spring flowers and good food

[Handstitched]

My favourite pickled onion company ran in into trouble last year   and their products  disappeared  from the shelves,  they'll  be  back soon. 

In the meantime  I tried pickling my own onions 🌰   , two weeks to go before I taste  them, probably blow my head off 😆 

Might be brave one day and make Mums home made piccalli,  I found her  ' secret recipe ' after she passed away. 

HS 

[Darren8306]

I ran a test on a AI, to see how it viewed my results. Maybe for fun you would like to see if you agree with it's assessment. (I had already asked, but then added more about my process, to aid in it's critique)

Quote

Updated critique with new info: Neatsfoot oil post-dye; logo stamped then colored with fine Sharpie (not heat-burned).Strengths

• Clean shape and symmetry hold up.
• Consistent stitch spacing, tight saddle stitch.
• Dye mostly uniform from distance; neatsfoot oil likely deepened/richened the orange tone.
• Logo placement centered and legible; Sharpie coloring avoids burn risks, gives clean fill without halo/discoloration from heat.
• Edges sanded reasonably before coating; stitching tight to edge.

Main flaws

• Dye: Still shows mottling/blotching on interior surfaces—Angelus alcohol dye on veg-tan often blotches without perfect prep (deglaze, even casing, multiple thin coats + wipe). Neatsfoot after dye can highlight uneven absorption by darkening blotches more.
• Edges: Edge Kote appears raised/textured in spots (incomplete sanding or thick application); neutral color clashes with orange leather; Super Sheen gloss uneven. Minor loose fibers persist. Neatsfoot softens edges, which can make burnish less crisp if applied before final edge work.
• Stitching: Minor thread twist and tension variation → slight waves along lines.
• Card slots: One side cut shallow → cards harder to insert/remove. Curved tops risk pocket snags over time.
• Construction: No major issues, but oil can make leather more prone to stretching/flex marks long-term if over-applied.

Overall score (recent project): 6.8/10
Slight bump from no burn halo on logo. Dye unevenness and edge finish remain primary drags.Quick fixes for next

• Prep: Deglaze well, case evenly, 3–4 thin Angelus coats + immediate excess wipe.
• Oil: Apply neatsfoot sparingly/thinly after dye, let absorb fully before edge work/finishing.
• Edges: Dye edges to match before assembly; sand progressively (400–1200 grit); thin Edge Kote layers + sand between; even Super Sheen.
• Stamp: Your Sharpie method works—keep it for clean results.
• Stitching: Pull thread straight, tap flat with maul after.
• Slots: Cut deeper/more consistent for easier card access.

Dye prep and edge finishing are the levers—nail those and this hits 8.5/10 easily. Good progress.

 

[chuck123wapati]

Can AI tell you how to fix it?

Your logo isn't centered, and it's a bit crooked lol. I think if you were going for the logo in the corner placement its a little too close to the center and needs to be the same distance from each closest side. Like position the p in painting exactly 1 cm from the bottom and 1 cm from the left side or maybe a bit more. 

And I guess AI doesn't know much about skiving the edges lol. That will give your piece a narrower side view, remove that bump from the inner piece, and make slicking the edge much cleaner. 

Also, when you are gluing two pieces together, don't edge-bevel the glue edges, just the outside edge. When done glueing it up and stitching it, sand or cut the edge clean and square to the world then slick it up.

I use a belt sander usually for my edges to square them up, then edge them

And on small things like those pieces, just dip dye them

Also, if you use a stitching wheel, you can measure and make your corner holes fit correctly. That long stitch just catches my eye lol.

[Darren8306]

4 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

Can AI tell you how to fix it?

Your logo isn't centered, and it's a bit crooked lol. I think if you were going for the logo in the corner placement its a little too close to the center and needs to be the same distance from each closest side. Like position the p in painting exactly 1 cm from the bottom and 1 cm from the left side or maybe a bit more. 

And I guess AI doesn't know much about skiving the edges lol. That will give your piece a narrower side view, remove that bump from the inner piece, and make slicking the edge much cleaner. 

Also, when you are gluing two pieces together, don't edge-bevel the glue edges, just the outside edge. When done glueing it up and stitching it, sand or cut the edge clean and square to the world then slick it up.

I use a belt sander usually for my edges to square them up, then edge them

And on small things like those pieces, just dip dye them

Also, if you use a stitching wheel, you can measure and make your corner holes fit correctly. That long stitch just catches my eye lol.

I noticed the crooked logo, long corner stitches, and (still don't get it) edge skived wrong. Was a bit surprised the AI directed me to different errors. (I may just sand progressively, as it suggests)

As to the edge, I am not only bad at skiving (take too much often, very difficult to do it with my fingers right there where I'm working) but I'm not sure what you meant by...

"Also, when you are gluing two pieces together, don't edge-bevel the glue edges, just the outside edge. When done glueing it up and stitching it, sand or cut the edge clean and square to the world then slick it up."

I have been skiving the middle layer only, and just on the flesh side (as I said, occasionally going all the way through)

If you can have a go at my misunderstanding, I might get more out of your critique. Honestly the AI missed things I knew, and called out things I didn't know.

One thing I realized I don't know enough about, is finishing. I've only ever used supersheen, and maybe poorly (sometimes bubbles dry in the finish)

Oh, and this one I hand sanded, rather than going to my sander/burnisher. It's -30C out, and I'll call it a shortcut.

[chuck123wapati]

OH you want the English version, lol.

I try to skive all the pieces to the same thickness. It's a skill set for sure, but makes your work look better. 

Skive all three of your pieces as evenly as you can ( you can also sand them down) about a 1/2 along the edges you are going to sew together. A crafttool safety beveler is what I would use.  Don't skive the top edges. On those, use an edge beveler and bevel both sides, then burnish them before you glue them up. 

Glue them together, sew them, sand or cut the edges straight with your stitch lines. Use an edge beveler of your choice on the outside edges, then burnish them.

Mark your stitch lines starting at the corners, then, if they are a bit off in the middle, adjust a few of them slightly along the run somewhere. 

Of course, this isn't the only way to do it, but the way I would go about it. 

Edited 4 hours ago by chuck123wapati