This is my first ever project and I know I did SO much wrong; I would love to hear you guys' advice before starting my next project.
I'm winging this whole thing and so far I've learned:
Leather is not dry just because it looks dry. Wait the full 8 hours for water to dry before dying
Dying over water leaves terrible water marks and dis-colours the dye (as seen on the bends in the flap and the paw print stamp)
Buckles should be sewn on before assembly(?) reaching into the bag to find the holes for the needle when putting the buckle on was a bit of an issue!
I'm not sure what I did to mess up the bottom right hand corner so badly but I am assuming there was a mistaken measurement somewhere. I left it, just because this was a first time practice piece for learning.
Perhaps two separate burnished edges being pinched together isn't quite as nice as burnishing them together to look more like one edge.
Questions brought up from this project:
Should I make the needle holes before dying? I didn't, assuming the Resolene would fill them in if I did.
Should I make grooves for the squares that hold the strap and buckle on? If so, is there a "groover" that is adjustable to be that wide, or how would I go about doing that?
How should I go about "hammering" the thread down on the sides once it's complete? I just filled the bag with 2x4s and did my best.
Edge burnishing: what even? I wet the edges with water and used a wooden edge slicker on it but I found I could only get the edge so smooth like that before it started... peeling? Fraying? I've used beeswax in the past (on scrap pieces) and liked that result but had heard water was supposed to work just as well. Thoughts?
How tight is too tight when pulling each thread taught?
Is pinching the edges together to make a corner no good? I notice there's some puckering(?) on each edge where the leather has to fold a bit to attach to its counterpart. Maybe I should have wet the edges and pinched them into that form instead of allowing them to become that form while I sewed.
What sort of needles should I be using for this? I used glovers needles which worked okay but I thought leatherworking needles were supposed to be blunt-- I found I kept accidentally stabbing through the leather instead of going through the holes I had made for the needle to go through.
How do I make the burnished edges not... un-straight? It's most noticeable on the strap, it's just wiggles everywhere. Does this just come with practice? The strap was straight when I started.
Sorry for my lack of knowledge, especially in the terminology sector. Please feel free to eat me alive; honestly I'm loving reading through the forums and learning things. I've watched a few videos here and there but ultimately learn more from doing so I look forward to your suggestions!
This is my first ever project and I know I did SO much wrong; I would love to hear you guys' advice before starting my next project. I'm winging this whole thing and so far I've learned: Leather is not dry just because it looks dry. Wait the full 8 hours for water to dry before dying Dying over water leaves terrible water marks and dis-colours the dye (as seen on the bends in the flap and the paw print stamp) Buckles should be sewn on before assembly(?) reaching into the bag to find the holes for the needle when putting the buckle on was a bit of an issue! I'm not sure what I did to mess up the bottom right hand corner so badly but I am assuming there was a mistaken measurement somewhere. I left it, just because this was a first time practice piece for learning. Perhaps two separate burnished edges being pinched together isn't quite as nice as burnishing them together to look more like one edge. Questions brought up from this project: Should I make the needle holes before dying? I didn't, assuming the Resolene would fill them in if I did. Should I make grooves for the squares that hold the strap and buckle on? If so, is there a "groover" that is adjustable to be that wide, or how would I go about doing that? How should I go about "hammering" the thread down on the sides once it's complete? I just filled the bag with 2x4s and did my best. Edge burnishing: what even? I wet the edges with water and used a wooden edge slicker on it but I found I could only get the edge so smooth like that before it started... peeling? Fraying? I've used beeswax in the past (on scrap pieces) and liked that result but had heard water was supposed to work just as well. Thoughts? How tight is too tight when pulling each thread taught? Is pinching the edges together to make a corner no good? I notice there's some puckering(?) on each edge where the leather has to fold a bit to attach to its counterpart. Maybe I should have wet the edges and pinched them into that form instead of allowing them to become that form while I sewed. What sort of needles should I be using for this? I used glovers needles which worked okay but I thought leatherworking needles were supposed to be blunt-- I found I kept accidentally stabbing through the leather instead of going through the holes I had made for the needle to go through. How do I make the burnished edges not... un-straight? It's most noticeable on the strap, it's just wiggles everywhere. Does this just come with practice? The strap was straight when I started. Sorry for my lack of knowledge, especially in the terminology sector. Please feel free to eat me alive; honestly I'm loving reading through the forums and learning things. I've watched a few videos here and there but ultimately learn more from doing so I look forward to your suggestions!