Binnis card holder

[howardb]

It started out life as a Tandy kit. I don't like their liners, so I made patterns from the kit for the lining and pockets. I went ahead and used the tooling leather from this kit, hence the holes. I have made one other so far (pictures later hopefully), but will probably end up making a bunch and giving them away.

This one, in fact, is now a sample unit. The buddy I made it for (it turns out) is not "William" as his given name, but "Bill", so I have to make him a new one. Amazing how you can know someone for 40-odd years and never know a little detail like that.

Anyway, I made the design by borrowing a rose from an old pattern and taking various leaves to fill in. Then I did the "vine" to wrap around the space for the initials. It's probably not botanically correct. You design guru's, any way to mod the design within the space?

Brent

[howardb]

Yes, I know. Not spectacular, and probably not my best tooling.

So I wanted to learn lacing / edge braiding or whatever it's called. I think as soon as you do the looped stitches, it probably ought to qualify as braiding, but hey, I'm rambling again. Sorry.

Anyway, the last two weeks, at my two guild meetings (Hoosier and Calumet), I learned how to do this lacing stuff and not to fear it. So I ripped the mediocre stitching out of this one (note the attempt at antiquing...) and used it to practice the lacing. I used single loop since it is smaller and thinner and I think double loop would have overwhelmed it.

I had to splice once & just did a dry splice. I like the look and at least won't fear trying to lace things. I need to do a couple more of these things, and I need to do a CB cover for uncle bob. He likes lacing, so his will definitely get laced, and I might even get brave & do a two tone.

Anyway, pictures of my first lacing attempt. It's single loop as I mumbled before. I used Tandy "superior lace" and it wasn't too bad, but doesn't taper as well as folks tell me the reeeeally good stuff tapers. But I think it will work for what I want to do.

. .

[Surveyor]

Brent,

Like most everyone else, you are your own worst critic. The lacing looks fine and with some practice; it will get easier. Keep up the good work.

[howardb]

When at first you don't succeed... beat up the neighbor kid and steal his bike. No, wait... how is that supposed to go?

I recarved it with the RIGHT initials. I went ahead and laced it too. I'm not doing something right with my lacing, but I'm not sure yet what it is. If anyone can tell from the photos, let me know. Otherwise I'm taking them to a guild meeting next week for critiques.

Why are roses so #%^&$* hard to carve?? This one's not bad, but they just never seem to come out "right".

Tina, tried the veiner and not sure what I think about the results. Yours looked good, mine didn't come out right. Which veiner did you use?

Oh yeah - here's the photos.

Brent

[Crystal]

Hey - no double posting! I saw you sneak this into the August challenge...

I can't help with anything. I've only done single loop once, didn't like mine either. Haven't tried any roses...

I like your finger cuts around the initals - I think that framed them nicely. Good design work.

Crystal

[howardb]

Hey - no double posting! I saw you sneak this into the August challenge...

I can't help with anything. I've only done single loop once, didn't like mine either. Haven't tried any roses...

I like your finger cuts around the initals - I think that framed them nicely. Good design work.

Crystal

Well, I cut the lacing off and am relacing it. I think I was pulling too tight. I'm about halfway around and I keep tending to pull too tight. So I back up and re do it. It may be an iffy spool too. The really old brown lace I had wasn't this hard to work with. This is a brand new spool of black and it's been tough all around.

Brent

[David]

Hey Brent,

Nice work.....

Here's a couple things to try.

On the finger cuts.... make them deeper at one end and back off the knife pressure as you cut them.... this will give that "finger cut look" .... thick at one end and thin at the other.

when I start a finger cut, I push the blade down and even move it back and forth a bit just to widen the start of the cut.... Practice on scrap of course.... lol

On the lacing, are you tapping it flat when you are finished? Use your mallet and just hit it hard enough to even out all the stitches.

Keep up the good work..... I gotta try some business card holders too.... as soon as I finish this pic I'm working on, and a binder for a customer in Dayton, and a seat for a customer in.... and one for a lawyer in AZ. and 5 seats for Sucker Punch..... and 14 tank bibs...... ..... .... l Business card holders are sounding more like a retirement project....

Dave

[leatherjunkie]

Project looks good.

the following is what i do for lacing and may help you.

when you have the needle installed on the lace and you are ready to start.

take the lace and run it over some bees wax both top and bottom.

grab beeswax and with your thumb hold lace on top of it. pull lace through with your other hand. do this for the top and bottom. you can also use a candle if you dont have any beeswax. i use bees wax cause i have 2 pounds of it.

this will slick up the lace and aid in pulling it through the leather easier.

also get a tool called a lacing fid if you dont have one.

you poke the fid into the holes and rotate it so that you can enlarge the holes without cutting the holes. makes it easier to pull lace through. the hole will eventually collapes back down. you may want to try going through the center hole in the corner 3 times. i only go through each hole once till i get to the hole thats in the corner then its 3 times.

also tap the lace down with hammer after finished. this does help smooth out the lace.

when you decide to go for 2 tone lacing job you will need to go through the corner hole 4 times.

I have done the single loop stitch on one project but didnt like it.

after that project i went to double loop stitch and never looked back.

i highy recommend that you call hidecrafter leather company and order the Chan Geer fancy lacing video. He shows how to do some amazing lacing jobs.

he teaches the two tone lacing process in the video.

the video is well worth it.

Edited November 12, 2008 by leatherjunkie

[sdkid]

They look great to me. I have a couple of these kits on my list to do. They will be roper wallets for my boys.