Grumpymann

I'm going to buck the trend. Go for gold, keep your feet on the ground and reach for the stars, let your reach out distance your grasp. Try for things that mimic what you want to do. i.e. stitched boxes, photo albums with fancy closures. Clutter up the design over engineer the thing. DREAM BIG and COMPLEX! then when your knee deep in the project, your sick of looking at it and you just want it done. You can strip all that crap you don't want or need. in the process you will find your ... voice. experiment with what will and won't work and hold in your hand what you like and not like. And play, have fun.

Thanks!

Gatta know. How do you keep the bottom of the gusset closed?

Great concept! .......Wish I had thought of it. Mind if I borrow it?

Thanks folks. I know I charge less that I should. My confidence in what I can do is pretty high. But I LOVE the challenge of a new project, to me it can be more fun figuring it all out how it all works than the actual hands on the leather. I see it as getting paid to play (Not to mention I have a pattern to use the next time !) in addition I kind of think of it as an honor being asked to make something form some ones idea funneled through my imagination and given birth to the world from my hands. It is an complement being given more than I asked and going forward I think it will be few and far between. I will think of it as a kernel of pride for when I hear "I can get it on the net cheaper!". I use a lot of scrap making little things for people bracelets, key fobs, pencil slips and the like. Small things that keep my hands at work, practice and I love the look in someone's face when I hand them a personalized item. I work with a lot of folks that are disabled in one way or another or in recovery of some form. Many of them have little of nothing else to be proud of. Maybe I should look at this tip thing as a form of karma ( And not the advertising, "Tell your friends and family where you got it."). It's nice to hear from people who .... Get it. Know how hard, challenging, frustrating, rage inducing, lonely, expensive, stinky, messy and literally painful this art form can be. Also know how fun, pride inducing, powerful, practical, meditative, fantastical, whimsical, magical and in my case necessary it is to make things with our own hands. To lave a small thing that may be here as well be of use when we are dust. Make something loving cherished or relayed on daily so much it is forgotten. Know the small joy of a straight stitch line. Or the cringe inducing sight of an awl mark in the corner. People who see the work, not just the dollar signs. Grumpy

Would like to start out by saying I'm by no ones imagination a Pro. I work leather for fun and supplies. And if I'm lucky I can get a slider @ white castle ( If I add 50 Cents). I WANT to be a pro. maybe in a few years I could make enough to pay rent. But as for now ...... That said I have been making a few bucks. Last week a co worker in the salt mine (What I call my day job) asked me about a wallet for herself. I quoted her 25 dollars. Went home drew up a pattern cut it out in card board did a few test in scrap to ensure the sizing. Made the item monogramed it and handed it to her. And went to my station. @ lunch I asked her If she was happy she seemed to get emotional and said she didn't have any money. (Well I know where she works) I said pay me when you get the chance. A while ago she walked up to me and handed me a check I didn't look just folded it and put in my empty wallet and went back to work. I looked and it is almost for almost 2X's the amount I quoted her. Told her it was more than I told her it would be but she waved me off saying she seriously under paid. I know the emotion thing has nothing to do with me I could just be the tilt of my head reminded her of her favorite uncle or something. But that is not the first time some one has paid me more than the quote. Not that I don't want or need the money mind you but I pride myself on fair value for the dollar. Not sure what to do with this........ (not the money I KNOW what to do with that!)

Has anyone ever used https://www.leatherunltd.com/ site before? Looking for an economical place to get my leather.

Ever think of using elastic?

And that is why I do this! to "Let my freak flag fly!" Wonderful work!

Use a 2 ply technique But join the pieces at different places. (Like 2 ply toilet paper, the 2 pieces facing away from each other. Join them @ different places and sew the all four pieces together like a regular sewn belt. Let me know how it comes out.

Yeah. when you put it like THAT ..... I guess it is..... LOL

Really good job. Are those premade shoulder straps or did you make them? If the latter HOW?

Set her up with her own account on here I need her advice on stamping letters.........

Hope if you don't mind if I jump in here. There a few things that didn't get mentioned here that I fine I cant live with out. 1) 2 good rulers. 24 inches and another for finer measurements at 1 foot. I use a cork backed non slip ruler for finer measurements. And they are great for straight edges. 2) Wing dividers I found I use 2 but 1 is enough to get started. You can find a really cheep set on line to start. 3) A weight. I have a little anvil When you have a piece of leather that moves and you need another hand to hold it ... pulse I can hammer on it in a tight spot 4) Roofing square a straight 90 degree angle is a must for some projects. and when you need it straight 1 degree can kill a project. 5) Poster board. A sketch is a great place to start, a measured out drawing is a step in the right direction and finally a mock up will get out those little bugs that don't pop up till your in the real world and not just in your head. And you can use it as a template a few times. ( on my very first project I spent almost a month on a bag that didn't have the right measurements to start with jiggering and regiggering it almost drove me nuts! And all the while the craftsman that got me started would walk behind me and LAUGH out loud AT me. "Whats so funny?" I would ask. "Tell you later" he would say. When I finished the project and showed it to him. He asked me how I did it. Smiling as I explained my woes and solutions. then he said. "Wouldn't it have been easier if you had done a mock up in cardboard?" ... Then he sharpened my knives and helped me make one for him.) 6) Scrap. Experiment, play, have FUN, 7) A computer. This place has HUNDREDS of years of knowledge if not thousands of experience. And as mentioned youtube is your friend! 8) A good sorse of light. Its hard to follow a line when it's hidden in the shadow of your hand as you cut. If any of this is silly or remedial, sorry for wasting anyone's time. These are the problems I have run into that I WISH someone had told me after I figured it out for myself.

Looks like to me that the ends meet in the middle so you can loop the strap on the watch end and the buckle end and have no visible seam. Hope that helps.

Looks like all signs point to me needing that book. Thanks Bikermutt. "The E myth Revisited" on it

How about a simple strap and go with a fancy attachment to the bag? Done right it would enhance the work you've done and not distract from your work so far. (Which is impressive) Took my advice before I gave it. Nothing to see here ..... Move along.

Thanks Big Sioux for not giving me hell for listening close, taking it all in and going my own way. The mark of a good teacher is letting a student screw up, taking pride and trusting your teaching. Sonydaze, Solarm that is something I have to pay attention to, Not chasing a nickel with a dollar. Your right somethings aren't worth my time nor the aggravation to the customer. Thanks for pointing that out. I never thought of it like that. To Tony and Bob, when I get with in a few years of where I need to pull out a calculator to let me know I how I'm doing I'll remember your tutelage. Thank you all!

Thanks for the grist for the mill and time you all put into thinking and answering. To me my time is free cuz I'm still learning and practicing. Exploring and refining my style. Heck so far my time is mostly spent on simple stock, mystery bracelets, key loops, and the occasional dog collar. When I sell enough that I can pay the rent and buy a cheep double shoulder or half a hide Then I make a bag. Right now I'm trying not to loose money and keep the wife from screaming about the time I spend staring @ the walls and not the TV with her. So getting a few bucks for playing is pretty goon right now. I want to be where your ideas lead me but I have years, dues, blood and sweat to pay first as I see it. I need to get to where I'm paid for my skill and knowledge and NOT my time. I'm in this for the long haul. I'll have a conversation with the costumer and ask if the piece is worth me doing it. And maybe do it for 40 or 50 bucks just for the experience. THANK YOU ALL for your help.

I have a customer that wants me to replace the decorative stitching on a bag. Now how much should I charge. At the present time I'm just charging for materials and a few bucks for maybe 10 t0 50 dollars depending. (Not being as good as some here I can't in good conscience charge per hour. And I'm still getting off the ground.) at most 5 dollars in thread, maybe a needle or 2, 2 hours in removing stitches and 4 to 6 in replacing them. HELP!

GREAT idea on the strap. MORE!

I use these when I'm hand stitching often and when I glue down things I have a set that is covered in leather that I made. not sure how it will work for a sewing machine though.http://www.staples.com/Acco-ACC72050-Binder-Clip-Medium-5-8-Capacity-Black-Silver-12-PK/product_669767

Have you tried drilling holes in it where the clamp is? Then using another piece of metal as a catch plate?

Thanks!

The Patch would work. I use patches as a perfect way to do initials for costumers who seem to be a bit... flakey about paying more than a modest deposit. Also a map pocket. Or even a accessory ring. (I put them on all my bags now a days ) it's a ring that you can clip anything to. Not sure how this would work but a chain for a helmet?