Members Gosut Posted January 22, 2023 Members Report Posted January 22, 2023 Made the following this afternoon. Not a good effort. I managed to get newsprint and glue on the smooth side and had to sand it off. Finished with 2000 grit. Somehow managed not to cut it straight, despite using a framing square to align things, and a metal ruler as a straight edge. This may or may not have led to a wavy seam crease. It didn't lead to me making a groove in the wrong place (not visible in the photos), or not getting the holes straight. Somehow managed to come up short with thread despite allowing three times the length around it. You can see places where I messed up the stitch. You can also see where the leather didn't evenly take up the Fiebing' Leather Balm (tm). That's due to the glue and the sanding. Did a saddle stich, but ran into an issue where the knot repeatedly pulled through. Never really solved it. Did manage to burnish the edges. Burnished the opening on the inside prior to gluing. Also manage to somewhat slick the flesh side of the outside piece where it's exposed by the opening on the inside. About the only thing else I can say about it is that it's usable, and in much better shape than my worn out checkbook cover. Lessons for next time: Lay one piece on top of the other and mark and cut from that. Mark top and bottom on the flesh side of both pieces to make it easier to align. Don't lay the leather on an old newspaper. Be careful gluing. Maybe use a straight edge to mark the crease for stitching. Use more thread Quote
Members Dwight Posted January 22, 2023 Members Report Posted January 22, 2023 Not bad for a first try . . . May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
Members Klara Posted January 22, 2023 Members Report Posted January 22, 2023 Welcome to the club! As for sewing questions (including what to do when you run out of thread): All the answers (even to questions you didn't know you had) are in Al Stohlman's The Art of Handsewing Leather. Quote
Members ArkieNewbie Posted January 24, 2023 Members Report Posted January 24, 2023 Looks better than my first "project". All you gotta do is just keep on going. Take advice and criticism readily. As far as cutting straight, buy one of these! https://a.co/d/1iXeace It has completely changed my life when it comes to measuring and cutting straight. Quote
Members Tugadude Posted January 25, 2023 Members Report Posted January 25, 2023 Regarding running out of thread, one of my favorite teachers, Nigel Armitage just dropped this video on youtube. And you can go to his website and download the document for free. Along with some other helpful stuff by the way... Quote
Members Tugadude Posted January 25, 2023 Members Report Posted January 25, 2023 Also, regarding running out of thread, there are other factors to bear in mind. First, is it practical to always insist on having one length of thread? I remember reading one "expert" suggest that you should never use a length of thread longer than about 3 feet or so. There were good reasons for that, but one of the basic reasons is so that you don't run the thread through so many holes, causing wear on the thread, wiping off all the wax, dirtying the thread (if it is white, for example) and other reasons. I think the arguments carry some weight. I do try to complete a run of stitching with one length of thread and frequently will use an arm's length of thread in a continuous run. But what if it was going to take more than that? Does it become unwieldy? Do the issues the "expert" mentioned come into play? If the thread is white to begin with will it appear beige at the end? Maybe. Maybe you reapply wax during the operation? Or maybe you just suck it up and go with another length of thread? I don't know that there's always a clear answer and every situation may warrant its own approach. Regarding the project the OP showed, yes, there are many things that could immediately improve the outcome. I suggest doing a little more research before trying again. There are tons of helpful youtube videos from some really generous makers out there which detail the steps you should take in order to achieve success. Then it is a process of refining. Quote
CFM chuck123wapati Posted January 25, 2023 CFM Report Posted January 25, 2023 any effort is good effort imo !!!!! I think it turned out really well for a first time job.. On your stitching i think it just a matter of consistency, needle placement and consistent tension is crucial to a good stitch pattern each stitch done exactly the same is the key. Once you learn the fundamentals that just comes with practice. The longest length of thread that i use is from one outstretched hand to the other outstretched hand and never had any problems. oh and take the maybe out of using a straight edge, a compass and a square lol. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Members Gosut Posted January 28, 2023 Author Members Report Posted January 28, 2023 On 1/25/2023 at 9:39 AM, Tugadude said: Regarding running out of thread, one of my favorite teachers, Nigel Armitage just dropped this video on youtube. And you can go to his website and download the document for free. Along with some other helpful stuff by the way... Thank you. Very informative. Quote
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