Not As Succesful DIY For Your Edification:

[Mike S]

Not all of them can be winners. After I've drafted a new pattern, I sometimes fabricate a mock up in cheap "bonded leather" (think fake leather "pleather" upholstery material) before proceeding in real leather.





I learned some things from this experiment fabricated over the weekend:

A. I generally dislike buckstitched borders and edges, despite trying it out here. I made the lacing too thick and wide, and it looks very bulky and heavy handed. Granted, the "bonded leather" doesn't remain stable like real leather, and pulls out of shape with such a treatment.

B. I don't like the gusset to be stitched to the back portion on the face, and vastly prefer the edge to wrap around to the back as it does with the front panel.

C. Something that I already knew but disregarded here; to wit, all edges look infinitely better when either folded over and stitched, or bound/piped with a separate binding strip stitched into place.

Things that I do intend to carry over to the finished, leather version:

A. The bill and ID patch pocket design that I worked into the lining "leather".
B. I think that I drafted a well proportioned basic day sporran, and that the pattern will
produce a nice sporran, finer details and construction snafus not withstanding.

I'm posting this not as a point of pride. Rather, as a self critique of less successful but nonetheless edifying experiments for the benefit of those making their own gear.