Suze

First leather project - a belt pouch for SCA Johanna is helping me put it together, I was over to her place the other night and we cut out the back and side gussets for a pouch. When we went to find lacing material - she discovered that 10 years in a basement did not do any of hers any good - it all broke easily. So we "punted" and I am doing a sort of buttonhole/blanket stich with waxed linen thread. (I'm doing it "double" so that there are long stiches on both sides of the "seam" (?). I now have 3 cats at my feet trying to get the end of the string as it passes back and forth....... Cats are fun....one stich -- shove cat away with foot.....repeat for other two cats. I didn't know that I would get a lower body workout sewing leather by hand. Grin (See, I'm doing my homework)

Snopes lists it as "undetermined" which is fine by me if it isn't true it should be and I cryed too

Well all that means is that YOUR dogs have a healthy enough imune system to fight off the effects of bad meat. Next time you might not be so lucky. and people can eat something tainted with salmonilla and one person can be just fine and the next one die, and the third one just have "the flue". You see it all the time in the papers about "outbreaks" at some such buffet or another. Most housepets DON'T drag up dead things to eat (they whine when they can see a dime sized piece of the bottom of the bowl) - and I haven't noticed my pets eating poop Just as each person is different so are critters. As he did say that the dog died of a long battle with this - I am assuming he was under a Vet's care. So I would think that tests were done to see what the dog had.

poop - purses in pieces is sold out on Amazon I really should not go there - it is dangerous

well the peanut butter probably was. And this type of food is listed on the USDA website http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/pean...dex.cfm#PetFood I figure it doesn't hurt to "spread the word" I can't even fathom what this poor man is going through, I would be ready to kill myself if I found out I gave my "babies" a poisen treat and they got sick...

One of the gentlemen I know on another forum told us that his father's dog has just died from Salmonella poisoning they traced it to the treats he had been given...While they were not peanut butter flavor the peanut butter had been used as a binder they were a national brand and bought at a PetSmart in Ohio. Poor puppy.

not really - ever try cutting leather with a knife that won't hold an edge? do you get a great cut? or do you have to "saw" through it? And even if you are a Master Craftsman a crud (bad) knife is a crud (bad) knife. a tool that is CRUDE might be the best thing to use. A pin in a sucker stick is one of my fav crafting tools. Ask Johanna sometime about all the crazy things I can do with a swiss army knife. but it is not a head knife or a carving tool. It could be used sort of like one - but will you get your best work out of it?

$80 a gallon - Ouch I think a glass top might be cheaper - prob not Ignore the silly woman in the corner.....>grin<

Hi all can I add to this thread from a little "different perspective"? I am also a crafter (dollhouse minis - sewing - that sort of stuff) I sold dollhouse things for years and I am a collector of same. Pricing is so much easier if you are also a collector - the best way I found was to, after I had finshed a prototype and thought about the price. was to put it away and not look at it for two weeks. at the end of two weeks - I took that llittle whatsit and put it in my hand and asked myself if I would pay $$$ for this. If the answer was no - I had to rethink things. I listened to that voice - the few times I didn't the "thing" didn't sell cause it was overpriced. And the weird thing is some things wouldn't sell if you UNDERpriced them. They mustn't be "good enough" or something - jack the price up and they sell - go figure. the Middlebridge (another forum for SCA folks) had a lively discussion on this awhile back - I should have saved some of those posts, you all would find them intresting. One gentleman sells swords (damascus steel swords, drool) and they have a pretty hefty price - well worth the money for what they are, I just don't have that much. And he was telling us that he had one customer try to talk him out of a sword for peanuts because "all you have invested in it is your time" Yeah and you go tell YOUR boss you don't need a paycheck either cause all you have invested in work is your time. I have noticed a trend with me anyway and that is how a item can go from "You have got to be kidding" expensive - to - you know, for the work involved, it's not too bad a price - to - Here's my money, give it to me NOW! in the space of 3 heartbeats. I just last year paid $200 for a Japenese Braiding stand made of cherry wood that has not a speck of stain or sealer or polish on it. The last grit sandpaper the gentleman uses is something like 2400. It is satin. I also have bought things that no self respecting crafter would buy. Mainly to show people what not to buy. I have started teaching some fiber arts. the main mantra I use for that is that you can only craft as good as the TOOLS you have. Crud tools do not give quality work. Thank you for reading. from the other side Suze

one word of caution if you are using expandable foam for a full torso --- it shrinks in time and you can't fill a whole torso all at once - the middle won't dry. I've not done it but friends have and had to trash the whole thing and start over I want a Duct Tape Double for myself - so I have been reading all sorts of links about them, the leather bra sounds cool though one question - if you don't line the leather with something wouldn't that get "irratating" on "senative parts" ?????

WOW -- that is ... WOW You could try taking a scrap of leather and painting on it with the same paints and sealers you used on the table - Just brush strokes - nothing fancy gluing it to a piece of wood and then taking that and putting your inch of epoxy over that to see what it does. it wouldn't even have to be very big - say something the bottom of a margerine tub? It would be one way to find out if it would work or not. Just a thought from a crafter not a leatherworker...(although that is changing in the future)

I have a "gryphon's head" key chain "mask" from her she told me it was a prototype and since "I" have never seen another one - I wonder if I have a one of a kind If you think her stuff looks great on the screen you should see them where you can "touch" them awesome doesn't even begin to do it justice

they also keep your kilt "down in front" so you don't become a "floor show" (not that I don't like a good floor show once in awhile >giggle<)

But it's not the night before they have to leave..... isn't that when most of the work gets done?

Sigh - Johanna told me that there were a lot of "history group" people on this list. Guess they haven't found this yet. I belong to the Society for Creative Anacronism (www.sca.org) We "play" in the middle ages - 600 to 1600 AD We are a non-profit educational historical reenactment group. The society was founded in 1966 in Berkly CA as a backyard party for a "going away party" for Diana Paxton. (SF writer) in the years between then and now it has grown to a world wide org with about 30,000 carded members and probably that many non carded members. One of the bigest events in the Midwest is Pennsic Wars (www.pennsic.net) that takes place in Pennselvania. Two weeks worth of camping and shopping and partying and learning and fighting - in general being what we THINK the middle ages should have been like. It is a lot of fun and I am learning new things every day. I am going over to Johanna's tomorrow to try to recreate my fav purse/beltpouch in "real leather" instead of the "fake leather" that Wal-Mart used. Suze (who should have explaind better, sorry)

Hi all I am going to my first Pennsic this year and was wondering who all was going Who is selling cool stuff (and what booth you are going to be in) so that I could meet some of Johanna's (Hi Cuz) cool people. and I have been gathering data on what is important to take to the silly event - What couldn't you live without? What was a "pain" to take and you are "never taking again" PS. I know the basics of Don't drink anything that is foaming, glowing. bubbling, fizzing or has "Surprise" in the title and I am NOT looking for "love" in all the wrong places. (can you tell I am NOT a party animal?) I see so much stuff here that just blows me away and would like to see it in person. I was just on the phone with Johanna and she told me to ask this, cause she is curious how many posters she is going to ""miss"" for a couple of weeks. >giggle< Suze SCA- Lady Mariassa of Ashgrove AoA, APF Barony Flaming Gryphon (WO7) (Dayton Oh area) Middle Kingdom

What do I always say Cuz? There is a "second use" for EVERYTHING you just have to find it....(And I think I was the one who sent her to the newspaper office in the first place) While I don't "do" leather - I do craft (dollhouse minis) so I have been on the "lookout" for "things to make other things" for a long time. (and that is why the house is FULL)

No that is just for one pull the "collection" is 8 different pulls.... But even if it was eight pulls that is still $100.00 each!

Maybe - I am planning on going this year (it will be my first) I will be camping in Barony Flaming Gryphon down by Runestone Hill Yes - I am from the "enemy camp" (I belong to the Middle Kingdom) Oh yes - I should have tattoed on my hand YES, WE KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT - BUT WHEN? There aren't too many crafts that I haven't tried at least once.

the sad thing Windy is that with the "odd sizes" of the cupboards in the kitchen, a fifteen inch piece would not look too bad. It would fill up less than half of the door top to bottom. and before you say anything about that - My Dad built all the cupboards in the kitchen and they are NOT standard size doors. Mom and Dad built the house themselves and we have some very "odd" arrangements of things. So either I buy all new cupboards or I "see what I can do with what Dad built. (ANd I can't afford to remove and replace the whole kitchen. They would def be a statement though. Opps forgot to say that I am a crafter myself (dollhouse minutures-You want to talk expensive? Not much in material costs but the time involved) but I still see those prices and think "rip off" Sort of like those Longenberger baskets - I know people who make the same style basket and for about half of the price of those other ones. And they are better made too. But the Longenberger people have convinced us that these will be worth tons of money someday because of the name on the bottom, I will buy a hand crafted item over storebought any day. And pay well for it. But I look at these and wonder just HOW they manage to sell them.

Timbo - now THAT I could do - have done (sort of, Whe you are "building" a haunted house, you would be amazed at what you can come up with) Just wait - I may have a more "custom" kitchen that I had first thought. I am planning on painting the cupboard doors a parchment color and doing some sponge painting on them (to look more like parchement) and doing some decortive paint work on them the hardware hut site also has "dummy strap hinges" and I looked at them and thought STENCIL

WELL NOW that is more my speed - I really haven't messed with leather but give me wire and a hammer.... My SCA name is Mariassa of Ashgrove and If I could pull off two of those 900.00 jobs, they would look just "right" on the cupboards flanking the sink. I think I might even have some 12 gage wire in the basement (I have just about everything in the basement) Only I would have to burn or scrap the coating off of it to "antique" it. Hmmmm - must look in basement.

THANKS CUZ - I love you too from the site This knob from Turnstyle Designs is individually hand stitched by master harness makers, using only the finest English vegetable tanned leathers and bees waxed linen thread. The leather is stitched over stainless steel frames and all edges are carefully sealed. But they are made by MASTER HARNESS MAKERS --Oh boy. Add $150

I know blacksmiths (I'm SCA - It's ok I'm only part insane) But I really do want to know if it is possiable for a newbie leather worker (me) to make something like the first links. I'm sure I could get Johanna to help me out

It's hard -- >grin< It's that 91 cents that is the dealbreaker Just too much. Now if they were $874.00 I would order them in a heartbeat. (I really do like them - I think they would look "neat" on the cupboards - but the cost of them is about HALF of what the WHOLE HOUSE is worth.) WHO BUYS THESE THINGS?