Hometanned Leather Jester's Bag

Ideas can be good and they can be bad. At one point this last year, I dreamed up a way to make a leather bag from seven triangles. They were all the same size however each triangle was a unique leather differing in bark tan or braintanned, and smoked, or dyed color. Sure, it is a one of a kind bag. Not practical, but an oddity that I can use to show people some samples of my husband’s tanning.

Front View

I can honestly say it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas. Hand sewing the triangles the right way was a bit mind boggling once you got so many together. Also, figuring out a good way to close it required a few days of pondering, but is a quite simple procedure. However those challenges were meet and conquered. (Patting myself on the back)

Back View

It reminds me of something that would belong to a jester. Being creative is good, but there are also many ways in which it backfires on you. Somehow I don’t think that my hometanned triangle jester’s bag will ever make it as profitable selling item, but I might be surprised. Life is strange like that. Actually it is quite roomy and in all these pictures it was stuffed with two Walmart bags.


                                                         
                                                           Bottoms Up
                                                                             

                                                 

Can I at least get brownie points for creatively using up my leather scraps? lol

Handmade Braintan Drum Pincushion

Years ago I saw an ad in one of the Interweave Press Pieceworks magazines for a pincushion contest. As usual, my brain fired off an image of something totally different than what they were asking for, but I thought why not give it a go. What could it hurt? So I let the idea roll around in my head till I thought I had a workable idea. I then made a phone call to my Dad, asking his advice. Was my idea even doable? He thought I could do it, and offered to  make the tinwork for me, but was more than willing to help me once I said that I wanted to do the work myself. Now I had to block out a time slot in my schedule to spend a day in Dad’s tin shop to make the first step of my “pincushion”. What? You ask, why in the world would you need to work in a tin shop to make a pincushion for a needle work contest? But when making a mini drum you need a form, yes, usually the hoop is wooden. But since my Father has a tin shop it would be easier and more fun to make it out of tin. Basically I made a tin can, with a lot of little quirks added to it.

I wanted both sides of the drum to be filled with raw wool because that is what was used in pincushions years ago. Running the pins through the raw wool coated them with a thin layer of lanolin which caused them not to rust from the moisture in the homes.  Yet I also wanted the drum to have some weight to it. Just a can filled with wool would easily side around on your work space. To fix this problem I had to create an area in the middle of the can that was sealed and would hold the sand that would give my mini drum weight. Another personal touch to the can was using a tool from the tin era that had been lost until my Dad drafted up the design and had a few of them remade. I got to choose a simple but decorative design of ridges that run around my can. This could be done the hard way, but by using the tool Dad had remade it was easy. (Extra cool! Dad) The last step to the can was to pre-age it so it didn’t look shiney and new, but had an heirloom look to it.

                                                                     

Now I had to design the drum’s top. I wanted the top to have two colors of braintan arranged in a pattern. I pieced it together and then took blue wool sock yarn and did a simple embroidery stitch over the top of the seams. Now for the very center of drum top, a very small beaded rosette in red and white beads gives it a special touch while also covering the area where all my seams come together and could damage a needle if it was forced through them. The bottom piece of braintan is the very same size and shape as the top only it is all one piece.

Most drums have a cord or leather thong that laces through the top and bottom as it travels around the drum. I wove a mini, chevron finger woven strap made out of red, white, blue wool sock yarn to use on my pincushion drum. I tell myself this is because I wanted to add color, but I am pretty sure it was just to keep the project as difficult as I could. ; ) The finishing touches where adding a feather and a few brass beads.

Yes, I did send it in to the contest. lol They probably had no idea how to “grade” it. My drum pincushion arrived home again with a nice letter stating I didn’t make it into the few top spots that would be recognized in their magazine. No surprise to me really.

Today as the loss of my Father is very fresh in my life, (The evening of the 7th of February my Dad took his first stroll in heaven.)  I look at this mini drum cushion which brings sadness, yet joyful memories of a life long relationship with a man who taught me so much. Thanks Dad for believing in me and giving me the confidence to follow my own drum beats.

21 Century Braintan Backpack

I know that many people use braintan leather for re enactment clothing, and historical projects, but sometimes it is just plain fun to bring its use into the 21 century. After watching colleges and businesses give away simple backpacks for promotional advertising and also seeing them sold at stores I got the “why not” idea of making a similar style backpack out of braintan. Of course since it is made out of leather and braintan at that, fringe became a necessity. While I am at it, l twist the fringe for a cooler look and braid a one of a kind braintan strap for it too. There are a few things I would do different on the next one, but I really like this bag.  I would of loved to bead on it, however, that would of drove the price so high I decided it was best to keep it simple. In fact it is supposed to be for sale, but I keep eyeing it up for mine. ; ) Either way is ok, because I can always make another. Wouldn’t you want one?

The second picture shows the true color, but the other pictures show better detail.

Braintan Toting School Gals

At some point in your life you must admit that your family is different and there are no others like them. This has probably happened to my children many times over the years, but I am certain one of the times was when my daughter came home from school and told me she needed a book cover for her math book by a certain date. For whatever reason an image of a patched leather book cover popped into my head, though a more normal mother would of got the image of a brown paper book cover or at least something along those lines. But no, I could not shake the image of a leather cover, so off to check my braintan leather scraps supply. I measured, cut, stitched, fringed, and thought I had it right, but no, some of the leather stretched. Grrr... now what? Buttons to the rescue. The end result was a one of a kind, never to be recreated braintan leather book cover that she used all year. Nothing like your mother helping you stand out in a crowd.

 My daughter told me that she liked it, and got many comments on it. Since it would not fit any of her books the following year, she  reluctantly handed it down to her younger sister for her math book that year. At the end of the school year I thought we might have to donate it to the teacher because it would not fit another book, but my younger daughter found a book on her bookshelf that was a close enough fit. Needless to say I have made many braintan leather book covers, even beaded ones, over the years, but never another patched one. Hopefully they will remember their years of toting a braintan book cover through school fondly and know that their mother loved them.

Globe Trotting Braintan Camera Bag

The need to protect my camera was what prompted the making of this bag. Deciding that I wanted something a little fancier than the regular poke style bags I had been using, I chose to work with contrasting colors of leather. Adding the laced edging to the opening of the bag was kind of an after thought, but I really learned to appreciate it later. The laced edge kept the opening stiffer and made the camera slip in easier. The abalone shells on the draw strings were from my small stash of abalone that my kids had drilled holes in with my pump drill. I was pleased with how it turned out and how perfectly it fit my camera, however it did not stay with me. 

Agreeing to help run an old high school friend back to the airport after her visit with family (Country folk, who don’t go to the city often, need moral support and an extra set of eyes to read signs.) meant that I would have to get up in the early hours of the morning because of the distance I live from both her and the airport. I asked my husband to set the alarm and trustingly went to sleep. I bolted awake for no apparent reason, looked at the clock and groaned. I was to meet her in ten minutes! This was not humanly possible. My alarm had not gone off! Praise God for His internal “alarm” that woke me up that day. I called them apologizing and reworking our routes so that I could meet them on the way.  My husband and I were rushing for the door with no thoughts or time to grab anything extra. Perfect timing at the meeting spot and I was off to the airport with them. Enjoying our ever shortening time together as she was headed to her home in another country and every one of us in the car living with the knowledge that her cancer had returned.

Upon arriving at the airport she smiled and whipped out this wonderful, unique gift for me. My heart swelled with her kindness and cheerfulness. I so wanted to give her something that was mine for her to keep as a reminder of our love even though we live worlds apart. Realizing that most of my “stuff” was left at home, I reached into my purse, slipped my camera out of it’s bag, and offered it to her. She refused saying, “That’s yours.” The battle was on. lol I won. (Being much more insistent than her) This little, leather bag now resides in another country as a link between two people whose friendship has endured both time and distance. (With no lack of leather, sewing skills, and ideas...the making of another camera bag is a new adventure to look forward to.)

Praise the Lord she is still battling on and I’ve had the privilege of seeing her again! Life with all of all of its ebbs and flows is most precious to those who have teetered on its edge.

                                                                         

Braintan Gift Bags

I have a habit that started long ago of making braintan bags and gifting them to others. The habit started years ago after my husband lost his job, and things were financially tight. When I needed a gift for someone I would have to make it. I had sewing skills and braintan leather available so the obvious result was making one of a kind “gift” bags. The habit has stuck even though I don’t have to give homemade gifts today. I find joy in the making of them and in the gifting of them, well, that is, unless I’m in a time crunch. These bags were given away. lol I no longer remember to who or even for what occasion. My hope is that they were a blessing to those who received them.

Braintan Vest 2015

Bragging Rights. lol I promised my son a long time ago that I would make him a vest of the braintan from one of the deer he took during deer season. A lot of time passed and a few days ago he reminded me of that promise because he wanted to take it to camp to show off of course. Camp is like tomorrow!!!

So mom dropped everything to make good on her promise. (Good thing his Dad already had his deer hides tanned!) Thursday he search the web for vest pics he liked and tried on a vest we have for size. Here is what he picked http://americasuits.com/cullen-bohannon-hell-on-wheels-leather-vest so Friday I grabbed a brown paper bag and a big gift box (for making my pattern) and fabric (for sample), I was off and the timer was ticking. Trying to get it all out of one hide. Had to get a little creative and support some of the thin places. Also tried to leave growing room as it seems that he is getting taller every other day. It is definitely not an exact copy, and the front pockets will be added later. I left them out because of the time factor. But it turned out better than I thought it would with the time crunch.

Used my new industrial sewing machine, and the top stitching could be a whole lot better. (lol Still trying to get use to a new style of pedal.) But if you go by the re-enactors three foot rule it looks a whole lot better. It is not finished yet. Have to roll and trim the bottom and sleeve edges under and hand sew so they will look like the back of the neck. Plan to do that in the car on the way there. ; ) I couldn’t resist taking a pic of it before he left. Guess mom and son are alike...we both want bragging rights to this vest. Will post pics again when it is finished and has the pockets.

So here are our pictures!

 Would look even better over the right shirt! But my son is not a fan of being a model so I was lucky to get these.

That color work on the back. It has a story behind it. I decided to use the thicker leather for the back and back yoke because if the back and yoke lay nice it goes a long way to helping the front stay in position and hang right. I did not have enough leather so I split the back yoke into two pieces which would of resulted in one seam up the middle. Only Mom made a huge mistake I cut two lefts instead of a left and a right. I did not have enough leather to cut other. Frustrated I walked away, stewed on it for awhile and came back with the idea for the color work. (That way I could use smaller pieces of leather.) My Dad always use to tell me the only difference between a master craftsman and another is that they can hide their mistakes.  Not that I'm a master of anything,  still very much learning.

He carried it off well, just a slight smile, nod, and a quiet thanks when someone commented on it. One of his friends shot the biggest buck this year. (It will be his life time record I think.), so hopefully this vest goes a long way to making them even at camp ; )

A lot of prayer was going upwards as I was working on this vest. In a letter I got from him, he mentioned that he has had complaints about the smoke smell in his room. lol Trust me there are over 6 boys in that room, the last thing I would be complaining about would be a smoke smell,

The update is I never did put the pockets on the vest. It turned out so well without them my gut feeling was to stop while I was ahead.  ; )