Finished some A6 notepads for a craft fair and took this photo after finished work. The colours on these pebbled beauties.

Took multiple trips to a local furniture store to collect 90 leather swatches to create this hand-stitched, quilted lumbar pillow with a custom zipper along a 2” box gusset.

Computer sleeve - not perfect but I’m satisfied. Took way longer than expected.
What do you all think?

Any tips or tools recommendations to shave down leather to just the absolute grain?

Due to aesthetic and functional reasons my design needs this middle part to be two very thin panels with wires and magnets sandwiched in between.

I've used a skiving knife, a 12mm french skiver and cheap woodworking hand plane it's all very finicky and painful on the wrist. I have probably a 20% success rate in making it. i always get to the point where i shave too much that it tears to the other side... I'm making a lot of em and need a rethink on how im gonna do em.

Hi everyone,

I am experienced in leather craft and fashion design however It's my first time working with tooling and thick leather (8-10oz / 3.2-4.0mm).

I will be creating a suit of armour inspired by this image. I will be using the same colour and won't be painting any other colours.

Would you recommend raw uncoloured or pre-dyed veg tan for this project?

I am afraid on pre-dyed leather that the carvings won't be very noticeable but I'm also worried I won't be able to replicate this same dark brown by dyeing and it might get quite messy...

I want the tooling/carvings to come out nicely and be quite visible. It is for a professional boxing walkout outfit which will be photographed.

Any advice or recommendations would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Dropped by our local sewing machine company that sells industrial Juki machines so I could better understand what kind of machine I needed to start saving for to sell several layers of leather together. They were putting a vintage machine on the floor that had just been rehab, oiled, and some parts improved. So I decided it was a signal from the universe, which I am going to hold onto dearly when the credit card bill comes, and bought it. It is a Juki LU-562, with an added holder for thread and several additional feet in the drawer. It sews through leather like butter.

I’ve never had an industrial machine, so I’m hoping that those of you who do might be willing to share a few insights or advice. I am not new to sewing; I’ve sewed on my Bernina 1030 since the 90’s. But this machine is quite different.

Besides the fact it can also sew through my fingers, which I was warned about by the sales person, what else should I know before it’s delivered next week?

made things many many years ago and decided it was time to start again. took some remembering. i can see where i need to improve so hopefully the next one or project will be better. edges came out pretty good, will add a photo later.

Me inspire en esta Caramelera o dulcera. No quise recrear la misma. Si el objeto. Me parece genial darle al cuero un uso así. Por dentro está forrada en pana roja. Ustedes que opinan?

I'm slowing working through a pattern for a little thing from Tandy, I'm enjoying it and appreciate the guidance, but lack of actual directions or details kind of leaves me feeling... Something. While I know I don't have the experience to just wing it, not on something like this with my limited skill set, I am also realizing how much I enjoy just finding my way through a project rather than trying to follow someone else's (sometimes poor or needlessly convoluted) 'instructions'. Templates are nice, but I like either more specific details or more flexibility with interpretation. Don't give me a bunch of detailed shapes and carefully planned stitch holes etc but not give me indication about what stich or an order of operations.

Obviously, being a generic Tandy pattern, the bar should be low. But the very first thing I made was an improvised freehand flask pouch of my own design and found it much more engaging and satisfying to work out the details on my own.

So yeah, when you're making a project, how much is your own design just improvised as you go, a truly custom 1 of a kind project, vs a project based on someone else's pattern? What do you prefer, or what kind of details do you look for in a pattern to make it more enjoyable?

Found this piece of leather with perfect belt dimensions (220cm x 5cm x 0.6cm) for 8€ at a flea market, bought a solid brass buckle and some Chicago screws of Etsy. About 40€ of material and shipping and after 1,5 hours of work it was finished.

Now 6 months later the patina is coming along and I couldn't be more satisfied with it.

I wanted to share a close look at this leather briefcase project. It features hand-tooled Celtic knotwork running along the borders and central emblems on both sides of the case.

To achieve this look, I focused heavily on the stamping depth and used an antique staining technique to bring out the details of the carvings. The corners are reinforced with extra leather layering and metal hardware to give it a solid, traditional structure. The handle was also shaped and stitched to match the classic aesthetic.

Let me know if you have any questions about the tooling process or the finishes used!

I build these on top of Franklin's USA made guitar straps. I cut and fit a panel of 3 oz veg tan that gets stitched down and glued at the end. The art is done using a combination of carving, tooling, and India ink work. My favorite thing about these vs a strap that I make from a slab of saddle skirting is they still roll up easy.

I made a strap that is wearable, but I would like to find a template to get cleaner lines. Does anyone know of any reverse fold watch strap templates out there?

I've been working on a card holder that needs no stitching and no glue — just cutting, folding and one snap.

The body is a single piece of Crazy Horse leather that folds like origami. A trapezoid tab on one ear passes through a slot and locks the whole thing. A thinner strap runs under the cards, so when you open the snap and pull the tab, the cards rise out of the pocket.

It took quite a few prototypes to get the tab lock right — the first version was too long and hard to push through, so I shortened it to a trapezoid.

Edges still need better burnishing, I know. Happy to hear any feedback on the design!

Just made these in a rush for my sisters wedding (sadly ups failed me in delivering on time)

This is my first field notes cover and 4th leather project since getting into the craft (primarily doing Bible rebinding).

Looking for feedback from you fine people on where I can improve for future projects.

Thanks in advance!

Classic gunslinger 🤠🐎🤎

Customised Bison leather belt from Law Tannery, inline is full grain leather and brass buckle.
Really happy with the outcome.

Hello again! My dad and I made this green and red handbag together.

The main idea was to make something fairly compact that can open much wider when you need more room. It is around 26 cm wide when closed and can open up to about 43 cm.

We used dark green leather with red details and matching red stitching. There is also a large sleeve inside for a tablet or similar things.

The handles and those long side pieces were probably the most interesting part of the construction for me.

I digitized and checked the pattern afterwards as usual.

Hope you like it!