Woolie Chaps

[ClayB]

Here is a project I have been working on for awhile. Does 5 years qualify for awhile? Anyway, I found these Icelandic sheep skins in a shop when we were on our way to Glacier park for a vacation and they were just begging to be made into a pair of chaps. Like I said, I started on them way back then, but couldn't really decide how to put them together. I don't make a lot of chaps. Finally this winter I decided it was time to finish them up. I learned a lot of things while working on these. The hair on these things is about 3 inches long and is magically attracted to thread. It finds it's way under every stitch and it really likes to crawl through the holes too! One of the best lessons I learned was to make sure you sew the right top piece to the right leg (not the left one!) Sewing them together the second time wasn't any more fun than sewing them together the first time was. One thing I am really not happy with is that the leg straps show from the front. These hides weren't big enough to wrap around any farther around the leg, so there wasn't a lot I could do there. I think if they did wrap around the leg, it would have made it really uncomfortable to sit on to, unless the hair was all trimmed off. Other than that, I was pretty happy with how they turned out. Seems kind of fitting that I finished them up right now. People around here are getting into calving full swing, and this morning it was -21 degrees. If I had to be on a horse, I think I'd like to have these on!

[TrooperChuck]

awesome!

[Lui]

That is an awesome pair o chaps, I can imagine how much of a pain it must have been sewing them.

Lui

[leatheroo]

very furry!! are your legs in there somewhere??? great carving

[Bree]

Spectacular Viking Gaucho!! I love it.

[imw]

Awsome chaps look handsome

[oldtimer]

Awesome, Clay!

/ Knut

[Spider]

OMG these are awesome. I could totally sport these on my bike but would be worried that i might catch fire. But I love them...

[Hennessy]

Here is a project I have been working on for awhile. Does 5 years qualify for awhile? Anyway, I found these Icelandic sheep skins in a shop when we were on our way to Glacier park for a vacation and they were just begging to be made into a pair of chaps. Like I said, I started on them way back then, but couldn't really decide how to put them together. I don't make a lot of chaps. Finally this winter I decided it was time to finish them up. I learned a lot of things while working on these. The hair on these things is about 3 inches long and is magically attracted to thread. It finds it's way under every stitch and it really likes to crawl through the holes too! One of the best lessons I learned was to make sure you sew the right top piece to the right leg (not the left one!) Sewing them together the second time wasn't any more fun than sewing them together the first time was. One thing I am really not happy with is that the leg straps show from the front. These hides weren't big enough to wrap around any farther around the leg, so there wasn't a lot I could do there. I think if they did wrap around the leg, it would have made it really uncomfortable to sit on to, unless the hair was all trimmed off. Other than that, I was pretty happy with how they turned out. Seems kind of fitting that I finished them up right now. People around here are getting into calving full swing, and this morning it was -21 degrees. If I had to be on a horse, I think I'd like to have these on!

nice work clay, i'm gonna have a go at some woolies soon,hope mine turn out as good pete

[CitizenKate]

Hey - you finally finished them! They look really sharp. That black hair looks great with the veg-tan. I wonder if wetting the hair down a little would have made the sewing a little easier...? Dunno, just a thought. (You probably already tried that, anyway.)

Kate