A batch of assorted sporrans. The two large hunting sporrans on the ends are actually handbags. I found that if I also build some for my wife a bit larger and with purse straps she lets me keep buying expensive hunks of leather.
I had the tan hunting sporran and the dark one, but then bought that nice wide belt from Centaur and decided I needed another to match it better (multiple diluted layers of dye until I got pretty close). They're about 2/3 hand-sewn using my sailmaking needles and palm, especially in the cantle area where I'm sewing through about seven layers of leather. Most is tooling leather, with some softer grain leather on the back outside layer and goatskin for the sidewalls. The fur sporran is styled similarly to one I saw on the web and liked. The fur is wild boar from a hide I bought on eBay. I found a YouTube video on molding leather and built a wooden mold for shaping the molded ones. They're sewn with a big Consew industrial machine that I own and all the sewing is done in about 30 seconds (though you had better aim carefully).
Another one at the bottom using the same acorn-shaped plan, but without fur. The tartan is one I designed and had woven at Dalgliesh. I still have a big hunk of boar fur left.....may have to make myself some jammies.
I'm a pretty good concept man and pattern developer, but the real tailor in the family is my wife. She made this skirt and sash from our tartan for the Milwaukee Highland Games a couple weeks ago.
If it's more technical than one of my hats, I usually get kicked off of the sewing machine, but I do an OK bonnet. This one is Cheviot tweed to match my jacket. I actually have two, one left-leaner and one right-leaner. I need a good generic cap badge though. Maybe one of the X-Marks badges.
Bookmarks