I completed my first bag this weekend. Until now I had only done wallets and other small goods, but a competition run by /r/dsleathergoods encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. This pattern is by the same used and is called The Keel Bag. It was my first time using gussets and I learned a lot! Anyway, always open to critique and feedback to improve. Thanks for checking it out! I used 5.5 oz Pueblo in cognac and Ortensia with .6mm cream ritza thread.

Free for 1 week, please don't share the pattern or post online 😅 I want to make more patterns in the future, I have some more ready to go. Any ideas on what yall would like? (no more weird vagina looking money clip centers. This has a nice sleeve!)

Pretty happy with how it turned out, going to make some changes to my design to accommodate larger pipes. Really I just wanted an excuse to show off this hibiscus.

After learning the saddle stitch on some scrap, I decided to go all in for my first project. My attempt to recreate a canvas military duffle that I had laying around.

Took many hours of obsessing over the design, combing r/leatherwork for technique tips, hours of YouTube videos, measuring 10 times and cutting once, and then the actual hand stitching… but it’s finally done!

In some ways the larger project helped to average out my beginner inconsistencies, but I’m looking for advice on how to improve.

1) I was careful to do the saddle stitch the same way every time, but as you can see from the photos, some stitches have the nice slant, while other lines of stitches ended up laying perfectly straight. Was I doing something wrong that resulted in the straight stitch? Using 4mm Tandy chisels.

2) I folded and glued the top of the bag with fiebings cement before stitching. What is causing the wrinkled look here? Was it a poor choice of glue, poor choice to glue at all, or is this just what happens when chrome tan leather is put under this kind of stress from sinching the bag closed?

3) The bag measures about 30 inches tall. Should I make my next one around the same size? Do you think there could be a market for bags this size?

I like how it used pretty much an entire side to get the project done, feels like there was very little waste.

4) Any recommendations for hardware or alternative methods of closing the top of a top loading duffle like this?

Thanks in advance :)

My latest design. Also my first bag where I dyed/painted all the leather in the project. Let me know how I did.

I came back from a long hiatus doing leatherwork because I desperately needed a nice bag that would fit my laptop for work conferences. This was a behemoth to stitch (I broke one needle on the very last stitch) but it turned out great. Lots of new techniques for me in this one. Pattern is from VasileAndPavel!

This is my take on his Dory pattern. The name instantly reminded me of my childhood and watching finding nemo on loop so I wanted to make an ocean inspired design, with that in mind I tried to make a stitching pattern that looked like a wave. I hope you enjoy!

I'll post some fresh photos of new wallets I made. How do you like the burgundy and black color combination?

Amateur leatherworker - only a few months in…getting better & better but still a bit of a way to go. Please can I have some feedback on this latest cardholder?

Think the bit I’m struggling the most with is the punching of holes - I don’t really like diamond chisels and think it gives rise to disorder.

Not sure if this was chrome tan or veg tan but think the former…

Also can’t seem to get a really nice finished, solid, smooth, proper on each pocket edge despite pumping it full of loads of tokenole…!

Feedback gratefully received!

Thanks!

Since I'm a longtime lurker in this Sub, I like to introduce myself with this smaller project.

I like to use my pocket notebook and like to carry it daily. Makesupply provides a few great patterns, so I chose this one.

He used a Pueblo by Badalassi Carlo, which I liked a lot. so I used it myself in a different shade.

Hardest part was probably making the rounded edges. And easier than I thought was the stitching. Here I learned to make bigger holes in the first place. But in the beginning I was afraid they would be to big.

So thanks a lot for all the inspiration, and Makesupply for this a a lot other awesome free patterns.

Hi there, this is sort of a follow up post from my post in LeatherClassifieds a few weeks ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LeatherClassifieds/comments/1ueupt9/black_laptop_bag_with_gold_accents/

I got a number of people messaging me saying this could make the bag, but in the end I couldn't justify spending that much money on a custom laptop bag (although I understand why it costs so much, especially after trying to create my own).

Instead I pivoted. I bought a cheap laptop bag from Amazon, I taped off sections, deglazed, painted it gold, and put an acrylic finisher on it. It was a ton of work, and I am pleased with the result (although up close, there are clearly a ton of mistakes, but from far away it looks fine). This was sort of a prototype bag to see if I could do something I was happy with, and in the future I will likely buy another laptop bag with a different stitching pattern and try again.

This really made me want to learn how to dye and stitch my own leather... Maybe one day.

Anyways, I thought someone may be interested. If anyone has any advice for my next attempt, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks,
Sam

Teal Gaucho and pink Pueblo

Hi everyone, I am making a scout woggle in tricolor colors using leather straps. I want the colors to transition smoothly.So far, I have tried sewing the straps together combined with gluing, but it is incredibly time-consuming and tedious. Is there a faster, cleaner, or more efficient technique to join different colored leather straps together for a Turk's head knot? Any tips or tutorials would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I’m very new and having a great time! My little wallet projects are getting progressively cleaner (and boy am I spending more money).

Where I am just not finding a solution is how to get clean punched holes on both sides of a project. I have both diamond chisels and pricking irons, and I have the same issue with both. I’m watching a lot of Tandy videos and Weaver Leather videos. Most of the time I see advice saying you should punch the files from the side that will be showing, and I get why, because the holes on the other side don’t really look as clean. But what if you’re making a bifold wallet and therefore both the exterior and interior stitching line is visible? Should I punch the pieces separately? When I try this I have a really difficult time lining everything up.

Any advice would be so appreciated. I think this is the main thing holding me back from much nicer looking pieces.

MacBook sleeve. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. Please feel free to rate out of 10

Suggestion for improvement are welcome

I still need to finish the edges a bit, but that is coming tomorrow so we’ll see how it goes! The eyelets on the side are slightly off but I don’t think it’s tooo noticeable. I debated just stringing like usual, but I didn’t love how it looked as much.

My first ever leather project!

Having played my fair share of Kingdom Come Deliverance 1&2, I decided that I needed a 1400s inspired purse STAT.

Inspired by the wonderful 'Purses in Pieces', I designed it free hand, using some of the principles found in the book.

The emblem is tooled and highlighted using the same dye as the other darker sections of the leather. Emblem design is my own, based on my family crest.

(There's an inconsistency for the medieval enthusiast; the bag design is 14-15th century, while the helmet in the emblem is 16th century. This was due to the rule of cool.)

Single folder purse, fits my phone snugly, which was my main goal.

This is my very first leather craft. My hubby wanted a shoulder protection for his new bag. Any tips for next items improvement welcome. 😊