First Legit Leathercraft Attempt

[tardis86]

This is my first real attempt at making anything. its a mag carrier...few things to explain...

as soon as i attached the clip on the back and tried it on, the weight of it immediately made it swivel down, which is why i had to put the ugly black piece of leather on the back. any suggestions on another clip to use?

I also would like to know how people measure where to put snaps and such? i tried to get close but obviously i screwed that up.

is it ugly? yes

is it functional? yes

did i learn something from it? yes

Edited January 13, 2016 by tardis86

[TheModifier]

The key thing is you learned. The best part is that you can change your designs from learning. Well done for a first attempt. Keep at it. It appears you have a knack for leather work.

[Halitech]

The clip you used is fine, it's an issue with your installation method. That clip is designed so you cut a slit in the leather and put the clip back through the slit and then install your rivet. The slit keeps it from moving around. And don't worry, you aren't the first person to not use it correctly

For the snaps, what I usually do is put the male on where it needs to usually be put on before assembly, then once the rest is done, close your cover and press hard, it will leave a dent you can use to line up your female part.

[Rohn]

I agree with what Halitech said.

[kiwican]

Good job man, keep going!

[Halitech]

I should add on a positive note, your wet molding and your stitching actually looks pretty good. If you didn't have to add the piece on the back, you could have trimmed it closer to the stitching

[snubbyfan]

For a clip like that, I'll usually attach it to a separate piece of leather and attach that to the back. It's keeps it in place.

[stu925]

Yep what everyone else said about the clip. As for snap placement, I always make sure I leave just a little bit of extra leather on that flap and then remove it after the snap is in place. Your issue looks more like a flap length issue then a snap placement issue. If you cut the back piece a bit long and wait until everything else is done you can then trim it to a length you're happy with. All in all a good first piece and you will definitely see improvements with every piece you finish. I'm definitely no expert having finished my first piece about 1 1/2 years ago but the difference in the quality of work from that first piece to what I can produce now astounds me sometimes. I still have a lot to learn but I learn a little bit on each piece and apply what I learn to the next one.

[Chief Filipino]

Keep working at it! It looks good! Just a personal preference of mine would be to extend your second line of stitches around the whole thing if possible. That way it looks intentional. Also it looks like you have some clip marks or something on the bottom, just be aware that any clamps/clips you use can leave marks. I have also been convinced by many on this site that finishing your edges is the way to go. It makes it look cleaner, if that is the look you're going for. Keep working at it man! Overall it looks good! (also a personal preference is that the thing actually functions! I can sacrifice looks for function.)

[tardis86]

Keep working at it! It looks good! Just a personal preference of mine would be to extend your second line of stitches around the whole thing if possible. That way it looks intentional. Also it looks like you have some clip marks or something on the bottom, just be aware that any clamps/clips you use can leave marks. I have also been convinced by many on this site that finishing your edges is the way to go. It makes it look cleaner, if that is the look you're going for. Keep working at it man! Overall it looks good! (also a personal preference is that the thing actually functions! I can sacrifice looks for function.)

The plan was to trim the edges closer but when i realized my mistake, i needed the extra space for the other stitching.

I also did attept to bevel and finish the edges, but i dont know what i did wrong. This leather WAS from a michaels scrap bag though, so who knows what im working with

[Wicked Welts]

I think you've got something to be proud of there and a great learning experience too. For me, I tend to user a ruler for everything including finding and marking centers for snaps and for utility stuff I don't fret so much over edge finishing.

For snap location, I use a ruler laid down for referencing the side-to-side center line and then with a loose dome cap and eyeball engineering I get it in the right spot so I don't crowd the near edge and the stitching or whatever might have to go in that edge space. Once happy with that location, the rest is eyeballed with a ruler measurement for the near edge offset hovering over the dome cap (finding center) and a double check the for side to side center. Sounds like rocket surgery but it goes fast and the big thing is making sure I transfer my mark through all the snap help parts with a small pick asap. Then I can stamp, hack, fluff and buff with the snap punching/setting coming in whenever it's most appropriate (like BEFORE I stitch everything up - doh!).

Edited January 15, 2016 by Wicked Welts