thefanninator

Nice job laying out the border stamp. That stitching up the side is not easy.

The first one likes like it's dyed the light brown color and then streaked with a rag with the dark brown/black color. The 2nd looks air brushed around the edges.

Yes.

Nice work. I think I like the white stitching better.

Not sure if they have it but if you're still looking try Ohio Travel Bag.

Thanks. Yes, our first, a little boy.

Machine or hand stitch. Do what you like. There are a few different ways we could go. Use 2 patterns ... One for beginners, one for more advanced ... Or do both if you like. Beginners could ditch and do a beginner Make Stuff thread .... Or keep going as we are we. No offense to the beginners but I'd like to keep it simple. If one of the beginners wants to take the reins and start their own, that might be best. You could always do both if you want. I haven't had much time in the last 2 days - went to the hospital and my wife had a baby.

I think I'll start new ones each month after this one. Just so we don't have to sift through hundreds of posts to find the new projects.

Can't beat the edge finishing instructions by hidepounder. I quit using edge coat after reading it. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101

Happy New Year! The January project will be tboyce's Vertical Wallet. The pattern is found here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=59704 PDF on Post #4 will need a large format printer. PDF on Post # 13 is uses a standard printer. Be creative and have fun!

The real reason I wanted to start this isn't to create your best piece ever or be voted favorite so you can choose the next pattern. I heard this story once... http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/000216 "The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot -albeit a perfect one – to get an “A”. Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes – the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay." I also got the idea from a local Austin musician who sends out a word or phrase to other invited songwriters. They have a week to write, record and return the song. If they don't they are removed from the email list.... This website offers a lot of information and you can spend hours, days and months "theorizing about perfection"... but the point is to always be making something. Have no fear! Heck make 10 of every project each month ... mess up, stain over it, unstitch it and stitch it again... put it in the throw away box and come back to it a year later and cut it up and make something else... I have some really ugly stuff from the first year but I kept going. To the new people - you will make ugly stuff... but keep going. I don't want anyone to have to put a video tutorial up, who has time? If you really want to, go for it. But I think tboyce's patterns are pretty explanatory. I also wanted to use the patterns submitted by tboyce to show our appreciation for his willingness to share. I know my time will be limited because my wife is due with our first any day now, that's why I made it a monthly challenge. I had originally thought about making it a weekly or bi-weekly challenge. I will post the first pattern tomorrow - January 1, 2015 @ 9AM Central time in this thread. Have fun!

The pattern should be posted on the 1st of the month. The idea is to use one of tboyce's patterns in the Patterns & Templates forum. There are a bunch there so take a look at them, print them out... we just won't know which one will be chosen until the 1st. Some will finish before others - participants can post up their finished projects early if they like. Ask questions throughout the month if you run into trouble. I guess the 25th should be the deadline so we can choose the favorite and have them choose the next pattern to post up by the 1st. We could choose 2 a month, one easy for beginners and one for those who need more of a challenge. Or should we just progress from easy to hard? What happened in previous iterations?

I'd like to see everyone do all 12 but I know life happens - materials/$$, family, jobs. Skip some if you have to and come back when you can.

I scanned Wayne Jueschke's pamphlet that I got from him. Check out #123, 127, 128. The prices are not for the faint of heart. They run anywhere from $40-175.

I received my package today. Thanks Yogi! This edge paint is much thicker than Fenice. I'll post up a photo in the next day or two.

That's fine with me. The "Favorite" can choose the next pattern.

To me it looks a lot like a stamp made by Wayne Jueschke. There are a couple different sizes. You can google his name and see his stamps. If you call they'll send you a pamphlet of his stamps.

You say "the antiquing isn't in the places I'd like it to be, it's only in the cut lines and background." I could be wrong but isn't that what antique is supposed to do? Make your tooling and carving stand out. What has worked for me is in this video...

Looks really nice. It looks like the gap between each pocket is a little big, can that be closed? How are your edges? Can't see them. It's hand stitched right? Stitching looks pretty good. What is the top stitching line stitched to? Is it just there for looks? My personal preference is smaller/finer threads. I've been doing leatherwork about as long as you. You can probably move up to some nicer interior leather like goatskin and Fil au Chinois Lin Cable thread if you want. Depends on your goals and style.

I have a die that WAS a mallet die. You could hammer all day and it wouldn't cut through. I was using 8 oz veg tan and the die was approx. 6 x 6" though so it was too big and the leather was too thick. I had it cut and just found someone to click it for me. Find someone close to you to click for you. I used Texas Custom Dies.

I've messaged a few others about this & want to invite any & all who want to participate in a monthly project. 1 new project every month for all of 2015. Each month we'll use one of the patterns Tom has shared (Thanks Tom!) on the Patterns & Templates forum. The pattern will be announced on the 1st of each month. No hard and fast rules except to follow the pattern (should be close but not exact) and share pictures & details of your finished project by the end of the month. The goal of the monthly project is to "Keep Making Stuff", push your skills, learn new techniques and get better. It's not a competition, no prizes, except someone will choose the pattern for the following month. I'll post a link to the 1st pattern January 1, 2015.

The cookie cutters are dies and they're using a clicker press to press the dies and cut the leather. Here's a small one: http://www.tippmannindustrial.com/clicker-700-die-cutting-machine-p-117.html

Very nice. Tell us about the leather.

Updated photo with flap stitching and crease. Top and back/side.

If you're still looking check out Lisa Sorrel's skiving knives. She's got an ad that is up top sometimes. http://www.customboots.net/customboots.net/SNF_knives.html