Help-Drawing Your Own Patterns

[dkbutcher]

I'm still very new to this and still trying to work out the design side of things. But... I have started using Inkscape and love it! Usually I scribble something down on paper, then try to work things out onto graph paper, then I'll make it based on my graph paper drawings. If the design works really well and I like it then I make another one but put it together with minimal glue and stitched enough so that it will stay together and I can verify that it's going to fit (really I only need to do this to things that I'm wet forming otherwise I can just skip making another one and start putting it into Inkscape) and then take it apart. Putting it together and taking it apart has the advantage of showing me where stitch lines ended up, snaps were installed, and tooling area boundaries are located.

Then I make my template:

I then make an Inkscape project and add everything into, including dots for approximate locations for some of the things I mentioned. I will write some notes on the template plus information about what it is and what weight leather I used. Then I save it as a pdf, print out a copy, take a bunch of painters tape loops and put them on the back of the template (I don't cut the template out... I just stick the entire sheet to the leather) and then tape it directly to the leather in the location of the hide that I plan on using. I cut the pattern out using a straight edge on straight lines as much as possible... I cut through the paper and the leather at the same time. Once I'm done "tracing" through the paper and leather then it is all cut out. I've been very happy with that method but I will be getting some acrylic templates from Joyce in the future, mostly for things with curves.

This has worked well for me so far (I just started doing this a few weeks ago) and it has the added bonus of print>tape>cut>done and you can do it as many times as you can print out your design

Dave

[BarABarLeatherworks]

You guys are so awesome!

Im good at my construction and allowing for the curvature of lines, I just have a VERY VERY hard time with scrolls. Drawing, carving and beveling....the whole shebang.

My flowers are decent, I just have a hard time getting started and piecing things together. I know what I want it to look like...if I could just get it out of my brain and onto paper! I am absolutely ordering your book Jim! Books and illustrations help so so much. I am just a t the point I want to create my own patterns instead of tracing them!

[Jazznow]

Hey Jim,

Any chance you will scan your book and sell it as an ebook?

It's hard to get here in Europe and shipping would be 20+ bucks.

[Jim]

After reading some of these posts I think I better clear the air a little. My book The Book of Leatherwork walks you through the process of designing patterns for various craft items such as camera or phone cases, knife sheaths, and holsters. It does not touch on the subject of leather carving or tooling patterns.

I would hate to think someone bought it and looked through it thinking "Where's the floral pattern section!"

Just so you know.

Jim

Edited June 26, 2014 by Jim

[bloggs]

I have a TON of 9"x13" chipboard (the pressed together cardboard stuff, not the wood product) left over from a previous business that I use for my patterns. I typically draw them out on my PC in one of a couple programs - Inkscape is great and free - and then print them out, double sticky them to the chipboard sheets and cut them out there. Once I have the patterns done, I use a combination of chipboard to simulate thicker leathers and some hideous upholstery fabric to make test runs from my patterns. It's not perfect, but you can punch and sew it well enough to at least make sure everything will fit together right when you're done without wasting any leather. The chipboard takes some getting used to so that the folds and bends somewhat mimic the way leather moves.

[Skwerl]

Jim, Double K has a lot of your patterns and your book http://doublekleather.com/index.php/shop-online/educational/books/the-book-of-leatherwork-detail. I ran across somebody else on line that was selling your book I will have to look and see who that was.

I tried buy his Leatherwork book from Double K they said his items had been discontinued.

[Treed]

If you are going to try and go anywhere in this business with tooled items you need to learn layout and hand drawing. There will be many times that you will have a unique size or shape to fill. The computer help is useful but cuts into profit with the amount of time involved..... Its just cool to do your own and if I can learn it then most everybody can. Start with Bob Parks book and go on from there, is book will make the rest of the books make sense. Learning to draw your own will also give you a better understanding of the layout and flow improving your tooling outcome.

[Hi Im Joe]

If you are going to try and go anywhere in this business with tooled items you need to learn layout and hand drawing. There will be many times that you will have a unique size or shape to fill. The computer help is useful but cuts into profit with the amount of time involved..... Its just cool to do your own and if I can learn it then most everybody can. Start with Bob Parks book and go on from there, is book will make the rest of the books make sense. Learning to draw your own will also give you a better understanding of the layout and flow improving your tooling outcome.

I can make a pattern in inkscape in a 1/10th of the time it would take me to draw it out by hand. This is just plain wrong. Also, when I do it on the computer I know it is exactly correct because of math and vectors. No worries about the ruler slipping etc...

This is my opinion...or .02 cents or whatever....YMMV.

[kwelna]

My only sage piece of advice is to remember to allow for the thickness of the leather. Especially, any time you fold it over. As the leather gets thicker, the radius of the fold gets bigger and the greater the allowance you will need. Skiving an edge helps, but you still need to make sure you have suffecient material to start with. You can always trim it if it is too long\big, Many a time I have drawn up a design and then had it come out just short of the mark when realized in leather because I forgot to allow for the thickness of the leather....LOL

[Treed]

Joe Its not the first time I have been all wet behind the ears! I know that it has taken me over 40 years to just get to the point I am now with work and study. I do know that I have studied work of the masters in leather crafting and have had the pleasure to work with some of these guys.and have never seen a computer used and most were well before computers were around. I have to wonder what computer mother nature uses when she does layouts. I guess I had better get off my butt and look more into this with using computers thanks for pointing out how wrong I am.