Basketweave - Am I Missing Something Here?

[Hawk Scarbrough]

This tutorial helped me a bit.

Also, remembering to work away from yourself so you can see the design form. If you work towards yourself, your hand covers the work you just did making it harder to make straight lines.

Here is a video that makes me feel my skills are so non existant. This guy is fast:

Thanks for the tip about stamping away from yourself. It makes obvious sense, now that you said it. I'm about to stamp a large amount of basketweave. will try to remember to let you know how it turns out. Thanks a basket full

[Hawk Scarbrough]

That video was really helpful. And, holy cow was that other guy fast! I can see that edges on my stamp aren't as crisp as the ones in the tutorials so it'll probably be worth the investment for a better one, I would just hate to spend the money on a really good tool when my skills aren't up to par yet! Oh well, I see basketweave coasters and napkin rings in my whole family's Christmas stockings this year.

Great idea about the Christmas gifts, unfortunately all of my brothers (4) also do leather work too, sigh.

[Hawk Scarbrough]

I recently bought a few Barry King stamps. Two of them are basket weave and they have made all the difference in the world when it comes to the quality of my work. They are worth every penny. Also a couple of other suggestions: Take a sharpie and mark the middle of each side of the stamp and one end. Then make sure you keep your stamp facing the same direction while you use it - i.e. the mark on the end to the left or right. Use the mark on the side to line up the center with the previous stamp mark center. The BK stamps are really symmetrical but I still mark them just to know I kept things the same all the way through the pattern. Also if it's a large pattern don't be afraid to go back with a straight edge and make additional lines (very lightly) as you work through the pattern to help keep things straight.

Thanks for those tips. I will add them to my tip collection....especially important for my current project, a set of saddlebags for a power wheelchair, which will be stamped front, back, and the center strap too. A lot of stamping in my future.

[Hawk Scarbrough]

You made me run and check. I've since dyed that leather black and the ink line doesn't show. I haven't had an ink line show...yet, and I really don't want that to happen.

Thanks for the heads up.

He made me check too. I do a lot of black leather work. None showed on mine, not magic marker not black or red, nor ink pen, blue and black

[dirtclod]

Hold it under a light or when the sun is bright. A pencil mark will show through black to.

[Hawk Scarbrough]

I found three good videos on the web

Hold it under a light or when the sun is bright. A pencil mark will show through black to.

I will, tomorrow when the sun comes out, thanks. Will let you know. by the way, what type of dye did you use?

Found three good videos on the web concerning basketweave. I liked Bruce Cheney's video.

[dirtclod]

Febings and Angelus dyes.

[Hawk Scarbrough]

Thanks, just wondered whether the type of dye used might make a difference. I like to use water based dye for black. I'll see and let you know.