Nettles, Treadles and Love

I finally added a leather strap to my felted bag I made in Katharine Jolda’s workshop.

I decided against a button closure for now.  We’ll see if I need one as I use it.

I found some leather, and tools to work with, at Frank’s Leather and Hides here in SF.  It is an ENORMOUS warehouse full of leather from floor to ceiling.  You can smell the place half-way down the block.  The proprietor Frank was friendly and helpful to me, though with a somewhat strange sense of humor, but you can see on this yelp listing the many various reviews of him and the place and some pics on this blog post.

I found a nice scrap piece, and bought some rotating shears and cutting mat.

I cut a long strap which I then cut two long strips into to be able to braid it.  I think in the end I made them too wide and the braid came out a little chunky.

As you start braiding one end, the other end simultaneously braids too.  You somehow braid one side and then the other and then flip it when they meet.  It was tricky and I don’t know if I did it right.  I was just winging it.

I attached them based on trying to duplicate what Katharine had done to hers.  Made a tiny hole in the felt and used some upholstery needles to get the leather through.

I used a leather piece on the inside to disperse the pressure from the handle on the felt.

Finis.