Easy Zippered Leather Pouch from garment scraps holds pencils [PROTOTYPE 1] from Zazu's Stitch Art

PLEASE NOTE: If it is 7-8-2022 or after, my website no longer exists. Any patterns or PDF printouts mentioned in this video are no longer available. Sorry for any inconvenience. Currently I am still on Facebook:   / zazusstitchart  
and here on YouTube:    / zazusstitchart  

In this video, I make a prototype of a leather case or bag using garment scraps. Adding leather craft to my free-motion quilted functional art has long been a goal. When I first started sewing to sell nearly 20 years ago, for a time I cut and dyed leather elements to add to purses and bags as straps and decorative elements, primarily using rivets. Because I wanted to SEW leather (purse bottoms, etc.), which was hard on my machine, I gradually shifted to safer techniques that were selling already. Now that I have the time and energy for some concentrated R & D, I am going to re-explore leather, as a means of enhancing the work I already do. Please join me.
0:00 Intro: my past adventures in leather...
0:24 My booth at Maryhill or Whitefish, circa 2007, and some pics of the leaves and straps I was playing with fifteen years ago.
1:07 Translated to English from Spanish, Barron's The Art & Craft of Leather is serious, aimed at adults, and a bit odd. The book uses good color photography to begin with a broad overview of the history of leather. The pages move through tools & techniques of leatherworking, then to many arty but quirky projects. The pictures still give me ideas. I can see how it inspired me to make all those little leaves
1:32 About the tan leather I was cutting and dyeing as a younger mom. I liked 4-5 oz vs 6-7 oz leather.
3:01 Garment scraps (2-3 oz?) from the Leather Store, formerly in Helena.
I just ordered this scrap box of "happy colors" to play with in a future video. If you visit this link, you can look around from there for black or brown garment scraps... Upon Leather - Embossed and Printed Leather Scraps 1 Pound Medium & Large Pieces | 6-7 Square Feet Cowhide remnants for Crafts, Earrings, Jewelry | More Than 15 Pieces of Bright Happy Leather Colors:
3:45 Cutting the garment leather 3 ways. Scissors work best. My green olfa cutting mat:
4:57 My "pattern."
5:49 I run a few tests and explain time stamps with affiliate statement.
6:17 MY PROJECT SET UP:
Free arm (less surface to catch the leather)
Teflon foot (doesn't struggle on leather). The FOOT I have is Bernina zigzag foot #52 with non-stick sole. Teflon universal feet are available for many machines.
Leather needle - 110/18. The NEEDLE my machine uses: Schmetz Leather Machine Needle Size 18/110
Jeans thread. The THREAD (mine is actually on a big cone): Coats & Clark Dual Duty Plus Jeans Thread, 60-Yard, Red-Orange
A nice long stitch--4mm
Basting tape (why mess around?) Singer 44447 Temporary Basting Tape, Clear
7:39 Applying the zipper, similar to the cork cosmetic bag we did: How to paint Cork Fabric | Cosmetic Bag 4 (this jumps to the zipper part of the vid, I hope):    • How to Paint Cork Fabric | Cosmetic Bag FO...  
My ZIP is a Long Pull YKK Nylon Coil #4.5 Handbag Zippers with Extra Long Pull Slider- Closed Bottom Made in USA - 5 Zippers with YKK #4.5 Sliders (22 Inch, Black) https
8:29 Sewing the side
10:29 And bottom...This is how I play "Is This Anything?"
12:09 Why it takes me many times sewing something to get a design right...
13:00 My husband really likes it. I'm planning to make another in the shape of cosmetic bag 1, but smaller:    • Cosmetic Bag  #1 | Moderate Gift  Project ...  
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Related videos:
To check out my fiber art techniques playlist:    • Fiber Art Techniques | Zazu's Stitch Art  
To learn more about my favorite tools: 12 Pro Tips to go from Homemade to Handmade:    • 12 Pro Sewing and Quilting Hacks | Make It...  
Most popular gift project:    • Hem Fabric Napkins Like a Pro with pinless...