two cross draw holsters

[rharris]

Here are two cross draw holsters for a friend's boys and a knife heath for their grandfather. The sewing is still not what I want but more practice should help. My sewing practice looks good then when I sew a project I screw up. Maybe time will help. Comments and suggestions welcomed.

Russ

[yaklady]

Hi Russ,

Your stitching doesn't look too bad, but I have suggestions for improvement. When you cut the groove for the stitch line, go over it twice with your groover. With heavy leather it looks neater and protects your thread more. Then get some 7-cord linen thread. I get mine from Beiler's Manufacturing and Supply, 3025 Irishtown Road, Ronks, PA 17572. Phone, 717-768-0174. No website that I'm aware of. Rub down the thread with bees wax before use to keep it from fraying. Your stitching will look great!

Kathy

[sheathmaker]

I would recommend that you semi finish the edge (make sure it's flat smooth and even) before you use the stitch groover. Then allow and minimum of 1/4" to 5/16" from the edge for your goove line. This same spacing looks good from the stich line to the border of the tooled area ( you have to estimate this as the tooling will have been long finished by the time you glue up final assembly). Then do the final edge finish and you have nice generous borders on both side of the stitch.

Paul

[rharris]

Kathy & Sheathmaker

Thanks for the suggestions, will give them a try.

Russ

[Warren]

I understand what your saying, but another way to look at it is that you did do it by hand. It won't ever look like machine stitching and thats not a bad thing. You do the best you can at the time your doing it and go from there. Unless the customer complains you live with it, learn from your hiccups and try to do better next time. I don't practice sewing as I don't have time. All the practice I get is sewing on projects as I do them. Some come out better than others, but I've never been ashamed of any of them.I would have gladly paid good money for any of the 3 items you posted. Keep up the good work!

Warren