rht

I would like to thank you all for the kind words. Now I am back to looking at my stock of leather and wondering what project I can do now that will successfully divert my attention away from more mundane things like yardwork and re-tiling the bathroom. Thank you again. rht

Haven't posted in a while. Thought I would show my latest project. A proper repository for my overly ambitious leather projects that turn out to be "just a test" (if you get my drift) and other "oops". Okay, okay it's a wastebasket. My wife wanted to know why I would want to do something like this. Because I had some heavy leather rolled up in the corner that wasn't getting any younger and I thought it would be fun. I was right - it was fun! BTW - now she says, "your not really going to put trash in that are you?" I'll take that as a compliment - I think. Technical stuff. It is 12"h x 10.5"l x 7"w. It is fully lined. The lacing is 3/16" dyed to match (almost) in single strand Mexican braid. And it has plenty of "oops" and "I wish I done that differently's". rht

Sasquatch and Ben, I am glad you liked the finish. The finish is Tandy's Eco- All-in-One Cherry Chocolate followed with little antique paste and topped off with Neat-Lac for better waterproofing. This was after the customary oiling and sunning. I love the color (my favorite), not crazy about the way the All-in-One behaves on application on larger smooth areas. I wish they offered the same color in regular stain or dye formulations. So if anyone out there has extensive experience with the All-in-One colors I would like to compare notes. Thank you, rht

I would like to thank you all for the nice comments. Like I said before this forum is such a great resource. It is wonderful to have a place where the professionals are more than willing to share with those that are just starting out and hobbiests like myself and where there can be discussions without egos getting in the way. Just a great environment! Thank you again. rht

Been watching, reading and learning here for a while. This is a great resource! Thought it was about time to say "hi". After a hiatus of fifty years I got my original tools out of the attic a couple of years ago to try leatherworking again. Getting close to retirement I thought it might be a good way to keep me from going bonkers watching daytime TV. I just wish I could improve at a faster rate, but I keep pounding away and am thankful for any signs of progress and this forum has been a great help. Here are a few photos of a couple of my more recent ambitious projects. One thing I've learned is that photos can be heartless reality checks. They are great for finding all the little uh-ohs. Anyway here they are warts and all. Both of these are firsts - first briefcase for me and first purse for my wife. I am planning on doing more. The corner patterns on the briefcase are from a Chan Geer Corner Pattern Packet. The roses on the purse are adapted from "The Great Book of Floral Patterns" by Lora Irish. Hello again from Oklahoma. Thank you for looking. rht