sighthound Newbie to hand stitching

[JourneyLeather]

I picked up leatherwork over 10 years ago and my first thing I made was what is called a slip lead (first pic) life got in the way and I got side lined.   With this pandemic I picked it back up again and want to focus on my hand stitching.   My first attempt at hand stitching was a dice cup (second pic) done at beginning of March and send attempt was sighthound collar (third pic).   I see so many flaws and it drives me crazy and probably why I was sidelined 10 years ago.   I enjoy hand stitching and want to make more projects where I can practice hand stitching, I think I may attempt a wallet next.

 

** I am unable to upload Dice Cup

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vee-Slip-Collar

 

YOLO-head-shot

Edited April 22, 2020 by JourneyLeather
smaller file size

[Bert51]

May I ask what program I need to open Vee-Slip Collar?

Thanks,

Bert.

[JourneyLeather]

35 minutes ago, Bert51 said:

May I ask what program I need to open Vee-Slip Collar?

Thanks,

Bert.

Ha I am not sure how to post pics.   I have been trying for a bit and have been unsuccessful.   Files are on my laptop and have resized them.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.

Can you try now and see if you can see it?

Edited April 22, 2020 by JourneyLeather

[Hardrada]

Is that a JPEG file or some other supported format, such as PNG?

If the file is too large, in terms of resolution (like in the thousands of pixels per side) it's likely the forum software won't upload it or display it, even if its size is under 1.46 MB.

At the bottom of the Quick Reply field you have a grey band with a paperclip symbol on it, that's where you can upload files from your own computer. Is that what you are using?

[LatigoAmigo]

48 minutes ago, JourneyLeather said:

Ha I am not sure how to post pics.   I have been trying for a bit and have been unsuccessful.   Files are on my laptop and have resized them.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.

On this site .jpg files work best, but these images are not in that format but in something that Photoshop does not recognize. Is there any way you can convert these images to .jpg file format?

[Hardrada]

Were these files stripped of their extension? I can't see a file extension anywhere, which prompts my computer to ask me what to use to open them.

[LatigoAmigo]

6 minutes ago, Hardrada said:

or some other supported format, such as PNG?

You nailed it... here are the two that got posted.

[Stetson912]

Well, hand stitching is an art in the itself. There are several ways to do it too. It's down to your preference in my opinion.

So, I will refer you to two different people with two different styles. Al stohlman has a book called the art of hand stitching. This is a very traditional method with a gouge, overstitch wheel, and awl. 

The second has several videos on the subject. Very detailed. Nigel armitage has a youtube and paid vimeo channel. The vimeo is well worth the few dollars a month fee, but he gives you the basics on youtube as well. He can do traditional style very well, but has shown a more modern method using pricking irons. It is a very effective method and the one I choose to use. 

Hope it helps. 

[Hardrada]

What Stetson said.

Also, if you're a beginner, I'd go for the chisel method. Tracing a line with a divider and pre-punching my holes has enabled me to achieve, in a very short time, stitching that is so consistent that it's common that people ask me if I'm using a machine. My stitching is not perfect, I still get the odd stitch here and there, but nothing like the debacle I'd turn out were I to use a pricking wheel and diamond awl.

[CastleLeatherWorks]

Nice dogs and dog collars !!

[JourneyLeather]

1 hour ago, Stetson912 said:

Well, hand stitching is an art in the itself. There are several ways to do it too. It's down to your preference in my opinion.

So, I will refer you to two different people with two different styles. Al stohlman has a book called the art of hand stitching. This is a very traditional method with a gouge, overstitch wheel, and awl. 

The second has several videos on the subject. Very detailed. Nigel armitage has a youtube and paid vimeo channel. The vimeo is well worth the few dollars a month fee, but he gives you the basics on youtube as well. He can do traditional style very well, but has shown a more modern method using pricking irons. It is a very effective method and the one I choose to use. 

Hope it helps. 

I have the Al Stohlman book I got it 10 years ago but have to dig it out of storage.   I have been watching YouTube for hand stitching and N Armitage was one of them   I will keep practicing.   I have been using dividers and marking stitching line and using Dixon pricking iron and awl for the above.   I don’t like the groover / stitching wheel.   I actually did try that years ago when I first got into leatherwork but didn’t like the look of the groove and also had issues with the stitching wheel and stitching was a mess.   
 

 

1 hour ago, LatigoAmigo said:

You nailed it... here are the two that got posted.

Thanks for posting 

1 hour ago, CastleLeatherWorks said:

Nice dogs and dog collars !!

Thank you.  

[tsunkasapa]

As with anything, your stitching will improve with practice. 

[Stetson912]

15 hours ago, JourneyLeather said:

sing dividers and marking stitching line and using Dixon pricking iron and awl for the above.   I don’t like the groover / stitching wheel

I agree, I dont like grooves either. I like the European style like armitage does. And he has been doing it a long time. He is a master leather craftsman and I've noticed marked improvement in my stitching when I switched to the method he outlines.