Need Advice On Special Purse

[Dwight]

You are certainly welcome, Monica, . . . and yeah, . . . when I first saw them, . . . I had a "what the heck is this?" moment when I saw the stitch lines on the outside of the bag.

Looking inside and seeing the little cubbyholes to stash stuff was THE decision maker for me.

I'm very much a "practical" enthusiast, . . . do very little in "decoration" type stuff, . . . but this bag had to have something to make it beyond just a bag. That was the reason why I did the stamping on it. I use that particular set of stamps almost as a signature, . . . with the "Sunburst" color I devised, . . . it reminds me of the Arizona sun coming up over the mountains to the East.

And I left the straps extra long, . . . and will take my hand punch to allow her to adjust the length to her liking.

Anyway, . . . thanks for the good words, . . . glad you liked it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Hi Im Joe]

I love the tooled strap going around the top of the bag! Really nice touch. What did you end up using as a finish?

[Dwight]

I was almost hoping no one would ask that question.

I bought Eco Flo "all in one" by mistake, . . . thinking I was getting just the water base dye. Well,............. once I started putting it on, . . . I knew something was wrong, but could not stop as it was trying to dry and puddle even as I was working it.

I had to take the glaze off it to undo some of the puddle spots, . . . then I used a conditioner as I had used thinner to deglaze. Needing to get some oil back into it, . . . I finally resorted to my old tried and true 50/50 beeswax and neatsfoot oil, . . . the belt and the trim strip atop the bag were finished in Resolene, so they would match.

All in all it was a true test for me of my skills in fixing mistakes, . . . finding work arounds, etc.

But it has the single most important part, . . . it is soft, supple, and feels good to the touch. I really dislike picking up a leather purse or wallet, . . . and it feels like a piece of Kydex or vinyl in your hands.

We're going to do Aussie wax on the next one

May God bless,

Dwight

[Hi Im Joe]

I was almost hoping no one would ask that question.

I bought Eco Flo "all in one" by mistake, . . . thinking I was getting just the water base dye. Well,............. once I started putting it on, . . . I knew something was wrong, but could not stop as it was trying to dry and puddle even as I was working it.

I had to take the glaze off it to undo some of the puddle spots, . . . then I used a conditioner as I had used thinner to deglaze. Needing to get some oil back into it, . . . I finally resorted to my old tried and true 50/50 beeswax and neatsfoot oil, . . . the belt and the trim strip atop the bag were finished in Resolene, so they would match.

All in all it was a true test for me of my skills in fixing mistakes, . . . finding work arounds, etc.

But it has the single most important part, . . . it is soft, supple, and feels good to the touch. I really dislike picking up a leather purse or wallet, . . . and it feels like a piece of Kydex or vinyl in your hands.

We're going to do Aussie wax on the next one

May God bless,

Dwight

Haha...sorry to "expose" you! I feel like thinking on your feet and working around challenges is so integral to this craft. I think you did a great job. I bet that bottom was a pain in the ass. Turning veg tan over can be a real bear.

[Dwight]

Actually, Joe, . . . turning it over was far easier than sewing it. I couldn't cement it because I didn't want the cement to show if I somehow missed where I needed to stitch it.

So, . . . I'm holding the sides straight up, . . . turning the corner with my left hand, . . . pulling the Boss handle with my right hand, . . . balancing the rest of the bag on my left knee, . . . and all the while blinking and squinting, . . . hoping that what I'm seeing is what I'll get when it is all done.

Half baked funny now, . . . sure wasn't then.

Took it to my deep sink and soaked it wet, . . . fully the whole thing, . . . turned it inside out just like a dirty old cotton sock off my left foot. Had to play with the seam to get it straight, . . . but no biggee.

That's why next time the bottom is the last thing going down. I've got some chrome brown leather left over from a pair of chaps, . . . probably gonna turn into a hand bag.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Hi Im Joe]

I would not have thought to wet the bag to ease the turnover! Solid tip for veg tan and so obvious once you think about it!

Sewing it sounds like a 3 or 4 handed job!