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thefanninator

2015 Keep Making Stuff Monthly Challenge

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I like the Idea. I also think that the coordinator should be the one who choses the next pattern- that way there is consistency of project flow.

It would also be helpful to those of us with less experience if there were a step-by-step build along available. The winner from the previous month has to do a photo or video build along for the next project- to be published after that winner is selected. This would provide a detailed reference guide for any new leatherworker visiting the site. It would also cut down on construction related questions as the year progresses. People will start to grasp the construction concepts after seeing so many different projects and how they get assembled.

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The real reason I wanted to start this isn't to create your best piece ever or be voted favorite so you can choose the next pattern.

I heard this story once...

http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/000216

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot -albeit a perfect one – to get an “A”. Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes – the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."

I also got the idea from a local Austin musician who sends out a word or phrase to other invited songwriters. They have a week to write, record and return the song. If they don't they are removed from the email list....

This website offers a lot of information and you can spend hours, days and months "theorizing about perfection"... but the point is to always be making something. Have no fear! Heck make 10 of every project each month ... mess up, stain over it, unstitch it and stitch it again... put it in the throw away box and come back to it a year later and cut it up and make something else... I have some really ugly stuff from the first year but I kept going. To the new people - you will make ugly stuff... but keep going.

I don't want anyone to have to put a video tutorial up, who has time? If you really want to, go for it. But I think tboyce's patterns are pretty explanatory.

I also wanted to use the patterns submitted by tboyce to show our appreciation for his willingness to share.

I know my time will be limited because my wife is due with our first any day now, that's why I made it a monthly challenge. I had originally thought about making it a weekly or bi-weekly challenge.

I will post the first pattern tomorrow - January 1, 2015 @ 9AM Central time in this thread.

Have fun!

Edited by thefanninator

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Happy New Year!

The January project will be tboyce's Vertical Wallet. The pattern is found here:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=59704

PDF on Post #4 will need a large format printer.

PDF on Post # 13 is uses a standard printer.

Be creative and have fun!

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Cool! I may actually start working on it this morning! Thank you for doing this.

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Sounds cool. We posting everything in this thread or we making a new thread for each months submissions and questions?

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I think I'll start new ones each month after this one. Just so we don't have to sift through hundreds of posts to find the new projects.

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Sounds like a great idea. I'll try to take part in this one even if I don't know whether I find time for it...

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I would like in. What do i have to do to get the pattern?

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This is a great idea and should be fun. I will give this a go

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So, I have a question. I've printed the pattern. While looking things over and doing some measuring, I discover that the pattern that I printed is smaller than the measurement printed on the pattern. The exterior measures 7 1/4 x 7 1/4, but the pattern states 7 1/2 x 7 1/2. The interior measures 6 3/4 x 7 1/4, but the pattern states 7 1/2 x 7 1/2. Which is the measurement to use? It appears, in actual size that it will all fit together, but I'm still a novice, and I might be missing something. I believe Tboyce made the pattern. Maybe he could help my pea brain make sense of this.

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So, I have a question. I've printed the pattern. While looking things over and doing some measuring, I discover that the pattern that I printed is smaller than the measurement printed on the pattern. The exterior measures 7 1/4 x 7 1/4, but the pattern states 7 1/2 x 7 1/2. The interior measures 6 3/4 x 7 1/4, but the pattern states 7 1/2 x 7 1/2. Which is the measurement to use? It appears, in actual size that it will all fit together, but I'm still a novice, and I might be missing something. I believe Tboyce made the pattern. Maybe he could help my pea brain make sense of this.

You probably have your printer set to "Scale To Page" instead of 100% scaling. I just printed the pattern and after switching to 100% scaling, the printed and actual measurements match.

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We could choose 2 a month, one easy for beginners and one for those who need more of a challenge. Or should we just progress from easy to hard?

I would like to take part, but as a complete beginner think your idea for 2 patterns a month would suit both beginners and experts alike. I think going from easy to hard risks boring the experts at the beginner and losing the beginners towards the end.

I am going to give it ago regardles, but your sugesstion above woul be great, if implemented.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Alex

Ps All the best with the forthcoming birth of your child.

Edited by alexitbe

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Ok, just saw the project and will order the interior leather toay or tmrw.

Some questions:

Can I use a sewing machine or must it be handstitched?

What size needle and linen thread should I buy for the particular thickness of the leather?

I am quite excited.

Cheers

Alex

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And of course my printer breaks the day that I need to print this pattern.....

Of course, it wouldn't be a challenge if it didn't.

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Machine or hand stitch. Do what you like.

There are a few different ways we could go.

Use 2 patterns ... One for beginners, one for more advanced ... Or do both if you like.

Beginners could ditch and do a beginner Make Stuff thread ....

Or keep going as we are we.

No offense to the beginners but I'd like to keep it simple. If one of the beginners wants to take the reins and start their own, that might be best. You could always do both if you want.

I haven't had much time in the last 2 days - went to the hospital and my wife had a baby.

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Machine or hand stitch. Do what you like.

There are a few different ways we could go.

Use 2 patterns ... One for beginners, one for more advanced ... Or do both if you like.

Beginners could ditch and do a beginner Make Stuff thread ....

Or keep going as we are we.

No offense to the beginners but I'd like to keep it simple. If one of the beginners wants to take the reins and start their own, that might be best. You could always do both if you want.

I haven't had much time in the last 2 days - went to the hospital and my wife had a baby.

Congrats! Is this your first?

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Congratulations, Chris!

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Thanks. Yes, our first, a little boy.

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You probably have your printer set to "Scale To Page" instead of 100% scaling. I just printed the pattern and after switching to 100% scaling, the printed and actual measurements match.

Yup, you're right. Thanks. Somewhat technology challenged!!

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Congratulations to you and your better half!!

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