Use spacer to compensate measurements?

[Redbeeerd]

Heya!

I'm trying to make a fly reel case which is the first thing I'm making that isn't flat (wallets, rifle slings etc). Somewhere in the back of my head a very small alarm was going off when I was cutting the pieces, but it wasn't until I was about to start punching holes (I hesitated on using cross stitching or baseball stitching when a buddy told me about box stitching) I realized I forgot to add material for mitering: I'm now missing 4mm in x and z directions.

Would it be a bad idea to compensate by sewing a strip of leather into the mitered joint? The corner won't be as nice but this is my first try and I think the learning experience will be the big takeaway anyway.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Redbeeerd

[fredk]

Which are 'x' and 'z' directions?   

[Redbeeerd]

4 hours ago, fredk said:

Which are 'x' and 'z' directions?   

Oh, sorry

[fredk]

tbh, the best thing for this is to assemble it and use it for a smaller reel and start again with larger pieces

or

a bodge; (just an idea) this may or may not work;  cut a strip of thin leather, about 20mm wide and as long as the gusset plus about 12mm. Sew this thin piece to the gusset, about 6mm onto the gusset, then sew the thin piece to the front panel, about 6mm onto the panel. This should give you an extra 8mm along the join. Sew the thin leather on to the outside of gusset and front panel, thus making it a feature rather than a bodge

[Redbeeerd]

2 hours ago, fredk said:

tbh, the best thing for this is to assemble it and use it for a smaller reel and start again with larger pieces

or

a bodge; (just an idea) this may or may not work;  cut a strip of thin leather, about 20mm wide and as long as the gusset plus about 12mm. Sew this thin piece to the gusset, about 6mm onto the gusset, then sew the thin piece to the front panel, about 6mm onto the panel. This should give you an extra 8mm along the join. Sew the thin leather on to the outside of gusset and front panel, thus making it a feature rather than a bodge

I chose option 1 

 

Sometimes you gotta have some luck: I don't think the reel could fit more snugly

[Handstitched]

16 hours ago, Redbeeerd said:

Sometimes you gotta have some luck: I don't think the reel could fit more snugly

Out of general interest, is that sting ray leather? Nice texture whatever it is.

HS

[Redbeeerd]

14 hours ago, Handstitched said:

Out of general interest, is that sting ray leather? Nice texture whatever it is.

HS

I have no clue to be honest, I bought a bag of scraps on a website for next to nothing. I suspect it is chrome tanned printed leather of some kind. It is extremely soft and the surface is almost like rubber. I even shaved off a bit of the surface on the underside because I suspected I'd gotten fake leather (because of the rubbery surface) but it checked out.