How to sew a leather cup/bottle holder

[crazytailorlady]

Hi everyone,

Lately I've been considering making a leather holder for a small bottle as I need one for my bicycle and I want leather to match the seat. But when I was looking through the Stohlman book I've seen that such a project requires the use of a curved awl and curved needles. Now, I know I can curve needles on my own and I could attempt the same for an awl but I'm always in tool shortage and supply is difficult. My question is, is this the only way to do such "curved" leather projects or is there a method I'm unaware of?

 

[billybopp]

You do not necessarily need curved awl and needle.  They are nice but not totally necessary.  Working from the Stohlman book I've made many beverage can holders using straight awl and needle.  You just need to work a little more carefully!  The pictures below are some embossing rollers and cases I made for them using the same method.  These are considerably smaller and harder to sew than the can cozys.    Sorry I can't find pictures of my cozys at the moment - I must have put them into a folder where I wouldn't lose them.

All that said, if you DO want to purchase curved needles, they're pretty common - Look for upholsterer's needles.  Curved awls are a bit more rare, but they are out there.  Look for cobbler tools!

- Bill

 

[fredk]

3 hours ago, crazytailorlady said:

Hi everyone,

Lately I've been considering making a leather holder for a small bottle as I need one for my bicycle and I want leather to match the seat. But when I was looking through the Stohlman book I've seen that such a project requires the use of a curved awl and curved needles. Now, I know I can curve needles on my own and I could attempt the same for an awl but I'm always in tool shortage and supply is difficult. My question is, is this the only way to do such "curved" leather projects or is there a method I'm unaware of?

 

Which book? Which section? If you give me that info I could suggest an alternative way of working

[johnnydb]

3 hours ago, crazytailorlady said:

Hi everyone,

Lately I've been considering making a leather holder for a small bottle as I need one for my bicycle and I want leather to match the seat. But when I was looking through the Stohlman book I've seen that such a project requires the use of a curved awl and curved needles. Now, I know I can curve needles on my own and I could attempt the same for an awl but I'm always in tool shortage and supply is difficult. My question is, is this the only way to do such "curved" leather projects or is there a method I'm unaware of?

 

Curved needles and awls are nice...but truthfully I've never gotten the hang of them.  

If you are making a standard bicycle water bottle holder for drinking while going down the road that attaches to the frame....

You really don't need curved awls and needles.  

I'm unfamiliar with the pattern but I am familiar with the bottle and setup.  

Personally I'd use veg tanned framing of the piece that was wet molded to the shape and then glue on chrome tanned and make a visible seam in the veg tan.  Don't forget the attachment straps....and I'm unsure about using snaps vs buckles vs velcro.  It's gotta fit snug to keep from slipping.  

 

Have fun!  

Sounds like a great project!

[Tugadude]

Nice to see another bicycle person here.  Do you have a particular style in mind?  There are many ways to accomplish what you are trying to do, but it would help if you could share some more detailed expectations.  Maybe you can find a picture of what you are hoping to replicate?

[chuck123wapati]

i have cut off needles to make them shorter for stuff like this. 

[chrisash]

See

 

[blue duck]

Perhaps try a different stitch. I have used a 'baseball' stitch with good results.

[crazytailorlady]

18 hours ago, chrisash said:

See

 

The method I same in the book used a wooden mold and I think thats why the curved tools were needed but this looks very promising. I wonder if it would work with thicker, stiffer leather like what I have but I will definitely try this.

[crazytailorlady]

18 hours ago, Tugadude said:

Nice to see another bicycle person here.  Do you have a particular style in mind?  There are many ways to accomplish what you are trying to do, but it would help if you could share some more detailed expectations.  Maybe you can find a picture of what you are hoping to replicate?

I guess I was vague there. I wanted a stiff, all leather (no wires) cyllindrical holder with straps so I can secure it to the tube, though im still deciding wether to put it on the seat tube or the downtube. I want it to fit about half of the bottle, maybe a bit  more. I have some thick, stiff veg tan to work with.

 

[crazytailorlady]

19 hours ago, johnnydb said:

Curved needles and awls are nice...but truthfully I've never gotten the hang of them.  

If you are making a standard bicycle water bottle holder for drinking while going down the road that attaches to the frame....

You really don't need curved awls and needles.  

I'm unfamiliar with the pattern but I am familiar with the bottle and setup.  

Personally I'd use veg tanned framing of the piece that was wet molded to the shape and then glue on chrome tanned and make a visible seam in the veg tan.  Don't forget the attachment straps....and I'm unsure about using snaps vs buckles vs velcro.  It's gotta fit snug to keep from slipping.  

 

Have fun!  

Sounds like a great project!

Thanks on the helpful info. I'd be glad to avoid curved tools at this point. Still getting a hang of the normal ones. 

 

[Tugadude]

9 hours ago, crazytailorlady said:

I guess I was vague there. I wanted a stiff, all leather (no wires) cyllindrical holder with straps so I can secure it to the tube, though im still deciding wether to put it on the seat tube or the downtube. I want it to fit about half of the bottle, maybe a bit  more. I have some thick, stiff veg tan to work with.

 

Don't discount the "easy way" and that is to just use a circular wooden bottom and then tack the leather to it.  Not saying it is better, just easier.  You can stain the wood to match and nobody will be the wiser.  And it helps to keep the shape of the whole affair.  Just a thought.

Here's a variation, but just a basic handlebar bag.

 

Then there's this style, which I'm not hugely fond of, but I guess it works...don't know about using it for a single water bottle either...it would work on the seat tube which is basically vertical.

[crazytailorlady]

Hey everyone,

So I used the method applying the butt joint and the box joint to make the holder itself and it turned out great. I was proud of it. But, I messed up. There is a reason bottles mounted on tubes go into wire/metal cages. The straps on mine would loosen under weight and slip down or sideways. I spent literall hours trying to fit it differently to no use. So my project was a grand failure. Still, thanks for the advice, I did learn new stitches and a way to sew round which is what the post was about.

[crazytailorlady]

Hey guys! After thinking it over I decided to try and fix what went wrong which was faulty leather straps and I did it. Head over to my post in "Show Off!" thread to see the completed project.