Bags!

Shhhhhh....

I don't think he looks and it is almost done. I am doing a bag for a friend. Today, I incised the leather and stained it a bit. I ran out of brown dye as my dye had tipped over in the storage container. I am glad I am using plastic storage containers now.

The first thing I did was make the basics of the pouch. I could get pretty far without carving the image. I created a simple pattern and cut the pieces out. I found there were a few ways people were doing these but I haven't found any local museums that might have something I need in their catalog. I am going to see if I can do that later on today.

like the one I made for Beccabutt's Heraldry Flash Card Set. IThe pattern is simple. It is a kidney bag, much created a prototype of the pouch so she could work with her flash cards and carry them around with her. You might as well get *something* for learning to be a herald. Thank goodness I found someone to foist it off on. I am thrilled to go back to simple yelling and looking up names. Anyhow, I started with a basic kidney pattern. Notice the two pieces of paper? Ok, for the top of the pouch you put both together and cut that. For the bottom, just the rectangle. I also added about 2 inches between the two pattern pieces on this pouch because I plan on adding a strip of leather to make the pouch roomy.

The leather is a light, vegetable tanned hide. I got it from a local supplier and got a half way decent, cheap half. I think this is 8-9 ounce leather. I cut the pieces and even put the rivets in the back of the top layer. I used solid copper rivets because I know how to pound them over and they look spiffy to me. I am not fond of pop rivets because I made my own armor. Those rivets fall off all the time.


The next step is to make a cartoon. I am going to show you the steps with the West Kingdom Populace badge.

I blew the drawing up on my computer and printed it out. I took another piece of paper over the top, taped it to my window and then traced just the outline. Here is a version with the West Kingdom populace badge. You can see the tracing on the window. I don't have a light box. I have a great window with a kick butt view. Anyhow, I taped it up to the window and traced the outline.


Notice that I didn't do a lot of detail. Too much detail might have pulled away from my final image. I will be painting the image part after the pouch is dry. With more detailed drawings, I make the cartoon part a lot less detailed than the original drawing. All of my details and shading can be done with tools or paint.

So, here is the West Kingdom demi sun!








The next step is easy. You just get the leather damp. You want somewhere between damp and wet. I take a clean rag and dampen it with very warm water. I gently wring it so that it is not drippy. Then I brush the leather once, twice, three times. You will see three distinct color changes in the wet leather. I find that the third color change is perfect for my hand. Your mileage may differ. When the leather is wet, secure the cartoon onto the damp leather with tape or clamps. Then take a fine, blunt object and trace your design. I have a stylus now that I got for a dollar at a craft store. I have usually used ball point pens that have run out of ink. Don't use one with ink because sometimes you draw through the paper as it gets a little damp. Oh and use heavy paper to transfer the design. Good quality printer paper is perfect.



When your design is transfered on, remove the cartoon and look for touch up areas to clean it up for the next process. Notice the leather is still a bit wet? Once the transfer is complete, you can take a break. I wouldn't advise it if you haven't gotten the whole transfer done as things jostle. I hate tracing a design and having it off center a bit. Plus, you end up having to rewet things and start over. So, now is the time to take a break if you need one.






Once your cartoon is on the leather, you can gently carve it. I use an exacto knife. I prefer the heavier one. It doesn't skip around in my hand like a lighter one. You can also use a swivle knife that is made for leather or a razor blade or sharp knife. Just drag the blade with a light and level pressure. Do not cut through the leather. You are just scoring the surface. I went a tad too deep here.







Here is a shot of me tooling a bit of the design. I learned how to do this by using the end of a nail. Use the flat end to create a flat planer. I do both sides of each cut. You may need to rewet the leather to get it to bevel. That is what you are doing here, just beveling the carving.















It takes a bit to level each cut out. Don't worry if they are not pretty and perfect . I just start lightening the pressure.

Everything looks icky and dented in this picture, and it was. The good thing is that the tools smooth the skin gently as you go.




Below is the finished design for my new trifold pouch!

Eeep

Sorry about the delay in posting. I will post the Christmas post for Susan later tonight. She needs to see the clean sewing area!


The collar is mostly done. The bag is mostly done. I had a personal issue that sucked up a huge amount of my time. There will be pictures over the next few days, including some of my bistre.

Avoiding!

I don't know what it is, but I have never been fond of doing split stitch. Plus, my embroidery is not nearly as good as it was in my 20s. I know more now, but my eyes are going and I can feel it. Hee. I am old and shall do leather work! Anyhow, this is the collar for the bliaut.

When I originally did the design, I really liked it. It was a combination of simple and flashy. I took it off of a couple of manuscripts. I did not like the way they combined and set it aside for a few days. Then I started working on the dots. They are two different sizes which is a little unusual and why I chose this design. If I were to do it again, I think I would a more eclesiastical look. I think this collar will stay on the dress for a while and then be retired to a t-tunic. This is another example of the process of making mistakes.


I am definitely more fond of it now. I am trying to keep in mind I have not embroidered for nearly 6 years. My stitch tension is good but my attention to detail is not, and I am going to need this when I work on this dress. I am going to finishe the collar, get another bit of that silk/linen blend for the collar and leave the sleeves plain for now. Let's see how I feel about it when it is done. I am feeling a strong tug to redo the piece in wool or a paisley leaf pattern I found in another drawing.

FINI!!!

I did it! I finished the pouch.

I really like it. Really! It is fabulous. It isn't period and I am not going to pretend it is at the level I want things to be at. But, it is so cute! It turned out just like it was in my head. I also got to use some of the Norse dragon buttons I got several 12th Nights ago. I was in line waiting and a woman introduced herself. Her name was Diana Listmaker. What a silly name! She was very nice. This pouch was born with a story of how I met her.

Progress So Far

What do you think? Should the running stitch go on the straps too? I am inclined not to add running stitch in red on it. So far, I really like it.

Alms bag?

I started working on an alms bag. It definitely is smaller than what I wanted.

I needed a leather bag to carry my stuff in if I am not going to be wearing a belt. Alms bags seem to be the right thing. I thought about a cute little embroidered number. I am very hard on my clothes. I am as attentive to my clothing as an average 8 year old boy playing in a creek. What the heck. I have to stay busy and I need something that does look period.

I have decided what I really need is a good bag to wear all the time and a bigger and more organized bag for small crafts and things you always need at events. I also want to make a new feast bag. I liked my feast bag better than a basket because it was 100% washable and it was perfect to throw dirty dishes in.

Back to the alms bag. I wanted to use black leather and red linen. I have a cherry red linen that has a weight of 7.1 ounces per yard. I am going to be using that for a nice viking underdress. I thought the alms bag would be great as a later project. You know, after I made the dress. I couldn't wait. I cut off a fat quarter to work with. I have been studying lots of pictures and I was looking for a leather bag. I have zero documentation on this style in leather. There are serveral extant pieces that are silk or linen with embroidery in this general shape. This is a perioid piece as far as I know.

I drew out the design on some taped together pieces of printer paper. I drew a back with a lid and a front. This was a stupid mistake. In my first illustration, you can see that I cut the back and the front as two seperate pieces. When I looked again at the illustrations, I realized I would not get the crisp, perfectly pointed corners on the bag. The second illustration is how I should have cut the bag. It is the way I will do the next one.

I cut one piece out of red linen and one out of black garment leather. I then sewed up the linen as a lining and the leather as the outer. Then I ripped it out. What the heck. This was going to be flashy perioid piece and not something great because I already made it too small, out of leather and I messed up the design. I sewed each lining to each leather piece instead. I had an idea.

After sewing them, I pressed them and then sewed the bottoms together. The design may be wrong but it won't be horrible. Notice that the sides are not sewn together? That is because I am going to sew the sides together with red thread for a more striking effect.

It turned out just about the way I envisioned it so far. At this point I am pleased with the effect. The strap is externally attached with room for pilgrim's badges. I have stashed away a few so I am very excited about sewing them onto the bag.


This is what it looks like folded over? See that weird thing on the bag? It is a pewter wreath of roses. I think it used to be on a scented candle holder. The candle holder broke a few years ago and I haven't thrown away that pewter thing. It is one of those things you constantly find in your junk drawer and go 'wtf? What is that and why do I have it?' I stuck it on the bag because for some strange reason, that thing had migrated onto my desk. Obviously, that muse of freaky SCA projects is busy reorganizing my house.