Fiddlegirl89 Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Hi...I'm new here! I just wrote an "About Me" on my profile, so I'll just paste it here! I'm Kayla, a 21 year old farmgirl. I was homeschooled all the way through, graduating in 2006. I live at home with my parents, married 22 years, and my 3 younger brothers, ages 18, 11, and 9. I work from home, making leather dog leashes. I've been braiding leather for a few years (somewhere around 6) and I've made a couple of bullwhips, a few belts, a few instrument straps, and other small items...bolo ties, keychains, etc. I love bluegrass music, and I play fiddle, guitar, and a little mandolin. I love to cook, and make most of my family's meals. I design and sew clothes, knit, crochet...I have many varied interests! I love cows, and bought my own Jersey this past year. I've hand-milked as many as 3 cows, twice a day, and could get 1 1/2 gallons in 3 1/2 minutes...that's my fun fact that always amazes everyone...lol! And I guess that's it about me...pretty cut and dry! My granddad told me about this site (he loves the holsters,) and I look forward to learning a lot here! I've never seen such a well-organized wealth of information in one place! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CowboyBob Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Well you found a great site to learn from here & it sounds like your hands are plenty strong enough to do alot of hand sewing! Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EricDobson Report post Posted September 20, 2010 Welcome Kayla! I also play a bit of music, and have heard some pretty incredible bluegrass guitar players. It's amazing to hear someone who's mastered the style. It'd be great if you could post some examples of the work you've already done. Are there any particular areas you're hoping to learn more about? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted September 20, 2010 Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We're glad you happened across this corner of the internet. Thanks for telling us a bit about you, and we'd love to see some pics of your work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abn Report post Posted September 20, 2010 Great intro! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferg Report post Posted September 20, 2010 Hi...I'm new here! I just wrote an "About Me" on my profile, so I'll just paste it here! I'm Kayla, a 21 year old farmgirl. I was homeschooled all the way through, graduating in 2006. I live at home with my parents, married 22 years, and my 3 younger brothers, ages 18, 11, and 9. I work from home, making leather dog leashes. I've been braiding leather for a few years (somewhere around 6) and I've made a couple of bullwhips, a few belts, a few instrument straps, and other small items...bolo ties, keychains, etc. I love bluegrass music, and I play fiddle, guitar, and a little mandolin. I love to cook, and make most of my family's meals. I design and sew clothes, knit, crochet...I have many varied interests! I love cows, and bought my own Jersey this past year. I've hand-milked as many as 3 cows, twice a day, and could get 1 1/2 gallons in 3 1/2 minutes...that's my fun fact that always amazes everyone...lol! And I guess that's it about me...pretty cut and dry! My granddad told me about this site (he loves the holsters,) and I look forward to learning a lot here! I've never seen such a well-organized wealth of information in one place! Welcome Kayla, I grew up on a farm with most of the family staying with it. I had to laugh about the milking. My dad taught me to milk at the age of five years. He was milking 45 Guernsey's at the time, he cheated though, he used milkers I had to do it by hand. It is like riding a bike, you never forget how. As others have said, "Show us some of your work". BTW: I would also be glad to test some of your cookin- ferg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddlegirl89 Report post Posted September 20, 2010 Thanks, everyone! The only pictures I have access to right now (I'm not on my computer) are the ones of a banjo strap I made for my dad a while back. The pictures aren't very good, though. I need to get everything out for a photo shoot now! You're welcome to my cooking anytime you want to stop by! I always have chocolate chip cookies made, and there's always fresh milk! (My dad's addicted!) ~Kayla Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joquarter Report post Posted September 21, 2010 Welcome , looking forward to see more of your work . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
compound Report post Posted September 21, 2010 Welcome on YOUR forum! Leather and bluegrass is everything for me too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddlegirl89 Report post Posted September 21, 2010 Ok, I found some pictures on my computer to post. Although, after seeing just a little of the work that folks on here do, I'm pretty intimidated! My stuff looks rather cheesy!!! These are keychains I made, with calfskin lace... A bolo tie... Close-up of the knots on the tie... Flat braided keychain... I've made 2 bulllwhips, following the directions in one of Bruce Grant's books. This is the first one... And the second one...I did the handle different on this one. I also made this Bible case. I've never tooled anything, so I bought the pattern, traced it onto the leather, and "wood-burned" it. The case is 2 layers of leather, with a knitted piece inside for padding. I didn't sew it at all, but laced all of the edges with a decorative braided finish. I made this a few years ago, and it certainly has design flaws! If I did it over, I would change a few things! It fastens with snaps on the inside. I've also woven a chair seat with leather...the idea is in one of Grant's books, but he uses rawhide. I had a friend make a chair frame for me, and I wove the leather seat. Actually, in exchange for the chair, I made him a 21-strand braided belt. I made my brother a different 21 strand braided belt a couple of years ago, but he (and the belt) isn't home, and won't be for a few days. I still need to get pictures of a mandolin strap I made for myself...it's a crocodile ridge braid out of calfskin. The leather on the banjo strap, the whips, and the chair seat I mentioned...I cut all of the lace for those from oil-tanned sides from Tandy. I really don't know much about leather, but I am learning more of that through my current job. I worked at a tack shop for a while last year and learned a lot there...how to cut leather for reins and bridles, and how to sew. I really loved doing that, but the shop go busy enough for them to need me there all the time, and I had other obligations. I'm really having to teach myself everythng as I go, and it would be so much easier to be able to work with pros! A few years ago, I had an opportunity to be an apprentice with a Mr. Yancy in Flowery Branch, GA, making Paso Fino saddles. I've always wanted to learn about saddle making, and he said that I could come anytime, after I told him I taught myself to braid from Bruce Grant's book. That didn't work out, though...I was 16, and would have had to move across the state during the week and come home on weekends. I wasn't ready for that then, but I'm happy with my situation now, as far as my work with leather. I still think it would be neat to make saddles... Guess that's enough for now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted September 22, 2010 Kayla, Welcome aboard. I am a bluegrass musician, I play guitar (53 years, Banjo 40 Years, and Dobro 10 Years). A lot of the work I do in the leather shop is for musicians, typically Guitar Straps, Banjo Straps (Cradle type), and Dobro Straps. I have a professional musician in Nashville wearing one of my straps and I've sold them in Australia and the US. I also make western style leather belt buckles for musicians so they don't scratch their instruments while they are on stage. Just got back from a jam tonight. I think you'll like this site, lots of information. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddlegirl89 Report post Posted September 22, 2010 That's really neat, Ken, that you make the straps! My dad always says I'd make a lot of money doing those...especially when we go to bluegrass festivals! Have you been to Bear on the Square in Dahlonega? My family also travels to craft fairs and that's one of our regulars. We lived in Zebulon, GA until about 3 years ago, so most of our musical background is based there... If you know bluegrass musicians...do you know who Ron Stewart is? I'm hopefully going to be taking lessons from him soon, after IBMA, so I'm super excited! We just went to a festival this past weekend and heard Dailey and Vincent...my favorite group! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted September 22, 2010 Fiddlegirl89, Have not been to Bear on the Square, but I'd heard about it. A friend of mine went last year and sent me pictures of a bass player with a toy stuffed possum on his bass. I send out jam letters and sign them off with a caricature of a possum picking the dobro. I may try to get up there. I was at Hillside Bluegrass Festival last weekend. We make quite a few and will make more when I retire in 2012. I know of Ron Stewart, I know he used to play with JD Crowe and the New South, but every body that is any body in BG has played with JD at one time or another. I heard he had moved on, I think he's playing in another group now. I travel a lot with my job and play in jams and shows all over the country but specifically in Columbus, OH and Baltimore, MD as well as quite a bit around here. I recently did a radio show in Douglas, GA but it's hard to commit to working shows when you're still tied to a regular job. My two big trips this year was to Merlefest in April and ResoGat in July. I just got an order yesterday for a Bass (lectric ifn ya can believe that) strap. When I get it done I'll take some photos and post em. I've attached a picture showing my dobro strap design, it's designed to slip over the headstock and rest between the top four tuners. As I said I have a Banjo strap design that is a cradle type strap the strap goes all around the body of the banjo and cradles the body and tone ring assembly. Most banjo pickers store the banjo in the case with the strap still attached anyway. Keep on Pickin' (or actually bowing in your case), it's hard to find fiddle players in this part of the country, we have only one good one that I know of and he's older than dirt and crankier than any one man has a right to be, but he sure can fiddle. His name is Vernon Roberts, I asked him once if he wanted to do a fiddle tune (we had just done 3-4 banjo/dobro oriented tunes (Dear old Dixie, Fireball Maile, etc) and he told me that "All tunes are fiddle tunes if you know how to fiddle." I included a picture of me at Merlefest and one of my Dobro, it's a Beard MA-6 and I have really enjoyed it since moving up to it about 5 years ago. I have a Martin D-28 (1974 that I have had since 1980 when I rescued it out of a pawn shop), a Deering Banjo and I also have two fiddles (one I won at Hillside last year). I tried to learn to play the fiddle a while back and my grandkids disowned me and the family dog ran off. After about two weeks I scratched out something that sounded sorta like faded love, but we can't be sure. I've packed the fiddles up and will be sticking with something I know something about. "If the woman's still alive at the end of the song, it ain't bluegrass!" Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted September 22, 2010 Fiddlegirl89, Got so involved with ranting on about Bluegrass that I forgot to attach a picture of the dobro strap design. I'm working on a strap design that will have a quick disconnect at the head stock so the piece for the headstock can be installed under the strings and still be removable, I'm tossing around a couple of ideas. Here tis' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted September 22, 2010 Fiddlegirl89, One more thing, as far as making money selling straps at bluegrass festivals, there is literally "tens of dollars" to be made doing that. Same thing I say about playing Bluegrass Music. Best way to get a million dollars making custom instrument straps is to start with two million. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted September 22, 2010 Ms. KaylaWelcome to the forum. Nice intro......by reading it, you don't seem like a 'cut and dry' story. Wow!Thanks for joining us here.....great pictures and nice work! Don't feel intimidated! You do nice braiding......I cannot make a knot that stays, so there, you got one up on me! Thanks for Grandpa for the reference.Greetings from Central Texas! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bearns Report post Posted September 24, 2010 Hi Fiddlegirl, welcome to the site. I love your braiding, it's beautiful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawn Report post Posted September 24, 2010 welcome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
