February Keep Making Stuff Challenge

[thefanninator]

I went ahead and put a Sam Browne stud closure on mine, took some lousy photos and the whole thing is just mush. It doesn't hold it's shape and is hard to close. I'm currently unstitching it and will line it to stiffen it a up a little more. Hope I don't waste the goatskin lining.

Lined it with goatskin, added a pocket. Hope to stitch it all back together tomorrow.

[Charliewz]

Unfortunately fanninator it isn't glue. I skived the deerskin too far in and that is the roughed up lining showing.

Thanks Monica, I didn't have any D rings so I just sewed the strap to the inside. I like the strap attachment after it was done.

Thanks for the comments Wild Bill. And cardinal leather, it's nice when it can be saved, stressful though.

Forgot to add, I used light brown pro leather paint on the edges,. Probably won't use it all the time, but it works good to cover where the lining and leather meet on the edge, since deerskin won't burnish.

Charlie

Edited February 22, 2015 by Charliewz

[thefanninator]

Well that's a bummer. Sometimes you can clean up some of the glue but you never can uncut leather.

I'll save all of you some trouble and tell you my tale. I decided to stitch this project inside out which worked fine but the leather was, as I said too thin to hold it's shape. I took it apart and added a goatskin liner. Well of course the pricking marks were covered up by the goatskin except on the finished side but because I originally stitched it inside out the marks were backwards. Anyway after trying several different configurations - what was best was to turn the folds out, glue goatskin to goatskin and stitch it normal. I'm not sure what you call the gusset style of the original pattern - the way they fold in but I did it opposite. It's almost ready to photograph, which is something else I need to work on.

[rundogdave]

Here is my February project. Not completely happy with it, but I learn from my mistakes. The next one will be better. Added the strap handle to the end. Should have attached it differently. The black pig skin suede was because I trimmed the pig skin covering, and left the edges uncovered. Made it out of 4 oz. and had to add a stiffener to the inside front, as it was to flimsy for the clasp.

[Charliewz]

Now that's a nice clean looking kit. Really like it. Looks very well done to me.

Charlie

[MonicaJacobson]

It didn't even occur to me to put a clasp on it like that. That solves all the problems mentioned earlier, and isn't as hard to open and close as a buckle. I also like how you sewed the handle. It's tough deciding where it goes on something like that. As another option, I was considering sewing it in at the bottom of one of the side gussets.

[cardinal leather]

i like it, nice and clean ,with the edging to make it pop. I also like the hasp.

[rundogdave]

Thanks for the nice comments. Looking forward to next months project.

[thefanninator]

Mine is about as done as it's going to get. I plan on painting the edges but don't have dark brown right now.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied but have a few sore spots. I used Spanish Glass calfskin in espresso 2.5/3 oz lined with terra cotta Sokoto goatskin (both the same as my vertical wallet). I used chocolate Crawford linen thread from Royalwood. I think my stitching would have turned out better had I used my smaller Fil au Chinois Lin Cable.

I decided on a Tom Browne stud closure which, with this thin calfskin, was a bad decision. I also punched two closure holes and regretted the second almost immediately but it does close a little tighter.

I'm glad I went back and lined it and added an interior pocket which I have never done. I stitched the pocket to the liner then glued it in and trimmed the excess.

Edited February 24, 2015 by thefanninator

[MonicaJacobson]

The folded pocket edge looks really nice. In fact, the overall effect is very slick. If you were selling it, I think you'd have the same permanent closure problem mine has. It'd need something extra to keep it closed, probably.

One thing. I'm not 100% about this, but I think the smaller the thread and thinner the material, the closer to the edge you stitch.