Leather Carving Class - Day 4

Well, class last night was a bit disappointing, but that's probably more because we didn't really learn anything new. Basically we just worked on applying the same techniques we had learned previously to the two other pieces of the project.

It also doesn't help that I'm totally not happy with the results, especially on the strap. I know its supposed to be a project we are using to learn the techniques, but after 4-5 2 hour classes spent working on the thing, you'd hope it would turn out as something you actually like. :) I guess that's the danger of working on this kind of thing. You can't just hit the undo button if you mess it up.

Taking an objective look, our teacher did tell us he selected a very challenging project because he wanted something that would use ALL of the tools. What that means is there is a lot more tooling on this than would normally be the case. I'm also finding that because its so small (especially the strap) and the pattern is so tight and intricate, my un-artistic hands are having a hard time making the cuts and edges look clean.

I suspect that when I'm doing period projects, the patterns will likely be somewhat simpler, so it will hopefully look cleaner. I also suspect I'll just need to keep practicing, especially with the swivel knife and beveler. Fortunately, with all the armour I'll be making in the coming months, there will be lots of opportunity to add some flourishes to Avelyn's pieces. :)

Next week is our last class. We'll be dying the various carved pieces we worked on, and then assembling the luggage tag.

I still don't have any pictures of my project, but if you want to see the pattern we are using, this is the example we're trying to replicate (at least this is the main piece. There's also a front panel with a window for the address, plus the strap): http://www.squidoo.com/Basic-Leather-Carving