New Project in progress: Music Case

[Grey Drakkon]

You tease the fish-o, you get the bite-o.  ;D

[YinTx]

On 8/10/2017 at 0:47 PM, Grey Drakkon said:

Oh, yeah, those edges just look like total crap.  --__--  Seriously beautiful work, as always.  Also, you followed the key rule, which is don't bleed on the artwork.  (floors, clothes, and fish are permissible.)

I'll take a photo of a not so good edge.   And I remembered that key rule, which I learned in the beginning when I was reading about stitching... at the time, I was thinking, "What are they talking about?"  I soon found out.   

The thumb seems a bit better, so I made a little progress today, now taking a break to let the forearms recover on ice.

YinTx

 

 

 

 

[YinTx]

On 8/10/2017 at 0:47 PM, Grey Drakkon said:

Oh, yeah, those edges just look like total crap.  --__--  Seriously beautiful work, as always.  Also, you followed the key rule, which is don't bleed on the artwork.  (floors, clothes, and fish are permissible.)

As promised, a pic of the not so great edge, caused by trying to trim the suede only due to putting the liner in after the leather has been cut to size.

Here is the last edge, dyed and ready for burnishing:

Getting closer to finishing!

YinTx

[plinkercases]

This looks great so far and looking forward to more (non gore) pictures.

One of the reasons I stared wearing vinyl gloves when sticking was to keep the blood in the glove and off the leather!!! Recently stitched a lot and had a great pokes and scraps but luckily no gushes.  Interestingly enough the tacky stuff I was trying on my fingers may have helped slow any bleeding... just  theory and I won't intentionally test it but will keep an eye on it. I now much prefer no gloves as I can "feel" what I am doing better. 

The idea of using a rubber block on the back die at times is brilliant.

Heal well and fast.

[Grey Drakkon]

Yin, if that's the worst part of the entire bag, then you don't have much to worry about.  Looks like it's really shaping up!

[Rockoboy]

To catch the awl or needle coming through the leather, I use a cork block that is about 3 inches long by one and a half inches thick and 2 inches wide. Its a painters sanding block. Its so much better than using a wine cork, although ... not as good obtaining it!

Only one "stab-incident" so far ... and that was because I put my cork block aside for a moment!

Edited August 16, 2017 by Rockoboy
spell check chek cheque

[YinTx]

On 8/14/2017 at 8:15 AM, plinkercases said:

This looks great so far and looking forward to more (non gore) pictures.

The idea of using a rubber block on the back die at times is brilliant.

Heal well and fast.

Was healing up just fine, and managed to send a needle into the same thumb yesterday.  

Interestingly, I don't tend to poke myself while actually putting the awl or a needle through the holes while stitching, but when something gets wonky and I am trying to untangle a thread or thread gets wrapped around something and snagged, that's when those lil buggers tend to inflict hatred into my digits.  I use the cork method when I know I have a difficult hole to make, has worked well for me.

Grey Drakkon,

Thanks for that.  I'm a bit concerned about the bar straps right now, they may be a wee bit too short.  Time will tell when I get the bar installed.  Might have to use some artistic license to accommodate it.  

Edges are all done, that bar is the last remaining bit...

YinTx

[RockyAussie]

5 hours ago, YinTx said:

 I use the cork method when I know I have a difficult hole to make, has worked well for me.

Maybe the problem is after uncorking the wine you gotta finish that before the stitching???

I use the crepe rubber blocks used for cleaning up the sandpaper. Where's the latest pics?

I guess that thumb is starting to look like a watering can

Brian

[YinTx]

4 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Where's the latest pics?

I guess that thumb is starting to look like a watering can

Brian

haha, ya I just give it a shake when I need to dye some leather red.

latest greatest.. checking fit up.. not so great...will endeavor to do some artistic license to get better results...

YinTx

 

Tryin to get that edge to shine... time for some of that wine.

[RhodesAveDesigns]

Yin,

I'd give you a hand, if you were closer, since your poor thumb needs a break (not literally, don't take that as a suggestion, all the wound holes are enough). 

It's a shame your strap lengths aren't 'measuring up, but sometimes it's the "artistic fix" that makes the project (and don't tell anyone later about those issues, and they will never know the difference).

- Elizabeth

[RockyAussie]

What is wrong with the strap lengths? Are they too long, too short or what? If too long maybe a leather tube over the bar might work. Its looking real nice to me at any rate.Brian

[RockyAussie]

Its alright YinTx I found it. I'd say it looks a bit tight but best put some weight in and try before stitchin up. Just a thought I think you should put either some leather covers over the end of those clips or as I have done slice a bit of soft tube like as used in fish tank bubblers and slide that over the end. Will reduce the marks left on the veg when you take them off.

[billybopp]

Lookin' good so far!  

Bill

[YinTx]

It is way too tight, this design it doesn't matter if there is anything inside or not, the lid fits down to the strap connection, and the bar is supposed to go across the back of the handle.

But I have finished it anyhow, taking some liberties along the way to make it work.  Here is the finished product.  Sorry about the photo quality, whatever blood I had left from the stickin the mosquitoes were keen to acquire for their own, so I had a bit of a time holding still what with all their pushin and shovin to get at me.  Thankfully none of the resulting splatter and gore got on the project.  I tried to take one image inside as well, but this color just doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person.

YinTx

 

 

[billybopp]

Looks pretty darn good to me!   Worth the blood sacrifice!

Bill

[RockyAussie]

The leather work looks good but I think the loops on the end of your metal may need to be turned upward to stop them digging in to the lid. Or cut and glue on some knob ends maybe. Stickin mosquitoes are a B..ch here to.  Brian

[YinTx]

I may give the copper bar a tweak upwards to lift it off of the leather, not a bad idea.  I debated putting it on the other way, but I wanted the uneven bit on the underside.

Not entirely happy with the bar, since it didn't exactly come out even, and I think the music case design does not translate well to a large case like this one, so I may reserve music cases to smaller works in the future.  If I tire of the bar design, I can alter the bag with a clasp or some such thing, or just replace the straps with longer ones and go with a straight bar.

Thanks all for the positive comments!  Now to decide on how much to price it, or to use it...

YinTx

[YinTx]

Seriously? In the "Musical Instruments" forum?  heheheheh.... Ok. lol.

YinTx

[roo4u]

oh ya n you havent really lived til you have jabbed a pointy ended edger into some part of your hand.  i never ever cussed in my life until i became a leather worker. lol

[bikermutt07]

To avoid bouts of "sissy juice" I back my awl up with a wine cork. The only time it has poked me is during a sharpening session.

Y, your stitching has reached stellar heights. It is a pleasure to see your pieces. Pleasurable, but frustrating at the same time. My stitching just can't compare. Kudos.

[YinTx]

roo4u, Yes, I have felt the pain, lol.

Bikermutt, if I am stitching a difficult place, that cork comes into play.  Oddly enough, I manage to do the bloodletting when I am not trying to poke a hole in anything - something to do with that momentary lapse of concentration/complacency that allows tool and fingertip to come into the same space at the same time.  Just a good thing I am not using large power equipment, like earthmovers.  End results might be a bit worse...  (sorry about your... entire truck...)

And thanks for the complement on the stitching, I still feel it has a way to go, but nice to see others enjoy the results!  And this bag had a lot of stitching....next piece I am working on has a bit less stitching... a padfolio.  It's coming along slow but sure, working on it between life's little interruptions and a customer order.  I always sweat every stitch, I love doing it, and at the same time fret the entire time that I might fudge a single stitch and botch the whole piece!

YinTx  (still wondering how a leather satchel gets listed in the musical instruments section...)

[Furthark]

I'm intrigued with your design and love the look. I have a couple of questions about how the bag works in practice.

First, how does the handle feel? With the handle stitching to the inside where your finger would presumably be, does the edge dig into the fingers at all?

Second, with weight in it, how does the bag carry? When it's heavy does the bag pivot on the single handle and swing the inside corner into your leg?

[Webicons]

Nicely done.  Thanks for taking us along for the ride.  

[koreric75]

beautiful colors and stitching!

[YinTx]

On 2/26/2018 at 7:59 PM, Furthark said:

I'm intrigued with your design and love the look. I have a couple of questions about how the bag works in practice.

First, how does the handle feel? With the handle stitching to the inside where your finger would presumably be, does the edge dig into the fingers at all?

Second, with weight in it, how does the bag carry? When it's heavy does the bag pivot on the single handle and swing the inside corner into your leg?

The handle feels fine, the weight of the bag is on the bottom of the handle, not the side so no issues.

This bag is big.  A lot bigger than standard music cases.  They normally don't swing the inside corner into your leg, which has a lot to do with where the handle and straps are attached to the bag.  This one, sadly, does not hang perfectly straight, since I did not adjust the proportions correctly.

On 2/26/2018 at 10:13 PM, Webicons said:

Nicely done.  Thanks for taking us along for the ride.  

Thank you! glad you enjoyed it.

On 2/27/2018 at 5:25 AM, koreric75 said:

beautiful colors and stitching!

Thanks!  one of my favorite combinations so far.

YinTx