Leather Questions (Tandy/Leather Factory)

[turpin]

I've done a lot of business with this EBAY seller. You can sometomes get a sale hide for under $15, but you want to make sure it's a 3-4 oz weight hide. A lot of the deerskins are 2-2.5. You can always double it up if the price is right, though.

[LadyGriffin]

There is a shop in southern Minnesota that I have been to that is quite nice. He has an e-bay store also. theleatherguyofmn

I have purchased some nice hair-on hides for a sporran or two, and a whole hide for a bed cover.

Julie

[kevinkinney]

I use Leatherguy of MN too. Good shopping to be had.....

Kevin.

[Cat]

I figured out a good (and FREE!) solution to my sporran/leather issue! I was laying in bed at about 5am, and realised that I had a black leather motorcycle jacket in my closet. I haven't worn the thing in at least ten years, and it's actually a little large for me. An ex-girlfriend gave it to me years ago. The leather on the jacket is nice, probably in the 4-5oz range, but the lining has some serious issues, and it wasn't stitched particularly well to begin with. I don't really like wearing motorcycle jackets anyway, but it's not worth trying to sell (I *might* be able to get $30 or $40 at most, and I don't want to have to deal with shipping it to anyone or anything like that.)

So, instead of it just going to waste in the closet, I've decided that the leather will be perfect for repurposing as a sporran! It's medium-weight, so it's strong but still soft and plyable. Now I just have to work on a pattern.

Hey Turpin, I've got a couple questions: What type of thread do you use, and what type of stitch do you use? (I was thinking a saddle, or double-needle, stitch should work.)

[turpin]

I pre-punch the holes with a 4-prong diamond tip punch. I sew with embroidery threa waxwd with beeswax to prevent tangling and help the thread bite and hold. I like embroidery thread because it's very strong and comes in a lot of colors. Using a blunt ended stitching needle you won't catch the tip in the work - it slides through easily. I use a saddle stitch for most of my sewing.

[Cat]

Thanks! I stitched it up last night and was happy with the shape and size, but I think I'm going to remove the back and flap and replace it with slightly heavier leather. At least I know the size will work out and I've got a good pattern.