Double pouch pattern in Albert’s book??

[Brokennock]

Nice work.

The staff at the store near me wears rex Tandy shirts for a work "uniform." So came up with red shirt Weds. Might only be a local thing. But worth a try.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Thanks Gus. That would have been a bummer!

 

[Artificer]

Thanks Gus. That would have been a bummer!

Ask me how I know? On the other hand, don't ask!! :rotf:

Give us a chance to respond before doing things and we may be able to give you valuable tips before you make the same mistakes we did. :redface: :haha:

Speaking of valuable tips, if you don't already own this book, BUY IT NOW before doing another project. It was not published until 1978, 6 years too late when I began working leather, but I STILL refer back to it every now and then. It really is THAT GOOD!!
https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/the-art-of-hand-sewing-leather-book

Gus

 

[Walker357]

When the straps didn't match the bag I have first decorated the straps with historically correct magic markers and, with or without decoration, dyed the straps a contrasting color. A thin strip of heavier leather sewed in a hem around the flap will help it maintain shape and position.

Reading this post I think I've been subjected to way too many Hallmark movies during my illness. :grin:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Good ideas-both. Think I’ll pass on the magic marker though! I’m not that artistic with any writing utensil!!

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Guilty as charged. I only get a little time to myself, so when I do, I tend to keep on movin’!

That book is in my cart now for the next shopping trip to Tandy.

So ... before I stitch the hair on hide to the leather piece, should I dye the finished side of the leather even though it will be completely covered up anyway? Is there any benefit?

 

[smo]

You could make the fur piece a little larger than the front flap.

I have used spray adhesive on leather, spray the two pieces to be joined together.
Wait a minute or two then stick them together.

Then sew around the edge of the front flap through the hair on piece. I would use a running stitch for this application.

Once all the way around, sew back to the starting point creating the look of a saddle stitch by using opposing holes. Kinda' like connecting the dots.

With them glued together this secondary stitching may not be required....it's up to you.

When making a stitch from the hair on side,it's best to pull the hair out from under the stitch before pulling it tight, if you don't then it gets a puckered appearance.

If you do go with a belt bag,use the Barge cement to temp. attach the belt loops to the back side of the bag.
Put a short wooden 1 x 4 down inside the bags back pocket.

Punch the stitch holes, sew it down.

I think I had to roll the bags pocket a little to get my needle nose pliers in there to pull the needle through, then if your holes are large enough you will be able to push it back through to complete the next stitch.

It's a PITA but it can be done...any residual cement will rub off the finished leather without much problem. Just don't get it in the fur! LOL

Looking good so far ! :thumbsup:

 

[Artificer]

So ... before I stitch the hair on hide to the leather piece, should I dye the finished side of the leather even though it will be completely covered up anyway? Is there any benefit?

Am I correct in assuming you are going to glue/stitch the rough/flesh side of the Veg Tan leather to the rough/flesh side of the Hair On leather - so the smooth side of the Veg Tan shows when you lift the flap? If so, then it would be better to dye it before you sew it to the flap.

Personally, I think I would glue the two pieces so the rough/flesh side of the Veg Tan leather shows when you lift the flap - that way it will be easier now and in the future to work some Lexol/Oil into it and keep it supple in the future so it easily folds over the double pouch. As such, no need to dye it.

Gus

 

[BrownBear]

When making a stitch from the hair on side,it's best to pull the hair out from under the stitch before pulling it tight, if you don't then it gets a puckered appearance.

Excellent advice! Time consuming for sure, but I don't know a better way.

An alternative to gluing two layers for a flap is to do a cut out in the middle of the top layer. Basically it's a decorative hole in the top layer, the shape up to you. Before joining the two layers at the edge, sew around the hole to secure the two layers together. You might want to dye the lower layer, at least where it shows through the hole. And yeah, you'd probably want the smooth side out rather than in, just so finished leather is showing. I've seen a couple of modern examples with red or black fabric sandwiched between the two layers of leather so it shows, as meanwhile the two leather layers are sewn rough side to rough side to give a finished layer to the inside of the flap. Looks pretty darned good if the look is something you're after.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I hadn’t decided on whether I would attach the rough side of the hair-on hide to the smooth or rough side of the leather underneath. I was kinda going with attaching to smooth side, because it wouldn’t be visible most of the time anyway.

Hmm.. the shape cutout in the middle is an interesting idea.

 

[BrownBear]

When making a stitch from the hair on side,it's best to pull the hair out from under the stitch before pulling it tight, if you don't then it gets a puckered appearance.

BTW- That's sure a lot easier if you use a stitching horse or even a pony. It frees your hands for the extra step of fiddling with the hair. Not everyone has a horse or pony, and they're not always useful. But when sewing long flat seams there's nothing better- with our without the hair-on hide.

Here is a decent horse and here is the smaller and cheaper pony. In my experience the horse is lots more useful and worth the price. Of course a full-sized bench version of the horse would be even better, but I've never crossed paths with one I was inclined to buy.

Of course you can build any of them. As I recall Stohlman has directions in his book Hand Sewing Leather. That's the single most useful book I know of for sewing and worth the price of admission.

 

[smo]

B.B., I just use the tip of the needle to “pull” the few hairs out from under the stitch.

Once there removed I just pull the stitch tight with the other hand while still holding the hair back. :thumbsup:

TFH, if I were going to glue the two together, I would glue the rough side of the hair on flap to the smooth side of the bags front flap.

Keeping all the rough material on the inside of the bag..... but that’s just me . :idunno:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Thanks for all of these incoming tips guys! I am benefiting greatly from your experience.. I managed to get the belt loops onto the bag, so it's officially a belt bag now.

As I think forward to attaching the deer (hair-on) piece to the leather, I'm also working out the mechanics in my mind. I initially thought that I'd sew the two pieces together, and THEN attach the final piece to the bag. But that would mean that the stitch row that will go along the top of the flap that gets sewn to the back of the bag would have to go through both the leather and the deer, and with the fur, that's a non-starter.

Instead, I think I'll sew the two pieced together EXCEPT for across the top, then sew the leather piece of the flap to the back of the bag, and THEN one last stitch across the top to join the deer with the leather.

Does that make sense?

And if so.. I actually think my next step will be staining everything except for the top flap, because once I have the hair-on piece attached, it'll be difficult to prevent stain from getting on it.

So.. next steps are:
(1) Stain the bag itself (not gonna stain the flap)
(2) Perimeter-stitch the fur to the leather, reserving the very top part of the flap for later.
(3) Sew the Leather part of the flap to the back of the bag using saddle-stitch as I've done the rest of the bag.
(4) Go back and tie the top seam of the two pieces together.

Agree with my logic here?

 

[smo]

No gluing the two together? :hmm: :idunno:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Well, I will probably use a little glue in the center of the flap, as was recommended above, but still plan to stitch the perimeter.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Also guys””I’m almost shocked that the guys at Tandy didn’t sell me some leather deglazing too... I’ve never dyed leather before but I keep reading that it needs to be deglazed prior to applying the dye. I’ve also read that the chemicals in the deglazing can make the leather dry and stiff.

So... what do we do here? Should I order some deglazing fluid from Tandy now? Or is there another way to prep it for the dye? Maybe just hot water??

 

[Artificer]

Thanks for all of these incoming tips guys! I am benefiting greatly from your experience.. I managed to get the belt loops onto the bag, so it's officially a belt bag now.

As I think forward to attaching the deer (hair-on) piece to the leather, I'm also working out the mechanics in my mind. I initially thought that I'd sew the two pieces together, and THEN attach the final piece to the bag. But that would mean that the stitch row that will go along the top of the flap that gets sewn to the back of the bag would have to go through both the leather and the deer, and with the fur, that's a non-starter.

Instead, I think I'll sew the two pieced together EXCEPT for across the top, then sew the leather piece of the flap to the back of the bag, and THEN one last stitch across the top to join the deer with the leather.

Does that make sense?

I'm not sure I get what you mean. Maybe the following is the same thing as you are describing.

If you are so concerned about sewing the Hair on and Veg tan leather "composite" flap to the pouch, then perhaps this would be easier?

What I might then do is not completely cover the Veg Tanned leather flap with the Hair on leather. I would leave maybe 1/4" to 3/8" at the top of the flap NOT covered by the Hair on Hide. This would leave a "tab" across the top of the Veg Tanned leather that could be sewn to the pouch. Then you would only be sewing the Hair on Leather to the Veg Tan Leather and sewing the Veg Tan leather of the flap to the Veg Tan leather of the pouch. However, this would mean you could only whip stitch around the sides and bottom of the flap to attach the Hair On leather to the Veg tanned leather and you would have to saddle stitch across the top of the Hair On leather to attach to the Veg tan flap.

Now, if you did it this way, a few things come to mind. First I would mark and awl punch the holes in the upper "tab" part of the Veg Tanned leather and transfer the marks with a very fine tip magic marker from those holes to holes in the back of the pouch. Then I would awl punch those holes in the pouch.

Then I would dye JUST the smooth side of the Veg Tanned leather "tab" a little bit lower down the flap than those holes. I don't think I would bother dying it further down the flap than that. This so the color of the "Tab" will match the pouch and YES I would dye the pouches at this point as well.

Then I would sew the Hair on leather to the Veg tanned leather and ENSURE you put the smooth side of the Veg Tanned Leather to the rough side of the Hair On leather. That will ensure the exposed "tab" portion of the flap will have the smooth/dyed side outward when attached to the pouch.

Then I would sew the tab part of the flap to the holes in the back of the pouch.

Gus

 

[smo]

Well, I will probably use a little glue in the center of the flap, as was recommended above, but still plan to stitching the perimeter.

Just me but I would glue the entire flap to keep it from slipping while stitching the perimeter..
Once it's glued you don't have to worry with the holes not lining up. :wink:

 

[BrownBear]

...I keep reading that it needs to be deglazed prior to applying the dye.

I've never deglazed leather before dying, and never had any trouble for the lack. For that matter I can't imagine what the deglazing accomplishes. Probably a good reason that Tandy doesn't sell it.

If you dampen the leather before dying, you should have no trouble with an even coat. Done deal and none of the deglazing nonsense, whatever that is.

 

[Artificer]

OK, many, many years ago a much more experienced leather worker answered the same question about deglazing for me.

Deglazers are primarily cleaners that are meant to take away stains, waxes, etc. and sometimes deal with pressed surfaces of some leathers. Most of the time they are used to prepare the surface of leather to be re-dyed or even sometimes to change colors of leather.

Deglazers are NOT normally needed on Veg Tanned leather because the surface is not pressed to a glaze finish. However, if you get the leather dirty, or sweat stained or even add a little of your DNA by blood transfer; then using a cleaner/deglazer is needed to clean the leather.

A very simple deglazer is plain alcohol. A step up from that is alcohol mixed with vinegar or lemon juice. If those don't clean the weather well enough, then Acetone will almost always do the job. For the very worst case scenarios, I have heard of trying wood bleach/oxalic acid but ENSURE you use a baking soda solution to neutralize it and wash it off the leather thoroughly with water before staining. (Personally, I've gotten my blood off leather with Acetone, so I have never used wood bleach.)

BUT if your leather is not dirty or stained, there is no need to use a Deglazer for most leathers and not for common Veg Tanned leather. I have normally only used alchohol when such cleaning was necessary, though it did take Acetone to get rid of blood a couple times. Most of the time, there is no need to use a Deglazer before dyeing the leather.

Gus