cjdevito Report post Posted October 4, 2012 Just finished this a few minutes ago. It's my first construction-from-scratch leatherwork. Definitely bits of it I'm not happy with, but I learned a lot in the process of making it. A few words, since I haven't posted much since I signed up here last fall. I started last october with one of tandy's beginners kits and fell in love with leatherwork. Unfortunately, last february I ended up hospitalized with what turned out to be necrotizing fascitis - flesh eating bacteria - in my left elbow and forearm. I got off very lucky, with the only permanent damage being losing a lot of the muscle in the arm to the scalpel and a good bit of nerve damage in my left hand. The nerve damage is definitely making tooling more of a challenge for me (though I'm still working at it!), so I decided to try my hand at construction instead. This bag is the result. It was constructed with super cheap clearance 8-9oz veg tan shoulders from Tandy, using the pattern they sell on leathercraftlibrary.com as the dispatch rider package. Dyed with eco-flo products. Holes punched with a rotary punch. Not the preferred method I know, but the lack of strength in my arm made awl work on thick leather frustrating. Critiscism welcome. I made plenty of mistakes and know it. Pats on the back welcome too :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoubleC Report post Posted October 4, 2012 DJ I just finished one of these that I blind stitched and I know what a job it is. I think you did a great job on this and will take the cutie in the last picture anytime :-) You did one heck of a good job. Cheryl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horrrk Report post Posted October 5, 2012 Looks good cj.. I've not got the kit assembled to construct..I'm getting there slowly, but I'd like to be able to produce something similar myself when I do.. It's good to see that you've managed to pull something like this off and overcome your difficulties with your arm, where it could have been easy to just give up on leatherwork.. Nice one!! Cute dog by the way.. Keep up the good work!! Regards Phil Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluesman1951 Report post Posted October 5, 2012 Every day here I am pausing to reflect on how different life is for others . Its easy to quit when things get hard ,then some one comes along and shows us all that quit is simply not a option . The love of the art and personal courage has given you the ability to carry on . Big round of applause for that ! You are correct this bag has some rough spots ,but they are hardly noticed when considering the rustic nature of the bag . My compliments on your courage and your ability to perserve in difficult times . I like your bag its well done and shows a great deal of planning and thinking ahead . That matters to me ,taking time to think a project through . My compliments on your project and a job well done . Thank you for giving me pause to reflect on what matters . I wish you continued happy hours at the bench . Thanks for showing us your fine work and giving us a glimpse into just what courage is . Big round of APPLAUSE here !!!!!!!! Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cjdevito Report post Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks, all of you. I greatly appreciate the feedback. To my considerable surprise a couple guys who followed my progress on this on another (non-leather) forum I frequent are offering to pay me if I'd make some of these for them, so I guess I'm going to have to get used to the idea that I don't suck at this quite as much as I'd believed. I see the mistakes in the work though, even if they don't. And want to improve. So pointers where I got it wrong would be welcome indeed. I promise I can take it :D And, really, about the arm stuff... honestly, I just mentioned it towards explaining some of the choices I made (using a hole punch rather than an awl, no tooling, etc). It's been a long recovery that hasn't been much fun, but I got off easy and have to remind myself to look on the bright side. It didn't kill me; I didn't even lose the arm. Compared to those alternatives a weak forearm & tingling/numbness in my fingers are a small enough price to pay. That said, I just splurged on an SK3 swivel knife a couple weeks ago, and am looking forward to practicing my knife cuts again. May take a while before I'm any good with it, but I'm determined. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramrod Report post Posted October 10, 2012 you did a fantastic job on the attache. i like the rustic look. i can see why someone would want to pay to have one made. strictly as a presonal preference, i tend to not leave any flaps without some kind of stitching - just for visual interest. i like to run a row of stitches - strictly for decoration - around the leading edge of the flap. the only other thing i would do is to put a few sitches (along with the existing rivets) in the small pieces that hold the straps in place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cogs Report post Posted October 10, 2012 Every day here I am pausing to reflect on how different life is for others . Its easy to quit when things get hard ,then some one comes along and shows us all that quit is simply not a option . The love of the art and personal courage has given you the ability to carry on . Big round of applause for that ! You are correct this bag has some rough spots ,but they are hardly noticed when considering the rustic nature of the bag . My compliments on your courage and your ability to perserve in difficult times . I like your bag its well done and shows a great deal of planning and thinking ahead . That matters to me ,taking time to think a project through . My compliments on your project and a job well done . Thank you for giving me pause to reflect on what matters . I wish you continued happy hours at the bench . Thanks for showing us your fine work and giving us a glimpse into just what courage is . Big round of APPLAUSE here !!!!!!!! Bill Ditto what Bill said. (And said quite well)! I really like your bag! Challenges can be rewarding, eh? another guy named Bill. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cjdevito Report post Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks Cogs, Ramrod. you did a fantastic job on the attache. i like the rustic look. i can see why someone would want to pay to have one made. strictly as a presonal preference, i tend to not leave any flaps without some kind of stitching - just for visual interest. i like to run a row of stitches - strictly for decoration - around the leading edge of the flap. the only other thing i would do is to put a few sitches (along with the existing rivets) in the small pieces that hold the straps in place. Initially I planned to do just that - stitch line on the flap, stitch the strap tabs and the handle rather than use the rivets, plus replace the buckles with snaps and make the gusset wider to give the bag a bit more depth - but in the end I decided to stick with the pattern as published. I figured with it being my first real construction project I probably shouldn't make it more difficult for myself by deviating from the pattern. If I make another, though, these are all definitely changes I would like to make. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragonspit Report post Posted October 10, 2012 (edited) In addition to what Bill said, and I couldnt agree more, the other thing that comes to mind is that in a world/time where everything is tried tobe produced to perfectness as if manufactured and all materials just right, its nice to see and in this case as Bill points out, to remember that it simply doent have to be that. The rustic final look of this piece makes me think of that. do I NEED to buy just this, do HAVE to have just that. Reminds me to not be so concerned about all that and just enjoy doing, or the ability to be able to do it. I understand that might not work as a business model, sure, but we aint all in this for the business,,,well Im not :D very well done. Edited October 10, 2012 by dragonspit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
