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I work with used footballs. I am a HS football coach and stumbled my way into making leather wallets out of used footballs for gifts for our graduating seniors. Fell in love with the craft have started expanding what I do. I was recently asked by a fellow coach to make a messenger style bag out of a bunch of old footballs. So my first obstacle that I am encountering in the planning phase is how to make larger panels out of a bunch of small football panels. My initial thought is to take each panel of the football and cut it down to a square or rectangle and then attach it to another panel. Then I would end up with a larger panel that I could cut to my measurements. Anybody have any experience doing something like this. Attaching pieces of leather together to get a larger working surface. Any suggestions, tips, help, etc.

Been a little while since I've been here and even longer since I've done any leather work, would like to show some of my previous stuff though as it doesn't look like I will be able to continue with leather work due to some ongoing medical problems & loss of employment from my main occupation. I'm also showing my stuff as I feel this could be a good idea for someone else to take over I would be willing to do a booklet up to show how they are made. Someone could take over the whole thing I made five types of balls or I could split it down into what you are interested in either American football, Australian football, rugby, soccer and basketball. I will be selling off all my equipment in the next few weeks as well, first pick for equipment & supplies will go to any members located in Perth, Western Australia as it's difficult for me to get to the post office at the moment. The photos show my website but it's no longer up if you are interested in taking over the whole thing I could give you the website files so you could update yourself it was made in Xara web designer which isn't that expensive. I don't have any photos of soccer or basketballs as I had only had made plain ones to make sure the patterns were right before I came down with the medical problems. The Texas ball has a bit of a mistake the design didn't line up properly I normally checked everything but forgot to on this occasion I was going to remake it but never got around to it. If your interested in taking it over contact me by pm it will be first come first served for taking over the whole thing.I'll provide all the patterns for making them they will be full sized American football, mini American football, giant American football,full size Australian football, mini Australian football, giant Australian football, full size rugby, mini rugby, giant rugby, five types of soccer ball and a basketball. If there are no takers for the whole thing it will be first come first served for where the sport is played the most ie American (USA), Australian (Australia),Rugby (either Australia,New Zealand, South Africa or United Kingdom), Soccer (anywhere) & basketball (anywhere). I'm not after any payment for this just an acknowledgement when you first post stuff here and on the website somewhere ie a shout out if I decide to do something else art based. I could see it being successful for someone who's quite into sports and wants to make something a bit different. I'll try to get back to any interested people as soon as I can but I have some appointments this week so it may take a day or two for me to reply. Just one last thing I don't recommend anyone taking it over if you have wrist problems as they are hand sewn partly the reason I'm giving it up. Cheers, cem

I'm looking for a template for the panel of a football.

Hi all! as the title said this is a question relates with balls I've got the patterns that Cem shared on another thread. I'd even bought a Tandy leather football kit but I can figure out how to close the ball (the final stitch with the thick thread). I assume is not too difficult but I can do it The second question is about soccer balls and also the final stitching. I asume the ball is done inside out but once you put the inside out, how do you close the ball. Thanks a lot to everyone (sorry for the poor grammar) and I promise to share the results if somebody teach me how to close the balls

Here is an interesting video showing a football being made http://www.wired.com/2015/10/wilson-factory-future-footballs-will-be-connected-undeflatable/