Raw materials...

**auld argonian** · 20th April 06, 10:07 AM

So...I don't quite know if sporran construction belongs in this category but I'm sure that someone will let me know if it doesn't...

...having a day off school for report cards, my daughter and I raided the Salvation Army resale shop yesterday for that "special" leather jacket that's going to be rent asunder to be used as sporran material. And we have a winner! A mens' brown leather...a bit ratty about the edges but $2.50 and having large panels on the front and back that are still in good shape and nice sleeves that will be used for the gussets. This stuff feels heavy enough to be okay for the purpose but soft enough to be cut with shears instead of my having to invest in any specialty leather tools. Add to this the bunny skin that I got from Leather Unlimited last week ($5) and we may manage at least one very casual sporran. Hey...how difficult can this be? I'm not sure if I can sew any of it on the machine but I may try it...I picked up regular leather needles to sew by hand and I'm sure that I'll start out that way. And away we go....

Best

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**Big Dave** · 20th April 06, 10:17 AM

That's a great find, good luck with the sporran.

**Kilted KT** · 20th April 06, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

So...I don't quite know if sporran construction belongs in this category but I'm sure that someone will let me know if it doesn't...

...having a day off school for report cards, my daughter and I raided the Salvation Army resale shop yesterday for that "special" leather jacket that's going to be rent asunder to be used as sporran material. And we have a winner! A mens' brown leather...a bit ratty about the edges but $2.50 and having large panels on the front and back that are still in good shape and nice sleeves that will be used for the gussets. This stuff feels heavy enough to be okay for the purpose but soft enough to be cut with shears instead of my having to invest in any specialty leather tools. Add to this the bunny skin that I got from Leather Unlimited last week ($5) and we may manage at least one very casual sporran. Hey...how difficult can this be? I'm not sure if I can sew any of it on the machine but I may try it...I picked up regular leather needles to sew by hand and I'm sure that I'll start out that way. And away we go....

Best

AA

it will only be as difficult as you make it. If you enjoy what you are doing, it will be a piece of cake, no matter how challenging the project is.

I'd love to see pics of the process and final result!

**auld argonian** · 20th April 06, 10:39 AM

I hope to be able to post photos...I just have to get the correct procedure to resize them down. The "tutorials" that other members have posted have been so helpful that I feel that I HAVE to "give back" to the group.

I've fond that I can store the photos on my Yahoo! account but I still have to get the resize thing down to a science.

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**Southern Breeze** · 20th April 06, 10:55 AM

You can resize pics with Irfanview. Best of all it's free. I've found that 400x500 pixels is a good size.

http://www.irfanview.com/

**way2fractious** · 20th April 06, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

So...I don't quite know if sporran construction belongs in this category but I'm sure that someone will let me know if it doesn't...

A "Do It Yourself" category, perhaps, for all of us non-professionals...

...heavy enough to be okay for the purpose but soft enough to be cut with shears...

Everything should be just fine for a soft, bag-type sporran, such as a Rob Roy. Most other sporrans have a stiff, finished leather back panel that slides easily on the kilt apron and helps the sporran retain its shape. That stiffening can also be accomplished using a layer of something else inside the back panel. I have used fabric to cover a piece of plastic needlepoint mesh (sold at Wal-Mart) when I made a camo sporran. That could also be done using your leather.

Enjoy the creative process.