Double pouch pattern in Albert’s book??

[MIOutdoorsman]

Thanks guys! My leather is visibly very clean, and though I’m sure some amount of hand oils are on it, my hands have been generally clean (desk job), so I should be good to go.

Update on the fur piece””I decided to glue the center and have begun to stitch the perimeter. It’s going well so far!

 

[BrownBear]

Update on the fur piece””I decided to glue the center and have begun to stitch the perimeter. It’s going well so far!

Excellent. Might not be the case for you, but I have to watch for an issue when sewing long seams such as that, especially with leather that's a little soft (technically called a soft temper). If I draw the stitches too tightly the leather can begin to pucker and look like heck to my eyes. You're not aware of it as you move from stitch to stitch, but a few inches behind your stitching the leather will start to roll and not stay flat.

Just something to keep an eye on. Hitting the right spot between too tight and not tight enough is a matter of "feel," and it varies a little from one leather to another. But if you're watching for it, you'll catch on quickly.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Indeed, there is a feel to this. I also quickly learned that the fur has a very distinct grow pattern that you can take advantage of while stitching. I kind of laid each thread down in parallel with the growth. For this perimeter stitch, I went very slowly””poking one hole, sewing one hole, repeat. I think it turned out excellent.

I just finished staining the bag itself too. I used a dobber and a dark brown dye. I wet the bag first with a little water, and I’m thrilled with how the dye took to it. I suspect it’ll dry a little lighter, which is fine too.

It’s all really comming together now guys. I’m holding off on pics now until she’s finished!

 

[BrownBear]

Looking forward to seeing it! And all the ones that come after it, of course.

Maybe you've already figured out that this stuff is addictive! :rotf:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Looking forward to seeing it! And all the ones that come after it, of course.

Maybe you've already figured out that this stuff is addictive! :rotf:

Well... I’ve already cut out the next pattern and the dye isn’t dry on this one yet!!

 

[BrownBear]

You are sooooo hooked!

Excellent, and congratulations on entry into a great new enterprise. Pretty quick you'll be like me running around looking for just one more leather project to take on. You'll know you're around the bend when you start making your own patterns!

One tip on that- I use old file folders for making patterns on anything small enough. They're just stiff enough and cheap as dirt. You can cut out the pattern, tape it together for tests and adjustments, then take it apart to use for cutting leather. We came up with a whole, whole bunch of them when we sold our businesses and took our files with us, then slowly dumped the contents over the years. I've cut a lot of them, but the good news is I have lots more to cut up! :grin:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Ok guys, I'm all done with my first bag! Just as a re-cap... This was based on the double bag pattern in TC Albert's book, but ultimately I decided to turn it into a belt bag instead of an over-shoulder bag due to the size. The fur is from an Axis hide that I had tanned several years ago when I took this buck in Texas.

Don't look too closely guys--there are some wonky stitching and uneven areas. I purposefully applied the stain in a sort of fast, and uneven manner, hoping to provide a little rustic/antique look to it. My craftsmanship is very immature, but I'll be proud to wear this belt at the range or in the woods. The fact that I made it makes it special. This is not only my first attempt at leatherworking, but it's the first thing I've ever sewn, period. My learning curve has been steep, but ya'll have helped me immensely, and I'm already planning out the next bag.

Thanks much to everyone here who has provided tips, advice, and moral support! To anyone who's considering a first-ever attempt, I say go for it! The process is fun, and as several here have said, highly addicting too!

A few pics:

 

[Zonie]

The next time you post pictures PLEASE reduce them so they are not wider than 950 pixels.

Our site does not resize them automatically so they will show up here at whatever size they were when you uploaded them to your picture storage site.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

My apologies. Will do!

 

[Brokennock]

Nicely done. When you get to it, let's see some pics of it with your stuff in it on the belt. Let us know how it rides and functions.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[MSW]

pix a bit big, but the bag looks great!

 

[BrownBear]

Heck of a first effort. For most folks that's better than their third, fourth and fifth efforts as a matter of fact. Very well done!

I'm not bothered at all by the spots you call wonky, but see your recognition as a sign the next one will be even better.

Only thing I see that might bite you (at least what I think I'm seeing in the photos), you might have the hair piece on "upside down," with the grain laying from the point back up to the top of the bag. Hope that's not the case, because what will happen is quick wear and breakage of the hairs along with loss of any water shedding benefit from the hair.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Gosh that looks very nice. I sort of wish that deer hairs were not hollow. They tend to break and shed when an object tanned hair on is put to use.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Indeed B.B., you caught my most critical flaw. Ugh! Guess I’ll use it as-is until it wears out and then make a new flap for it. Shucks.

All part of the learning process. The next bag will be better!

 

[smo]

Heck of a first effort. For most folks that's better than their third, fourth and fifth efforts as a matter of fact. Very well done!

I'm not bothered at all by the spots you call wonky, but see your recognition as a sign the next one will be even better.

Only thing I see that might bite you (at least what I think I'm seeing in the photos), you might have the hair piece on "upside down," with the grain laying from the point back up to the top of the bag. Hope that's not the case, because what will happen is quick wear and breakage of the hairs along with loss of any water shedding benefit from the hair.

Yep, saw it right off...
Still all and all a good effort on a first bag.
Congrats , and keep at it. :thumbsup:

 

[longcruise]

I like it. Betcha you are hooked!

Going back to the deglazing question, sometimes staining something that is a little dirty and spotty can give a bit of an aged look.

 

[jrmflintlock]

Very nice! No need to replace the flap as it wears off, that will just add to the cool character! I really like the color the leather came out!!

Tsaan Wookkuh!!

(Good Job!! -Comanche)