belt pouch

[Peter Ellis]

I've been asked to make a small (about 3 inches side to side, 1 inch front to back and 2-3 inches top to bottom) belt pouch.

I've put a couple together and run into the same annoying problem with each of them. Although the pattern pieces are cut to match, when I get it sewn together, the front is twisted relative to the back. I'm not understanding why this is happening.

Was hoping more experienced hands might be able to tell me what it is I'm doing that's creating this problem.

Here are pictures of the two test runs.

[Beaverslayer]

Peter, I would say that the reason this is happening, is that the "gusset" piece is not square. It's about the only thing that would cuase this to happen.

Ken

[Don101]

make yourself a wooden block mold and form the top piece of leather over the block tack it down and let it dry glue to the back piece stitch around and trim finished, Don

[Peter Ellis]

make yourself a wooden block mold and form the top piece of leather over the block tack it down and let it dry glue to the back piece stitch around and trim finished, Don

Don, are you suggesting eliminating the gusset entirely ? While that's an option, it wouldn't work for this particular project - the piece I've been asked to generally replicate (as to construction - color and decoration will be different) is made with the gusset between front and back panels.

I can see where molding a front piece could make overall construction easier.

[Peter Ellis]

Ken, thanks.. I'll revisit my gusset pattern and take a bit more care cutting... I would have said it was pretty close, if not actually square, but I'll look again.

I'm not too upset with the way these came out - but I would rather get it just right, and I really want to understand why these are off... only way to keep it from happening again and again.

[Trevor]

Hey there Peter

I believe that the overall design is poor. While this method of leather construction is ok for some things the finished pouch that you are trying to make just doesnt work. You say that the one you are copying has been made by someone else? and you are trying to copy it? that may be quite hard. Firstly as Ken has suggested all the components have to be perfectly cut to size. Especially with a gusset the ends have to be the same size(after you have sewn on the front.).

From the pictures you have supplied the leather is too thick at the stitched edge. You could try skiving the edges to make your edge a little easier to sew. I personally would sew the gusset around the other way so that the edges were sewn flat together then carefully curved inwards to form the pouch. Not sewn one on top of the other. Wetting this leather will make your life heaps easier.

The only other way to make such a pouch is to have rivets hold the pouch together not thread. If you make small "ears" with a hole in the middle of each they will curve around easily and rivet to the side of the gusset. You can go all the way round and still make quite a good pouch.

Molding a front or top for the pouch is good to but you have to know how to do this. Basically you form a piece of wet veg over a shape (wood or plastic) and either hold that form in shape with a plate/shape that goes around that form or tack the edges untill dry. Forming can be done in the workshop vice.

hope this helps in some way.

Good luck

Trevor

Way Down Under

[Guest]

Peter,

My advise would be to eliminate pieces. You currently have 3 pieces. By forming it around a block as suggested, you could make it out of one piece. The back would loop under and become the front while the sides would be wings attached to the front or back. Much less cutting and much less sewing. Would make for a neater looking package too.

JMHO,

Dave Theobald

[whinewine]

It looks like the sides are not evenly matched to each other- in other words, the stitching on one side starts higher on one side & ends lower on the other side of the back piece (the flap side). If you look at the pouch on the left in the first photo, you can clearly see that things seem to be visually cockeyed (technical term) on the back flap. That looks to be a major part of the problem.

Edited October 9, 2007 by whinewine

[jimsaddler]

Peter simple answer is, Start sewing from the same end each time. Face stitch your Pouch front, then stitch the Gusset to the back starting exactly at the same place on the back (make sure that the Gusset end is square). Use the same size stitch and tension on both surfaces. To start with you can mark a series of place marks on back and front, at say every inch. Put both to-gether to mark them identically. Then put your Gusset in place on the front and transfer those marks to one edge. Then tranfer those marks to the opposite edge of the gusset by folding the gusset down the centre. When you sew make sure that the marks match as you sew. If you do it right it can't twist. Jim Saddler