First go at this...

Good day All,

I had another go at a practice pouch with the advice above taken on board. While it's not anything that special, it did turn out better than I anticipated. Just waiting on my button hole punch to arrive and a bit more finessing of the edges.

I have learned one very valuable lesson. I don't like doing round objects :) I'm looking for metal rings/forms to assist in cutting curves but thus far coming up empty handed. I hope to have time to do some simple rectangular practice pieces over the weekend.

Thank you again,

Perry

Thanks Fadi for the above. Much appreciated.

Is there a thread you recommend? Philip calls out WUTA in his course guide which I've literally just ordered a spool to try out.

As for the irons, I used KS 7psi with Nigel and at home I used Amy Roke. I do have KS irons arriving any day now which I purchased as my main set but got the Amy Roke ones a few weeks back to allow me to get started. They also came recommended as a good one to have on hand for thicker hides where a larger hole would help.

Lastly, you are correct. my cuts were not great. I used a metal form on the first one to get a clean curve and the second one with a paper pattern which I made from a stock that was clearly too thin. Thicker stock on order. Amazon etc is loving me at the moment :)

I'll be tackling the larger pouch again over the weekend and taking everyone's input on board,

Thanks again,

Perry

A man who practices on projects and not scrap, and man after my own heart!

I would not say that the thread is to blame for the result in the second one. In my personal opinion, and experience, Tiger thread is one of the ugliest threads out there... Probably one of the best in quality, but oh so ugly!

You need to hammer down the Amy Roke ones and the fact that you used what I assume where French Pricking Irons when with Nigel and Japanese ones here also plays a major role in how the final result differs.

You cannot judge your progress if the tools are not the same.

That being said, the pouch you made on your own is good. I think you are being too hard on yourself and you should try to remember that you are at the beginning of your craftsman journey. I understand it is hard to spend time online and seeing other crafters work and not compare your results to theirs, but try and avoid that.

For me, the stitching is not what needs to be improved to give a finer classier look. You need to work on your curve cutting technique so that the whole curve looks like one seamless line. Also, the burnishing: there are still stray fibers showing through your edge. Try to sand them down before burnishing.

Thank you Nica, much too kind.

I reviewed both pieces and then compared the leathers etc. The second one was a thicker hide and that rough flesh side didn't help. I then zoomed into the stitching and couldn't figure out why one is cleaner than the other. It turns out that the first one was stitched with Tiger thread and the second with Amy Roke. I did a practice straight piece and to me at least the stitching was again cleaner with the Tiger. If you really zoom in you can see stretch marks and white showing through. I shall try the same template as the first pouch again as it is bigger and easier to handle :).

Hi Perry, I would say these are pretty good attempts for a beginner! Yes, the first one looks better vs. second. If second one is a practice piece, I am wondering if you can 1) hammer down the stitches a bit 2) use a dark dye for the edges and burnish more. I have been tinkering with leather for a year now. Even when I think I have a technique down, I still manage to mess it up on certain days. So, be kind to yourself. Sometimes, I will ignore the project for a day or so and then come back to it with new eyes and fresh energy. It helps each time! Thanks for sharing your work.