Aurelie

Hello guys and girls! I am back from my trip to Sheridan with my Hornet aka Bumblebee. It was a terrific trip! long, troublesome but terrific! I have met great peoples, suppliers, saddlemakers and even more! even met some of you! i ve seen terrific things too and i am coming back with even more questions that what i had before going there goal scored! i had fun , i learnt lot of things , had even more crazy ideas got things to modify, to improve got new things to try...... I have learnt "patience" I ve been working leather for only 2 years.....and i guess i have time to improve myself here are some pictures from Sheridan for you : My link Have fun and keep faith! Aurelie

cool!!!

nothing to be "ashamed" of! this is looking terrific

i really like that "old" look may i ask how you do that? antique? something else?

"A bit smaller"??? Geez your knife sheath is WAY more complex than my stirrups!!! :D After that terrific sheath, braiding a pair of stirrups will be a "roll in the hay" for you ! Ok, i guess there exist somewhere in a corner of your mind a way of braiding terrific and complex stirrups... Here were my 1st braided stirrups and i wanted to start "easy" but finally , even "easy" turned out rather good Keep posting your projects! i love your job!

thanks for the tip! thanks for the tip!

i really like that one! bravo

LOL i "feel" you! i braided a pair of stirrups.....and it took me 20 meters of roo laces and something like 2 and half evenings a real pain in the butt....but turned out rather good... not as impressive as your knife shealth but still nice

Aulus : really nice

Love it! really nice job!

yup! terrific job here! Congrats is not enough word to describe it!

terrific! now i have to make one for myself! a tip about the weight of leather you use?

nice ones !

huge and terific job here! congrats!

nice looking terrific idea

Ok, thanks a lot everyone for the expalanation i think i am getting a "grab" on the concept of "gaited" i looked on google image to see those horses you mention and from what i seeon picture and understand from your posts , it looks like these horses have a kind of "proeminent" wither (very steep) compared to a quarter horse (for example) is this a "right" way of understanding it? @Rod and Denise, i mostly work with custom hand made saddle trees (since i live in a country where QH are not the "norm" and i always send the drawings to my saddle tree maker and he always build a good saddle tree so i am not surprised by your explanations and i do understand what you are meaning (maybe i was lucky so far )

nice one!

Hello guys 'n' girls! this is the last picture that i will post before the saddle is really finished. No pictures before it is settled at the Sheridan Leather Show! surprise, surprise! i will post pictures of the finished saddle when i will come back from the States! So? See you in Sheridan!

The rigging dee is set at "full" position it's just that on the picture, the saddle is set far "up" on the stand and looks like it's very forward

Okay! Seat is on ...for good It's nice....but...i am a bit "mad" because there is a "wee" wrinkle on the inlaid cover leather ... It was NOT here on the fitting but appeared on the pulling on..... Maybe i am too picky....but it bothers me because i would like to understand WHY so that i can fix it the next time There , do you see the wrinkle at the back? While i am still debating on "HOW TO DO MY CANTLE BINDING" and since Charlotte is quite nice today and lets me working..... I am working..... I 've set the stirrups and the billets.... I have got right my back jockey patterns and the design...so now got to cut them, carve them and finish that D****D saddle!

Hi guys! i ve been quite busy lately..... i have finally finished my fittings, my sewing my carving and after 3 in laid seat done, i guess that this one is quite good far from being perfect but good (i am not sure of the way it should look and feel....) tonight , i am going to pull on the seat for good!! here are some pictures : and i had forgotten to put the pictures of the stirrups : Now, after the seat is on....i guess the BIG scary thing is to make and sew the binding on the straight cantle (never done that) By the way : If anyone feel like sharing his techniques for straight binding it would be cool....so that i can "pick up" the ideas that suits me and have an idea which way i am going to "jump" in the pool full of sharks :D Once the binding is ok.....it will be a "roll in the hay" ! Almost finished!!!!

1 more question : what is the purpose of a "rigged seat"? I mean i know the purpose of a flate plate saddle vs a inskirt one , technically speaking but building a rigged seat is it just for "good looking"? or has it a specific technical purpose? and another question : how, who could have the idea to build something like that?? I know...it's a lot of questions..... but i like to know the hows and whys , pros and cons of everything

Thanks a lot for the explanation JW I kind of see more precisely how you build that! :-) for now, i ve got enough "new things" to try on saddles but sure i will try this one day ...and then i guess i will ask you more again : really neat job!