Hello,
I’m looking to make myself a portmanteau, kind of like the one that Townsends sells. Do y’all know where I can find a pattern for one? I’d rather go off a pattern on the first run so I don’t end up wasting a bunch of leather if I mess it up. Thanks.
Not sure if you already have the excellent book, "The Art of Handsewing Leather," by Al Stohlman, but if not, there are techniques in the book that would aid you greatly in making the Portmanteau and a whole lot of other projects.
In the below link, I suggest looking for these pages:
Page 10, Stabbing with the Awl - to show you how important it is to get the correct angle on the stabbing for the neatest hand stitches.
Page 24, Sewing a Miter Joint - to show you how to skive the edges at an angle, if you want to put the ends of the Portmanteau on that way. (Personally, I would do it by flat sewing the ends, but that technique comes later)
Page 31, Curved Needles and Curved Awl - I never had good luck with heating/bending these to a curve, but you don't need to as they are quite easy to find already formed that way
Page 33/34/35, Sewing with Curved Needles - This technique will be quite handy for leather sword or bayonet scabbards, if you ever decide to try that. It also can be used for attaching the ends of the Portmanteau. It is commonly called "butt sewing" or less frequently sewing ends to ends flat.
Page 35/36/37, Sewing the Bottom - This is the way the Colonial Williamsburg Cordainer made a Dice Cup end and is how I learned to use a curved awl. I think it would make a stronger way of attaching the ends of your Portmanteau.
Page 58-60, Sewing Rounds - The technique to make leather handles for the ends of your Portmanteau.
Page 68 -71, How to make the Stohlman Stitching Pony (with or without rear legs, depending on your needs) Though this one is made a bit differently than period Stitching Pony's, it gives you some idea how to lay them out, if you would like to make one.
The art of hand sewing leather - PDF Free Download (epdf.pub)
More coming, but I don't want to lose this typing.
Gus