RhodesAveDesigns

Thx for the info. The Tandy leather photographs nicely, if that's any consolation, with a nice color/ variegation. The one time I went to Tandy to see about a sale leather, there was none of that particular product to be found, the "Miscellaneous/Sale" bin was terrible, and the employees were rude; if not for the Internet, I would never have begun leatherwork as a hobby. Your projects tend to be beautiful, so "prototyping" may not be terribly necessary (until it is, and then you'd be upset about "wasting" materials, so there probably is no winning in this debate). I wish you and your thumb a speedy recovery. "You see, leather, wood, and metal workers cut and stab themselves with alarming regularity. Regular folk don't do that!" - Add glassworkers to that list! In addition to being a klutz, far too many of my hobbies involve inadvertent blood donations. - Elizabeth

Sorry to read of your mishap, combining awls/ needles and fingers/thumbs is NEVER a fun situation. While you heal, and we wait for more progress pics, can I ask what leather outer/liner combination, and thread type/ color, you are using? It is very attractive thus far, like everything else you've shared. - Elizabeth

I bought a General Tools "Snap Fastener Kit" a few weeks ago at Home Depot.The whole kit ran around $5; the Home Depot website made it easy to find and purchase them, as it shows you how many kits are in stock and where they are located. It comes with 6 snaps and the setting tool, and are billed as nickel-plated brass. They are fairly heavy, and seem more "solid" than the snaps from the fabric store. There isn't any size info (if the standard 20 or 24), but I'm pretty sure that they are size 24. You do have to be careful with snaps that they are thick/ deep enough for the leather you are using, similar to choosing the appropriate rivet size. Make sure you practice setting the snaps on scrap leather before you attempt to apply them to your project.

Here's some "advice" from a fellow newbie. I'm a full-time college student who's been lurking, and working on small projects, since February. I have a background in fiber arts, so I have some understanding of threads/ fibers. It sounds like you have either a Michael's or a Hobby Lobby nearby. For the long-term, cotton isnt the best choice, but the braided cotton in the jewelry section would be somewhat more durable. They also have waxed linen and thin hemp threads in the jewelry supply section, they aren't great quality, but they "work", and you can split the waxed linen down if needed (to a 3-ply size, for example). Hobby Lobby also has a #5 nylon thread in the macrame or yarncraft area which you can experiment with (your local Wal-Mart may, as well, thry also usualky have waxed linen in their craft area). Ordering a spool or 2 of linen or polyester online will serve you better in the long run (I bought a spool of Somac 18/3 linen on Etsy; you can dye basic off-white threads additional colors yourself). Hobby Lobby has somewhat better quality leather and leatherworking supplies. Do yourself a favor and buy better quality leather than what is in most of the scrap bags, it is far easier to plan a project with better leather (I know this from experience; even if it's just the veg tan goatskin from Hobby Lobby, or the small rectangles of veg tan [you can make a couple front pocket card wallets from just 1], you can work much faster with larger pieces of decent leather). Good luck! It is an addictive craft.

No, nrk is correct, this post should be in the Marketplace forum, not here, and there is, indeed, a rule regarding sales listings for Machinery: 6. Post must be modified with additional information as necessary, and marked when item is sold. ALL MACHINES FOR SALE MUST INCLUDE PICTURE. Placing a listing outside the forum, without a picture, seems an attempt to skirt the rules, something like the Craigslist postings where sellers "can't upload their photos", which helps keep fraudulent sales from the purview of federal laws. - Elizabeth