Since our Artificer is down for the count, I'm considering undertaking the task of rebagging my MOD cantle myself. I'm pretty good a crafty things, but have limited experience working with leather, only making a few moccasins and possibles bags.

To start with I want a plain leather bag of simple design made from bison leather. What weigh should I choose? I'm guessing somewhere around four ounces of soft flexible leather. Is that close? Would soft leather need to be stiffened a little where it joins the cantle using thin tooling leather or the like?

I like the idea of lining the sporran. Perhaps with red velvet, or something else a bit "classy." Would a bag within a bag be the best approach, or should the lining be sewn in at the same time the leather is stitched? Or is lining a good idea at all?

I want other bags for my cantle, so it can be worn on a variety of occasions. I have a piece of bison hide with the wool on that's black in color and very plush. It as also been split to make it thinner, as it was very thick when taken from a bull bison. So it should make a nice bag, I think. This is to be made into a dressy bag. Also, I want bags made of prairie dog and kit fox To be fancier than a plain day bag, but not quite full dress. (I want my sporrans to be linked to my home region, the Great Plains, and not necessarily made as sporrans are made in Scotland of badger and such.) And, if I ever feel a need for a sporran of rabbit, the skin will come from a jack rabbit, not some pen raised critter. I've never worked with furs.

Any advice? I'd like opinions on sporran making in general, any thoughts at all. Every bit of it will be greatly appreciated.