Handstitched

Here in Oz, over in the east, Carp are an invasive pest , but no doubt good eating , and good for their skins. I have some Carp skins, I really should get my ar*** into gear and make good use of them. HS

I have done this myself,by mistake, I was just experimenting, doodling , as we all do, and thats what happened. I later dyed some key rings using two colours after stamping . The first being red, let dry, and then using a flat cotton cloth, , not a swab, with black dye. I carefully applied the black dye over the top without dying the the stamping.I had to be careful not to dye the stamped bits, but it came out quite effective , wish I'd taken pics now. So, I did the same on some other items, a light colour underneath, and a darker colour on top. I let dry completely , and then gently and carefully applied a sealer as not to smudge the red dye. I didn't know what to call it, so I made up my own name , ' over dyed' / over dying, one colour on top of another . You've done just that, put one ( dark) colour over another light colour. Looks great Experimenting/ doodling can yield interesting results.One knife case I made, the ( mahogany) dye came out all streaky, like wood grain ...almost. I thought " OOPS!!" But I left it like it. Sold it the next day . So I made few more like it, sold them too . Go figure. Just when you think you've made a mistake..... HS

Can't help you there, but what protects ' the bits underneath ' on the rider? Always wondered that. Hate to have a horn go where it shouldn't go ? Quite an impressive pic btw. HS

The stitching really stands out , love it HS

There it is again, great minds thinking alike , but I thought the skins would be too thin , but then again I do have some carp skins in my drawer, that I haven't used ...yet. . So, whats for dinner tonight fred, fish ? Just kidding lol HS

Nah, all good Theres heaps of Aussie ' lingo' that would make us all sound like we're from another planet , lol I know what chuck would do with the fish, cook em' on an open fire . Now its gone from holsters, to recipe ideas, Ha !! HS

A 'h hahhhh !! me ol bwain box not wot it yoosta woz The fish look good Perhaps some butter, lemon pepper , and a nice wine mmmmm HS

Like you, I thin my adhesive using toluene , to around honey consistency, with a bit of guess work Its too expensive to keep throwing out the gluggy bits at the bottom. HS

I'd be happy to try eating that, perhaps with some dipping sauce , at lunch, while I'm doing leather work, and washed down with a nice red wine or a beer. They look more tasty than chicken nuggets . While the holster looks great, ' Judgement' has an ' E' in it , sorry to point that out. HS

What a beautiful job you have done Monarch butterflies are here in Oz too . You have a lot of friends here , friend Keep an eye out for white butterflies.... theres a reason they are there. Just saying HS

Sorry Frodo, gone off topic again here. So , in 'Two Mules For Sister Sara', Clint Eastwood & Shirley MacLaine, that would be true. Always wondered about that. Thanks. Tastes like chicken too I guess. The pattern on the holster ( bottom pic) , would have been just difficult as basket weave & tri weave ,and making your eyes go 'cross eyed' Quite like it. HS

Thats all good We all have horror stories, that we hopefully learn from. I used to be in the fibreglass pool industry. I used to use my leg as a "work bench" off to the side, to cut cardboard form work for reinforcing etc. using a very sharp ' stanley knife' . During lunch, I noticed all this blood literally pouring out from under my jeans onto my boot, took forever to find where it was coming from. There was a tiny cut in my jeans....and in my right leg , just under my knee cap. My knife was so sharp, I didn't even notice. 3 stitches later...... Stay safe HS

My Mother was spinning some fleece on her spinning wheel one sunny arvo. She was trying to hook some fleece through the spindle to start a new bobbin. To this day, I still dunno how, but she managed to get a piece of the wire hook thingy through her finger . I tried using pliers myself ( without throwing up & passing out ) , but 3 hrs & 3 stitches later in the ER..... HS

My goodness, you have been a busy boy Speaking of bourbon, I'm almost out of it. Well done on those HS

all of it Love the ' rattler' *. HS *Dumb Question Dept. : do 'rattlers' still rattle after their dead?

Welcome Nice work indeed HS

This'll throw ya!!...and way off topic. I used to be in the fibreglass pool industry . Injuries were common. If I ever got a *FG splinter in my finger etc, the only way to get it out is to slice open the finger & pull it out....and rinse it out with acetone to sterilise it. I dare you to , the next time you cut yourself !!!!! *(A lot different to wood splinters) You were saying?? HS

Yep, I hear ya . If I try to make a walking stick, I'll try to use the thicker part of the branch. I would guess the age of the wood is a factor. I might try one . I'll find a suitable branch, clean it up, cut it to length, and put my fat a***s weight on it . If it don't break, I'll turn it into a walking stick . HS

Geez, talk about great minds thinking alike. I thought of wax or a wax based conditioner ie: shoe polish HS

Well done friend, back on topic That could be used on those that don't pay their accounts on time. Do walking sticks need to' flex' a little, or not ? In the last month, we've had some wild weather, and a lot of branches and debris have fallen down . And after reading your thread, I have thought about walking sticks. Normally we cut the branches up for fire wood , or just put them in a pile and set fire to them (we can do that now) . But perhaps I could re-use the wood for something else. Just a thought. HS

In the very beginning, I cut the tips of my fingers cos my fingers were just over the edge of the ruler while cutting . I never did that again . The only injuries I occasionally get is from hand stitching. I've just learnt to be careful with anything that cuts, scrapes , slices , pokes, pierces and any other sharp tool. I also keep my fingers away from the business end of sewing machines. I learnt that from Mum after she put sewing machine needle through her finger many years ago. Just learn to be more careful HS

This thread has gone from sticks to 'd...ks' , and heres me trying to get it back on topic, fat chance....pardon the pun My gut hides everything . ' Nothing to see here' HS

They were good finds. Even the best can make mistakes. I've been going to op shops for over 30 years. Very rarely do I buy new clothing . You can find some great bargains in op shops . A lot of my jeans are ex$y brand jeans and ex$y brand shirts etc. some are brand new, at a fraction of the RRP. In some cases you're supporting a good cause too HS

@Lakil7 Is the needle bent or damaged? Even the slightest bit of damage on the needle can put things out, from experience. Try a new needle. Also, just check inside the shuttle case, making sure theres no debris, bits of thread etc. inside , and check to make sure the needle isn't striking the thread plate, you'd hear it if it was. Hope this helps. HS

F***k me !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nearly spat my bourbon all over the screen OK OK ...now lets get back on topic...if we can !! HS