Critiques and Suggestions Please

[Dun]

Very new but would love any constructive criticisms or suggestions anyone has from some of my first projects. I was going to resize the pics a bit smaller but oh well, now we can all see the mistakes that are practically glowing when I look at them.

Working on a leather/duckcanvas briefcase design. Middle gussets/inside will basically be a sideways tote? Has a looooong way to go. Will be trying to 1needle backstitch the leather to the canvas.

 

An old priest refuses to give up his giant zippered wallet and insists on carrying a couple weeks worth of change just in case, but I can't watch him struggle with the zipper at his hip for over 10 minutes every time he needs to look inside his wallet.
So here is wallet holster? Used fidlock magnetic buckles  because they are designed for helmets and self closing, so less fumbling on his part. Look up the youtube videos and gifs on fidlock's website, it's kinda mesmerizing. 

 

I have a couple edges on here I'm proud of. Kinda.

 

 

Also my grandpa needed an extra large bifold that was big enough to fit his prescriptions so I cannibalized a Tandy Roper insert, wrapped some skinned couch leather around some rfid blocking paper and wrapped the whole thing in Veg Tan

 

have at it,
Mike

[plinkercases]

I am looking forward to the completed bag and the two other project are very thoughtful pieces for sure.. and well executed as far as I can see considering you say you are "very new" to it all. keep it up and keep posting the bag progress please.

[ContactCement]

I  new to leather craft and really enjoy the 2 needle stitching as its pretty easy to do.  I  personally think it allows the me to pull and apply thread tension using both hands for a strong stitch. Your work is pretty good and will improve. I often times browse leather items in stores or online then use it to stimulate my imagination and creativity. Here's the video I learned from. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/hand-stitching-leather-craft-video.html  The 2 needle stitch is shown second approx. half way through the video at the 2:56 minutes mark. I'm going to sew some leather thimbles soon for my big hands. Your projects look pretty good for a beginner keep up the good work.

Edited May 15, 2017 by ContactCement

[Dun]

On 5/12/2017 at 1:37 PM, plinkercases said:

I am looking forward to the completed bag and the two other project are very thoughtful pieces for sure.. and well executed as far as I can see considering you say you are "very new" to it all. keep it up and keep posting the bag progress please.

Thanks, will do.

On 5/14/2017 at 5:46 PM, ContactCement said:

I  new to leather craft and really enjoy the 2 needle stitching as its pretty easy to do.  I  personally think it allows the me to pull and apply thread tension using both hands for a strong stitch. Your work is pretty good and will improve. I often times browse leather items in stores or online then use it to stimulate my imagination and creativity. Here's the video I learned from. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/hand-stitching-leather-craft-video.html  The 2 needle stitch is shown second approx. half way through the video at the 2:56 minutes mark. I'm going to sew some leather thimbles soon for my big hands. Your projects look pretty good for a beginner keep up the good work.

I havn't tried any thimbles yet, after a full day of stitching it kind of stings to use my phone

By 2-needle you mean saddle stitching? Everything posted so far has been saddle stitched.

The only 1-needle-stitch I mentioned was in referring to the plan of stitching canvas to leather, which I heard it's better to backstitch it but didn't hear why or how? I shouldn't have experimented with a new stitch in such a visible area, it's not easy to be consistent with at all.

 

Also the above is a decent shot of the crappy skinned couch leather. Really didn't like the edges the chrome tanned leather gave so I tried a little dye on the edges and that might be worse... Really not liking the edges below.

 

 

Here is a shot of the sideways-tote design of the liner. Instead of the seams being on the sides and exposed I turned the design sideways so the seams will be hidden/covered/protected by the front and rear leather panels. This means the side and bottom gussets will be one uninterrupted piece of duck canvas. This also left gigantic triangles from the new corner tips. Usually they are tiny and hidden as much as possible on totes but I just stitched them vertically and it gave me ready made pockets. Really hope it works out as a design.

 

I also just ended up riveting the straps on these sandals. Incorrect direction on one of them too...yay. Some cork board sandwiched inside the sole leather and all glued and saddle stitched, then cemented on some soles I bought off amazon. Trimmed everything down then mounted the orbital sander in a vice and worked my way down from 600 grit sandpaper to a wet 2400 polish(for acrylics but hey it is smooooooth)

 

Any suggestions for stitching up against skin? 

I originally had the ankle buckle straps stitched but the thread rubbing against skin drew blood. So then I used a groove-r(?) to embed the threads deeper but then the leather was too thin for walking tension. That ripped through so I riveted them in place. The rivets don't bother skin like the threads, but the vert leather straps themselves want to turn and dig in. I've beveled the edge to help with any discomfort but it really isn't a solution.

[Dun]

More stitching canvas to the ugly inner lining. I think the back stitching feels easier to do elbow deep and especially when you can't see what you are doing?

 

It's probably going to be a mess of uneven stitches on the inside. 

[ContactCement]

I have tried double sided peel and stick self adhesive hemming tape shown on an instructional video  (no iron needed). Its a double edged sword.  It might help to keep the thinner liner fabric from moving or puckering or just plain hold it in place.  Be well aware that the hemming tape sticks great however its thin adhesive can make leave a somewhat sticky residue on the needle making it a bit more work to push and pull the needle.

Edited May 19, 2017 by ContactCement

[Dun]

22 minutes ago, ContactCement said:

I have tried double sided peel and stick self adhesive hemming tape shown on an instructional video  (no iron needed). Its a double edged sword.  It might help to keep the thinner liner fabric from moving or puckering or just plain hold it in place.  Be well aware that the hemming tape sticks great however its thin adhesive can make leave a somewhat sticky residue on the needle making it a bit more work to push and pull the needle.

Oh I have some of that! I just havn't tried it like you mentioned with the fabric. I should experiment on the front panel. 

The rear inner leather is almost done being stitched to the canvas. Then the rear panel of veg tan will be added to the back to create a pocket and cover the canvas/leather stitches. Then a front panel and the straps and buckles. I think I have figured out how to do more of the fidlock magnetic buckles so that the bag can be secured and opened with only one hand, without having to take the bag off your shoulder.

 

So for all these, if it's not the skinned couch cheap leather, I've only used veg tan from tandy sales. If anyone has recommendations or links of what leather they would have used for a particular project, I'd love to hear those too.

[Dun]

It's bag-ish finally!

 

 

just don't look at the stitching on the inside....or how dirty the canvas has gotten from the recent move...

[johnv474]

congratulations on making so much progress and taking on a variety of types of projects.

I applaud the handle you put on the messenger bag top--very nice!  Also, I like how the strap loops go under the cover before being sewn on.  Those are quality details.

One suggestion I would have for the messenger bag pic (first photo with the pricking iron visible) would be to overlap your holes so there is no variation in stitch length.  After hitting your pricking iron, place the last tooth into the end hole you just made, line  up the rest of the pricking iron and strike again.   It looks like you may have used your pricking iron and then eyeballed the distance to the next spot to  set the pricking iron.

 

Based on the stitching results it may not have made a lot of difference but that is one trick to get your marks very evenly spaced.

Edited May 26, 2017 by johnv474

[Dun]

On 5/26/2017 at 9:49 AM, johnv474 said:

congratulations on making so much progress and taking on a variety of types of projects.

I applaud the handle you put on the messenger bag top--very nice!  Also, I like how the strap loops go under the cover before being sewn on.  Those are quality details.

One suggestion I would have for the messenger bag pic (first photo with the pricking iron visible) would be to overlap your holes so there is no variation in stitch length.  After hitting your pricking iron, place the last tooth into the end hole you just made, line  up the rest of the pricking iron and strike again.   It looks like you may have used your pricking iron and then eyeballed the distance to the next spot to  set the pricking iron.

 

Based on the stitching results it may not have made a lot of difference but that is one trick to get your marks very evenly spaced.

I should have done that. I aligned the last tooth like you said for the indentations marking step, to make sure I liked the spacing distance from the edge, but didn't do that for the actual punching. and it shows! 

speaking of consistency....

I had a design change since I decided not to include a laptop sleeve/center gusset divider/shoulder strap attachment point/exposed canvas sides....

which means 
-adding a 3 piece leather gusset
-abandoning the already pricked but not punched stitch line(any suggestions to raise those indentations in veg tan?) or do I just punch and stitch it anyway for appearances?

-learning how to punch with a stitching awl???? I've given the awl a vertical mark and a leather stopper so I don't go to deep  but man I am waaaay off on punching straight through. Any tips? Also using a cork to the leather but the backside punctures are not pretty

 

and yeah, I miss measured the bottom gusset length by a quarter of an inch and had to overlap it. Hopefully that will be mostly hidden by the straps but I can't hide the "father's day gift" quality of the stitch lines.