as thick as 8 or 9 oz. it's generally garment or upholstery weight.

you're going to want your awl to be crazy sharp. it works extremely well that way. i also fell into the "kit" trap, but the awl has worked out very well for me. i've also got a bunch of roof deck screws - very hard and rust resistant. i've been making my awls out of them. they throw a lot of sparks from the grinding wheel, but they sharpen quite well and i can buff them to a mirror finish after sharpening them. yeah, you're gonna want to get something of a bit higher quality...and don't be afraid to put an edge on it or change the profile of it if you need to. make it work for you.

jacket potato - well, first i have to apologize to you....i don't know how or why i got #69 in my head. but the thread size i'm hand sewing with is the tandy 277 machine thread. i've made a few posts and stated #69 in each of them. i feel like a total idiot. i'm sorry, but i can't answer your question. i'm sure one of the sharper and waay more experienced sewing machine gurus will be able to help out on this one. you might want to state what machine you're using forst of all so these guys can help you.

sylvia....that is so cool! i thought that i was the only one to pierce the thread twice when threading the needles....you do too! i've never pierced the tail, tho. i'll start doing that from now on. i'm finding that my thread will work it's way out of the eye after a while. cchpotog....i try to keep my threads about an arms length. any longer than that and you'll end up with gnarly thread after a while - it tends to fray and dgrade. plus, it tends to get dirty as you stitch. and when you think about it, you waste less when you use a longer section to stitch. i find that when i stitch smaller projects and use maybe a foot or two at a time, i waste a lot just simply threading the needles - maybe 6 to 8 inches or so are thrown away.

i'll second what sandsquid said: try to use a stitchinbg pony or a horse. also, make sure you're using an extremely sharp awl with wax if possible. this should help,,,,,and bob's yer uncle. LOL

i use the tandy machine thread....the #69 nylon. it works out very well and i have, like a million feet of it. i'd like to try some linen, tho.

well, i'm going to resurrect this thread. i had a bit of trouble with my computer, so i couldn't reply. i gotta say, wnkleather, that bag is beautiful. it looks very functional, too i've solved my briefcase frame problem (i made one and it looks like it came out of a factory)....necessity is the mother of invention, after all. now onto stiffeners. that LDPE sounds like something i might look into.

i really like the fact that you have a lot of pockets in that wallet....i have a sewing machine and i haven't figured out the tutorial as to how to make the innards of a wallet. nice job on this. i would say that you might want to straighten out your stitchng a bit. but it IS a nice job for your first.

is it possible to simply sharpen the rounded style to get the point that you want?