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A tip for leather working is to work on a much more solid surface for cutting. Your foldout table is not solid enough to do proper cutting. You want a heavy, solid surface underneath, it helps a ton. Also, a fresh blade definitely helps. I'd suggest looking into the TH-cam channel skill tree, they do all sorts of leather work and other things on there, with amazing tips.
Thank you for not editing your “mistakes” as you learn something new, or the cuts on your hands you get while learning this new skill. As a crafter, blood, sweat and tears are real! Totally relating right now!
Hiya! Semi-experienced leatherworking here!(been doing it actively for about a year). For cutting the most important thing is to always have a very sharp blade, so you dont have to use much force to get through the leather. I use a box cutter myself, so I can snap off the blade when it gets dull. But i know more professional workers use a leather knife like a moon shaped one or a skiver that they sharpen before every cutting project. For the wetting of the leather before tooling it; you should get it wet to the point that water droplets sit on top of it when you try to add more. Professionals will tell you to let it sit like that for 10 minutes and then re-apply so it gets properly soaked through, but im too impatient for that lmao. Also small tip for something I ran into and didnt see much advice for: after using an alcohol based dye like fiebings the leather can lose its natural oil and then crack/wrinkle when you try to bend it. Treating it with mink or neatsfoot oil will solve that. Hope thats helpful! Absolutely love how this set came out, the tooling and colours are gorgeous!!
I went to Weaver Leather (I am also an Ohioan Libra who is getting into Leathercrafting, and just made my first visit to Tandy Leather lol), and the very nice woman told me that Fiebing's isn't all alcohol. They have uh, and pro dye? And a something else. Maybe it's just "Leather color"? But it doesn't have as much alcohol and I think has oil or something in it. One of the two, presumably the oil, seals up the porosity of the leather, and leaves it really difficult to re-dye. But the other one, maybe the alcohol? It does dry it out, but you can layer the color, and apply more coats/colors. If you're worried about "tiger striping", perhaps the oil is good. If you want the striping, or different layers, perhaps the alcohol is better. I think they mentioned a third type, perhaps it was one of the aging... stains or dyes, but I think the oil/alcohol distinction may help someone reading. Good luck in your leatherworking adventure!
Hey I'm a leatherworker! You've done really good! First please know that you didnt do anything wrong. This is just some tips for efficiency, or speed, or ease of use (if you want them. If not, hi, loved the video!) - I use a utility knife/box cutter, and put a new blade in for every project. Usually both sides can get me through most projects. - With thicker leather like this, dont try and cut all the way through on the first pass, do at least 2. You'll save so much energy. - Your leaf shapes look awesome! I usually round out all the points and simplify the shape significantly so it's easier to get the wood burnisher (or other smaller tools) in there. Brave to do it more life like, looks great! - You were correct to wet the leather before tooling, but some efficiency suggestions: + Wet it A LOT more. Get it WET. If it seeps through to the back side, you've gone maybe a bit too wet but the actual pro's submerge it in a pot, so... + Let it dry for quite a while (10 or 15 minutes??). You want it to feel cold and look aaalmost like it's original colour. Then it's ready to tool. + Use an actual knife instead of your spatula. What you did is honestly fine, it's a great start. But it could sponge back out over time if it's just a recess. A cut will stay forever. Your tool pack might have a carving knife in it, google a "Swivel knife". It's got a U shaped spinny bit at the top and a small blade at the bottom. - I do have one concern though. Unless you didn't show it on camera, you need to be really careful with Fiebings Pro Dye. It can bleed like an artery if you dont do it right, so please watch your clothes and keep an eye on the dye for signs of wear. After applying it, you should buff it. Rub an absorbent rag across it VIGOROUSLY until the rag doesnt pick up any dye. I usually do this right after dying, and then 4 hours later (or overnight whichever is easier at the time). Then I put a sealant like Resolene on it. - If you do notice dye bleeding, in your case I would say just do another round of Resolene. Both outside and inside, since it seems you dyed the inside too. It's best to dilute the Resolene with water, up to 50/50 but I just eyeball it. Like paint, you want to do 2 thinner coats instead of one thick one. Less visible brush strokes, and it doesnt let the leather absorb a ton of it. You want it to rest on the surface. Other than that, you did great! You've made me want to try getting some paint to add colour to my leaves. I usually just dye them green, but the extra tones make it look so cool! Hopefully you dont give up on leather from the cutting experience. It's an awesome material.
Hi! Experienced leather worker here (been doing this for about 5 or 6 years now) I saw in the comments that people like to use box cutters and the like. I personally recommend getting some leather scissors, they are a bit pricier but they are totally worth it. They've saved my hands from so much pain. As for smaller details I actually do prefer a box cutter, but I try to do as much as I can with the scissors. A bunch of other people went over everything else I could recommend doing to help your leather work in the future. But great job and beautiful outcome!
I was about to make this same comment. I’m not at all a professional and only took it up as a hobby but, oh mah gawd, leather scissors made it THAT much easier. Totally worth the money
Using a squirt bottle might help to get a more even dampening of the leather. The water opens up the grain of the leather and through capilary action allows the dye to soak in and spread more evenly. Also I suggest getting a grommet machine, I just Got one and its awesome!
I second the grommet machine. I've had my cast iron beast for 20 years now. I've only recently realized I use it less lately because I got a bad lot of 1000 grommets that split. Buy from reputable sellers, not random shops on ebay.
I didn’t see anyone else talk about this, but Fiskars makes an ergonomic exacto knife that has a little scoop that goes around your index finger and takes pretty much all the pressure off of your fingers and hands. I also saw someone else talk about leather scissors, which I personally have not used, but also sounds like an excellent idea. I’m sure you could cut the majority out with the scissors and use the ergonomic blade for details. I do very small projects, so I haven’t seen a need to buy scissors, but those sound like a really great idea, I might get my own pair, lol I deal with chronic pain that is especially focused in my hands and fingers, I always look out for ergonomic tools I can use. I highly recommend it for anyone, not just those who suffer from chronic pain or other chronic health conditions
You deserve a grommet press! Also, watching this video makes me really want to work on leather projects, and I'm currently sewing drapes which is very boring.
Small tip i learnt from my leather worker friends, you want to submerge the leather in water untill bubbles stop appearing. The leather should then be sufficiently wet enough without constantly having to re-apply and the dye will seep into the leather a bit better, also using a daubber or sponge will help spread the dye easier too. It looks absolutely amazing for your first leather project.
There are actual leather scissors, if you'd like to go that route. The very easiest way to cut leather is a nicely sharpened knife (not exacto), but I personally am not experienced with knife sharpening, so I go with the leather scissors. I am happy you are getting into leather! I like it a lot and I think it has a reputation for being harder to do than it is.
I don't know the first thing about leatherworking, but this is absolutely STUNNING, especially considering it's the first time you've worked with leather. Love this! 🍁
*sees leatherworking in the title: special interest mode activated*. I highly recommend watching weaver leather supplys youtube channel, they have tutorals and teach you literally everything you need to know about leatherworking. pretty good for a first try! here are some notes and tips from someone who has been leatherworking for years if you want. --good on you for making a mock-up from foam, it's the best material to use for leather mockups --it's better to use a sturdy box cutter than an x-acto knife to cut pattern pieces, it lets you put more pressure on the blade without hurting your wrist or fingies (looks like you did use a small box cutter for some of it, but I'm talking about the kind that has a big handle that uses those trapezoid blades). leather shears or just plain sharp scissors also work unless your leather is really thick. sharpen the blade before each use (get some jewelers rouge and put some on a piece of scrap leather, it's called stropping) . it's better to make multiple cuts to get through the leather than do one big jagged cut that ruins your edges. --if you want to get into detailed tooling, get a swivel knife. you didn't use one in this video but x-actos really really can't replace them. --water burnishing is just fine shhh you don't have to buy tokenole or wax unless you really really want shiny perfect fashion designer edges it's ok no one's mad --the way to tell if you leather is wet enough is to put water on it until it doesn't absorb all the water on the surface right away, then wait a little bit for it to lighten up to almost its original color again. then you can start tooling. you can mark the leather with anything really, as long as it doesn't tear or scratch up the surface --never heard about wetting the leather before dyeing, you don't have to do that. just use a sponge or dauber and put it on evenly. dabbing it on with a paper towel or rag is a good way to do artistic tecniques, but a bad way to get an even color. --get leather antique gel, it brings out the details that you spent so long tooling. you put it on and wipe it off and it basically works like adding a dark wash when painting with paints. there's also white antique that you can add cool colors to. --would reccomend dyeing instead of painting, dye soaks into the leather, while paint sits on the surface. it's fine and valid, I just personally prefer dye to paint. this is where dabbing with a rag or paper towel would be great. dyeing the leaves dark green and then dabbing on dark brown at the edges would be a cool way to do it. --did you know that you can use your wood burning tools on leather? it's almost exactly the same as doing it with foam! you know, except it gets dark where you burn it instead of just melting it. (do this with ventilation or outside, it smells like burning hair and skin....because it that's what it is). I've never tried it personally so idk if you need to change any settings on the tools. --in fact, basically anything you can do with foam, you can do with leather. instead of forming it with a heat gun, you just soak the leather and wait for it to dry a bit before forming
I use a burnisher that fits in my drill, and it makes things so much better! Great job taking the step to leather, I look forward to where you go with leather.
If you want some beginner friendly advices with leather, there this TH-camr, Skill tree who has a full playlist on leather work with everything very well explained and a very similar vibe to you.
1:15 HOLY SHIT!! THAT LEATHER CORSET WITH THE RAVEN ON IT IS SOMETHING I HELPED MAKE!!! I really wanted a piece like your raven corset a couple years ago but I didn't want to completely copy what you did, so I reached out to a leatherworking etsy seller with my design to make it! The one listed is a version where the color was slightly off. BUT THAT'S MY CORSET! FEATURED IN A VIDEO!! OH MY GOD!!
glad you didn't get an infection from all of those cuts! Increase the diameter of the tool handle and maybe contour it to your hand. That will increase the surface contact area of the tool to hand. Hope that helps!
The finished product is so beautiful and looks clean! I think to make it brighter, maybe a yellow/gold color? This is so professional. It looks like you live in this outfit, like you use it for day to day. It’s just so good!
Our girl listened to me about the leatherworking!!! I'm so excited! Don't feel bad about the cutting process. I take DAYS to cut out the pieces for a project because it is very hard on the hands and wrists. You can get a Dremel bevel tip that makes that part a little less arduous, and typically I use water for this just so the beeswax won't affect any dyes I add later. It turned out great! Edit: Cutting tip! For round edges, you can get various sizes of half-circle punches so you're not having to do it with a knife. You can also do straight edges against a metal ruler. Sharpen your blade after EVERY CUT. This seems excessive, but it makes your cuts cleaner and is easier on the hands in the end because you don't have to use quite as much force to go all the way through. Hope this helps!
Ain't no way I'm coming back to this channel after a few months of not watching any videos from it and then like a week later there's a new video and I see it 4 minutes after it's upload. It seems YT reeeaaally likes me today!
Swivel knife! You may even have one in your leather kit but they are AMAZING for saving your hands! Also wetting the leather before hand helps but may lead to wavy edges if you arent careful!
Brain so happy watching this, oh those leaf textures, oh the perfection of using dead stuff to make a dead leaf pattern, oh the b e a u t y of the shiny grommets on the dark stain and those pretty little lacings like woven twigs.... true autumn bliss, thank you (and the helper cat) (100% recommend not trying to cut through leather in one slice, doing many smaller ones will save the hands much pain)
You need to get a grommet press 😭 I'm 2 seconds away from trying to buy you one. Also recommend a spray bottle for wetting the leather if you ever plan on doing this again
So what art thing haven't you tried yet? 3D modeling/blender? Pastels? Wood whitling and then clothing it in hand knitted clothes? You could do a challenge where you try to make an art piece with as many mediums as possible.
she actually did do a 3d modeling video and blender video a few months ago called "I tried to learn 3d printing and modeling in 7 days" 9 months ago so she has even done that which is so cool!
I see you struggling with your knives and I absolutely have to say this : buy yourself a Olfa box cutter and an Excel blade knife with extra blades for each! You'll see those will be the last ones you'll buy EVER!!!!! Also, buy a stone to shapen your blades from time to time so you won't change them too much because it is not necessary to change blades often when you cut soft materials! (This is something I learn from Kamui cosplay 😅) (Unless you lost them😅) No joke! An handimam/handyman here will tell you that those 2 are the best! 😊 Amazing project like always I really enjoy your videos!
I am only painter but I LOVE watching all your different projects, I am mesmerized by how perfect you make everything, even if it is your first time trying. This autumn corset is just gorgeous!!! ❤️ Keep crafting everything, you arewesome!
It feel illegal to be this early lmao Also, suggestion if you want it: a dress that looks like a huge leaf or a shirt inspired by cherry blossoms (maybe iridescent??)
As a college student, I love watching your videos on my lunch break because it's nice to watch someone else be creative on my break from academics lol. Keep up the great work!
Love that after complaining the whole process through you say at the end how much you knew you were gonna love leather working haha (No shade though, that's so real). This turned out so cool!!! I'm always impressed with the things you make, especially when you just throw yourself into the deep end
While I don't have much experience with tooling leather, I work in a leather studio, and we use large, extra-sharp rotary cutters for the majority of our cuts. They wouldn't work for anything detailed, but the make cutting lines and long cuts so much easier.
For the rather straight/longer cuts, I got myself an electric, rotating blade. Very nice tool. For the finer, more detailed cuts - I always keep my sharpening stone handy. You can do nothing more than to always keep your blade sharp. Also, never try to cut heavy leather in one go. You just hurt yourself. You are sure you are not an elf?
I never minded the grommet setting part of leatherworking but that's probably because we use one of those rotary leather punches for the holes (do not get a cheap one, my weak little hands flattened one of those in a month of casual use, get a decent one). And we have these things that look a bit like garden shears for trimming edges of leather straps etc., they've got a blade on the top and a pad of something like self-healing mat material to cut against, definitely a hand saver. And I've used scissors for thinner leathers, though I think you can get specific leather scissors which will save your hands a lot.
I'm a beginner leather worker too. I heard you say that the mat you are working on probably needs to be changed out. What I recommend would be to use the paper that your leather is wrapped in to use your dyes on. It will protect your work surface and prevent dye getting to the bottom of your piece(s), as long as you let your work surface dry enough. I have boxes that I have saved that say "protect paper". Any of the heavy wrapping paper that I get from the orders, I usually keep for this purpose. Just a recommendation.
This is so well timed, I just started making plans to re-make some of my foam armor in real leather for durability and I've been researching how to start leather working, so really nice to see a beginner attempt something similar!
i've done leatherwork and i rough cut with a pair of scissors, then do the detail cutting with very sharp exactos. and i don't press hard enough to cut through something as thick as your leather in 1 go. i make layered cuts. takes a but longer, but my hands don't want to die after.
I use a sharp pair of scissors to cut leather up to 4oz thick except for strait edges where i use a rotary tool and a metal ruler. Your projects always look excellent. Great job!
So excited for the rest of your autumn content ! This was fantastic and is kinda encouraging me to break out the leather I’ve had in my closet for a year and give leather working a shot
This was a delight to listen to while sewing leather. For cutting, I recommend using the box cutter for big cuts and the xcto blade for small detailed cuts. Echoing a few others: multiple shallow cuts is better (and safer) than trying to get it one go. Forcing a blade to move is how you get nasty cuts. As for not beating up your hands, it's a mix of knowing to take breaks and just simply building up the calluses on your hands. I've been doing leatherwork for a decade and my hands are getting rough lol I think the corset ended up great, and the tooling did get the texture of a leaf! If you have plans to continue doing leatherwork (and I hope you do!) I highly recommend the Leather Element videos on Weaver Leather's channel. They cover the basics (and more advanced stuff) very well. One thing I will add is that I *highly* recommend a polyethylene cutting board over a wooden cutting board for hole punching. Wooden cutting boards will dull your tools faster and they last longer. (I used wooden cutting boards at the start as well, and I've broken every single one) I usually use one side just for punches and the other side just for tooling.
I designed a leather corset just like this inspired by your summer leaf corset!!! Im so excited to have a more direct guide when I get around to it hehehe
For any future leather adventures, I might suggest a swivel blade for cutting. Still learning novice leatherworker myself, but I have experienced that blister production from using a craft knife also. Having the swivel blade is very helpful for avoiding them more as well as makes curved lines a lot easier to cut as well. As for wetting the leather, yeah, you have to keep doing it sometimes as the water evaporates and the leather soaks up the water. Thicker pieces require more water to tool for longer. Love your designs and it is quite gratifying to watch the progress as you expand into new territories of materials.
Can't believe I didn't get a notification about this. I may be a fall guy but I still love leaves. As much as grommet time sucks I think it looks more like armour to my brain. If it was sewn it would read more as clothes. Don't know if that's just me.
The hand damage on the first project is always the worst, I bruised the palm of my hand punching holes the first time lol you are doing great! To avoid the cutting g pain I use a leather knife it's the Cresent shaped one and you change grip when it gets rough and just sharpen the k if when it dulls rather than need to replace. ALSO leather shears for cutting the leather down to a better more manageable size.
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A tip for leather working is to work on a much more solid surface for cutting. Your foldout table is not solid enough to do proper cutting. You want a heavy, solid surface underneath, it helps a ton. Also, a fresh blade definitely helps. I'd suggest looking into the TH-cam channel skill tree, they do all sorts of leather work and other things on there, with amazing tips.
if you want more leather turorial try looking up the stuff Clever has done on SkillTree hes got a lot of leather tutorials that you can dive into.
ILYSM UR AMAZINGGGGG U INSPIRED ME TO COSPLAY AND UR SO TALENTED OMG ILYSM (not in a weird way, in a kinda platonic way)
You know spooky season has begun when Kira begins morphing into a fall leaf like those Animorph book covers
a little leaf with a witch hat! 😂😂😂
Talk about a throwback. Holy autumn, Batman.
not the animorphs
I definitely spent 90% of my time staring at those covers and only 10% actually reading the books.
I aspire to be this whimsical
Same
Thank you for not editing your “mistakes” as you learn something new, or the cuts on your hands you get while learning this new skill. As a crafter, blood, sweat and tears are real! Totally relating right now!
Hiya! Semi-experienced leatherworking here!(been doing it actively for about a year). For cutting the most important thing is to always have a very sharp blade, so you dont have to use much force to get through the leather. I use a box cutter myself, so I can snap off the blade when it gets dull. But i know more professional workers use a leather knife like a moon shaped one or a skiver that they sharpen before every cutting project. For the wetting of the leather before tooling it; you should get it wet to the point that water droplets sit on top of it when you try to add more. Professionals will tell you to let it sit like that for 10 minutes and then re-apply so it gets properly soaked through, but im too impatient for that lmao. Also small tip for something I ran into and didnt see much advice for: after using an alcohol based dye like fiebings the leather can lose its natural oil and then crack/wrinkle when you try to bend it. Treating it with mink or neatsfoot oil will solve that. Hope thats helpful! Absolutely love how this set came out, the tooling and colours are gorgeous!!
Thank you!
I went to Weaver Leather (I am also an Ohioan Libra who is getting into Leathercrafting, and just made my first visit to Tandy Leather lol), and the very nice woman told me that Fiebing's isn't all alcohol. They have uh, and pro dye? And a something else. Maybe it's just "Leather color"? But it doesn't have as much alcohol and I think has oil or something in it. One of the two, presumably the oil, seals up the porosity of the leather, and leaves it really difficult to re-dye. But the other one, maybe the alcohol? It does dry it out, but you can layer the color, and apply more coats/colors. If you're worried about "tiger striping", perhaps the oil is good. If you want the striping, or different layers, perhaps the alcohol is better. I think they mentioned a third type, perhaps it was one of the aging... stains or dyes, but I think the oil/alcohol distinction may help someone reading. Good luck in your leatherworking adventure!
You and Rachel Maksy dropping autumn themed outfit makes a day apart is peak youtube and I am so here for it❤
Hey I'm a leatherworker! You've done really good! First please know that you didnt do anything wrong. This is just some tips for efficiency, or speed, or ease of use (if you want them. If not, hi, loved the video!)
- I use a utility knife/box cutter, and put a new blade in for every project. Usually both sides can get me through most projects.
- With thicker leather like this, dont try and cut all the way through on the first pass, do at least 2. You'll save so much energy.
- Your leaf shapes look awesome! I usually round out all the points and simplify the shape significantly so it's easier to get the wood burnisher (or other smaller tools) in there. Brave to do it more life like, looks great!
- You were correct to wet the leather before tooling, but some efficiency suggestions:
+ Wet it A LOT more. Get it WET. If it seeps through to the back side, you've gone maybe a bit too wet but the actual pro's submerge it in a pot, so...
+ Let it dry for quite a while (10 or 15 minutes??). You want it to feel cold and look aaalmost like it's original colour. Then it's ready to tool.
+ Use an actual knife instead of your spatula. What you did is honestly fine, it's a great start. But it could sponge back out over time if it's just a recess. A cut will stay forever. Your tool pack might have a carving knife in it, google a "Swivel knife". It's got a U shaped spinny bit at the top and a small blade at the bottom.
- I do have one concern though. Unless you didn't show it on camera, you need to be really careful with Fiebings Pro Dye. It can bleed like an artery if you dont do it right, so please watch your clothes and keep an eye on the dye for signs of wear. After applying it, you should buff it. Rub an absorbent rag across it VIGOROUSLY until the rag doesnt pick up any dye. I usually do this right after dying, and then 4 hours later (or overnight whichever is easier at the time). Then I put a sealant like Resolene on it.
- If you do notice dye bleeding, in your case I would say just do another round of Resolene. Both outside and inside, since it seems you dyed the inside too. It's best to dilute the Resolene with water, up to 50/50 but I just eyeball it. Like paint, you want to do 2 thinner coats instead of one thick one. Less visible brush strokes, and it doesnt let the leather absorb a ton of it. You want it to rest on the surface.
Other than that, you did great! You've made me want to try getting some paint to add colour to my leaves. I usually just dye them green, but the extra tones make it look so cool!
Hopefully you dont give up on leather from the cutting experience. It's an awesome material.
I mean we all know what this means right?
In winter we better be seeing an
*icicle glass corset* ❄️⛄️
Ooohh that's sound incredible! Out of resin with clear warbla maybe?
@@smileyemilyful mesh corset base with a ton of acrylic/glass/epoxy crystal beads on top and maybe some sequins and glitter.
Hi! Experienced leather worker here (been doing this for about 5 or 6 years now) I saw in the comments that people like to use box cutters and the like. I personally recommend getting some leather scissors, they are a bit pricier but they are totally worth it. They've saved my hands from so much pain. As for smaller details I actually do prefer a box cutter, but I try to do as much as I can with the scissors. A bunch of other people went over everything else I could recommend doing to help your leather work in the future. But great job and beautiful outcome!
I was about to make this same comment. I’m not at all a professional and only took it up as a hobby but, oh mah gawd, leather scissors made it THAT much easier. Totally worth the money
I have a pair of leather scissors (they're lefty!
Kira becoming a leaf, Rachel becoming an acorn. Truely the most magical time of year (and im stuck in f-ing spring😢)
“I have no idea what I am doing, I’m just here to have fun man….” said every crafter ever. Welcome to the club Kira!
Thank you for all you share. 😊💝
Using a squirt bottle might help to get a more even dampening of the leather. The water opens up the grain of the leather and through capilary action allows the dye to soak in and spread more evenly. Also I suggest getting a grommet machine, I just Got one and its awesome!
I second the grommet machine. I've had my cast iron beast for 20 years now. I've only recently realized I use it less lately because I got a bad lot of 1000 grommets that split. Buy from reputable sellers, not random shops on ebay.
You and Rachel Maksy are on the same wavelength I swear! I love it.
you know the autumn season is gonna hit hard when rachel posts an acorn corset and kira posts a leaf corset
@@PoptropiCoffin I literally finished Rachel’s video when she uploaded this gem.
Agreed, and I would absolutely love to see both of them work together!
@@josi_k. I want the same!
How dare youtube hide this from me for 2 minutes
Same
10 minutes
It hid it from me for a HOUR
Real 😭 4 WEEKS FOR ME >:(
@ kobi4965 ANOTHER FELLOW ENBY SPOTTED :D
I didn’t see anyone else talk about this, but Fiskars makes an ergonomic exacto knife that has a little scoop that goes around your index finger and takes pretty much all the pressure off of your fingers and hands. I also saw someone else talk about leather scissors, which I personally have not used, but also sounds like an excellent idea.
I’m sure you could cut the majority out with the scissors and use the ergonomic blade for details. I do very small projects, so I haven’t seen a need to buy scissors, but those sound like a really great idea, I might get my own pair, lol
I deal with chronic pain that is especially focused in my hands and fingers, I always look out for ergonomic tools I can use. I highly recommend it for anyone, not just those who suffer from chronic pain or other chronic health conditions
I have the scissors and haven't used them yet. I should try them. 😊
I needed a new seam ripper and the only one available was an ergonomic one. Caught me out how much more comfortable it was to use!
@leilasmila right? I've gotten a few with a longer handel, and that already a huge improvement to the tiny ones, but my ergonomic one is my favorite!
You deserve a grommet press! Also, watching this video makes me really want to work on leather projects, and I'm currently sewing drapes which is very boring.
how the gentle wind beckons through the leaves as autumn colours fall, dancing in a swirl of golden memories, the loveliest lies of all
Small tip i learnt from my leather worker friends, you want to submerge the leather in water untill bubbles stop appearing. The leather should then be sufficiently wet enough without constantly having to re-apply and the dye will seep into the leather a bit better, also using a daubber or sponge will help spread the dye easier too. It looks absolutely amazing for your first leather project.
26:33 the eyeballs on the paint pallette are immaculate and I feel like fit the vibe of your channel perfectly
There are actual leather scissors, if you'd like to go that route. The very easiest way to cut leather is a nicely sharpened knife (not exacto), but I personally am not experienced with knife sharpening, so I go with the leather scissors. I am happy you are getting into leather! I like it a lot and I think it has a reputation for being harder to do than it is.
I don't know the first thing about leatherworking, but this is absolutely STUNNING, especially considering it's the first time you've worked with leather. Love this! 🍁
*sees leatherworking in the title: special interest mode activated*. I highly recommend watching weaver leather supplys youtube channel, they have tutorals and teach you literally everything you need to know about leatherworking. pretty good for a first try! here are some notes and tips from someone who has been leatherworking for years if you want.
--good on you for making a mock-up from foam, it's the best material to use for leather mockups
--it's better to use a sturdy box cutter than an x-acto knife to cut pattern pieces, it lets you put more pressure on the blade without hurting your wrist or fingies (looks like you did use a small box cutter for some of it, but I'm talking about the kind that has a big handle that uses those trapezoid blades). leather shears or just plain sharp scissors also work unless your leather is really thick. sharpen the blade before each use (get some jewelers rouge and put some on a piece of scrap leather, it's called stropping) . it's better to make multiple cuts to get through the leather than do one big jagged cut that ruins your edges.
--if you want to get into detailed tooling, get a swivel knife. you didn't use one in this video but x-actos really really can't replace them.
--water burnishing is just fine shhh you don't have to buy tokenole or wax unless you really really want shiny perfect fashion designer edges it's ok no one's mad
--the way to tell if you leather is wet enough is to put water on it until it doesn't absorb all the water on the surface right away, then wait a little bit for it to lighten up to almost its original color again. then you can start tooling. you can mark the leather with anything really, as long as it doesn't tear or scratch up the surface
--never heard about wetting the leather before dyeing, you don't have to do that. just use a sponge or dauber and put it on evenly. dabbing it on with a paper towel or rag is a good way to do artistic tecniques, but a bad way to get an even color.
--get leather antique gel, it brings out the details that you spent so long tooling. you put it on and wipe it off and it basically works like adding a dark wash when painting with paints. there's also white antique that you can add cool colors to.
--would reccomend dyeing instead of painting, dye soaks into the leather, while paint sits on the surface. it's fine and valid, I just personally prefer dye to paint. this is where dabbing with a rag or paper towel would be great. dyeing the leaves dark green and then dabbing on dark brown at the edges would be a cool way to do it.
--did you know that you can use your wood burning tools on leather? it's almost exactly the same as doing it with foam! you know, except it gets dark where you burn it instead of just melting it. (do this with ventilation or outside, it smells like burning hair and skin....because it that's what it is). I've never tried it personally so idk if you need to change any settings on the tools.
--in fact, basically anything you can do with foam, you can do with leather. instead of forming it with a heat gun, you just soak the leather and wait for it to dry a bit before forming
Best tip comment Ive seen so far!
I use a burnisher that fits in my drill, and it makes things so much better! Great job taking the step to leather, I look forward to where you go with leather.
If you want some beginner friendly advices with leather, there this TH-camr, Skill tree who has a full playlist on leather work with everything very well explained and a very similar vibe to you.
1:15 HOLY SHIT!! THAT LEATHER CORSET WITH THE RAVEN ON IT IS SOMETHING I HELPED MAKE!!! I really wanted a piece like your raven corset a couple years ago but I didn't want to completely copy what you did, so I reached out to a leatherworking etsy seller with my design to make it! The one listed is a version where the color was slightly off. BUT THAT'S MY CORSET! FEATURED IN A VIDEO!! OH MY GOD!!
Love the Racoon cameo in the back at 0:44
That is definitely the executive producer, not a raccoon. 🐈
glad you didn't get an infection from all of those cuts! Increase the diameter of the tool handle and maybe contour it to your hand. That will increase the surface contact area of the tool to hand. Hope that helps!
Less pressure on the blade can also help have more control over the blade.
The finished product is so beautiful and looks clean! I think to make it brighter, maybe a yellow/gold color? This is so professional. It looks like you live in this outfit, like you use it for day to day. It’s just so good!
Our girl listened to me about the leatherworking!!! I'm so excited! Don't feel bad about the cutting process. I take DAYS to cut out the pieces for a project because it is very hard on the hands and wrists. You can get a Dremel bevel tip that makes that part a little less arduous, and typically I use water for this just so the beeswax won't affect any dyes I add later. It turned out great!
Edit: Cutting tip! For round edges, you can get various sizes of half-circle punches so you're not having to do it with a knife. You can also do straight edges against a metal ruler. Sharpen your blade after EVERY CUT. This seems excessive, but it makes your cuts cleaner and is easier on the hands in the end because you don't have to use quite as much force to go all the way through. Hope this helps!
Dull knives are dangerous knives
I would have watched an hour long video of you doing leatherwork. Very entertaining!
We have been blessed by the whimsical goth lady once again
Ain't no way I'm coming back to this channel after a few months of not watching any videos from it and then like a week later there's a new video and I see it 4 minutes after it's upload.
It seems YT reeeaaally likes me today!
Swivel knife! You may even have one in your leather kit but they are AMAZING for saving your hands! Also wetting the leather before hand helps but may lead to wavy edges if you arent careful!
Got the notification and ran to TH-cam. Only natural response when my favorite TH-camr uploads! 🖤✨
You are a prodigy, everything you do, even for the first time ever, turns out at least decent, most of the time turns out great :D
Buying the correct cutting tools will improve everything your hands, time, and overall projects
Brain so happy watching this, oh those leaf textures, oh the perfection of using dead stuff to make a dead leaf pattern, oh the b e a u t y of the shiny grommets on the dark stain and those pretty little lacings like woven twigs.... true autumn bliss, thank you (and the helper cat) (100% recommend not trying to cut through leather in one slice, doing many smaller ones will save the hands much pain)
Kira and Rachel both posting fall related videos this week?? Crunchy leaf season has officially started😌🍂
You need to get a grommet press 😭 I'm 2 seconds away from trying to buy you one. Also recommend a spray bottle for wetting the leather if you ever plan on doing this again
So what art thing haven't you tried yet? 3D modeling/blender? Pastels? Wood whitling and then clothing it in hand knitted clothes? You could do a challenge where you try to make an art piece with as many mediums as possible.
she actually did do a 3d modeling video and blender video a few months ago called "I tried to learn 3d printing and modeling in 7 days" 9 months ago so she has even done that which is so cool!
Taking a break from watching dead boy detectives only for you Kira
26:33 He’s staring through my soul😶🫥
I see you struggling with your knives and I absolutely have to say this : buy yourself a Olfa box cutter and an Excel blade knife with extra blades for each!
You'll see those will be the last ones you'll buy EVER!!!!! Also, buy a stone to shapen your blades from time to time so you won't change them too much because it is not necessary to change blades often when you cut soft materials! (This is something I learn from Kamui cosplay 😅)
(Unless you lost them😅)
No joke! An handimam/handyman here will tell you that those 2 are the best!
😊
Amazing project like always I really enjoy your videos!
I am only painter but I LOVE watching all your different projects, I am mesmerized by how perfect you make everything, even if it is your first time trying. This autumn corset is just gorgeous!!! ❤️ Keep crafting everything, you arewesome!
“like halloween threw up on it” 😂😂😂
That's exactly the spirit I love! 😂
You are one of the best and most underrated artists out there omg. With CONSISTENT uploads!!
You’ve given countless renaissance Festival ideas and inspo! I’d love if you do a video on designs or something you’d make or wear to one!
It feel illegal to be this early lmao
Also, suggestion if you want it: a dress that looks like a huge leaf or a shirt inspired by cherry blossoms (maybe iridescent??)
As a college student, I love watching your videos on my lunch break because it's nice to watch someone else be creative on my break from academics lol. Keep up the great work!
The momo eyes on the pallet in the end😭
Love that after complaining the whole process through you say at the end how much you knew you were gonna love leather working haha (No shade though, that's so real). This turned out so cool!!! I'm always impressed with the things you make, especially when you just throw yourself into the deep end
Thank you for that kitty moment Kira…I NEEDED that. Unfortunately they are too cute when being a**holes! 😂☺️
I was just looking for fall outfit inspiration and summoned Kira
Oooh this is SO COOL!! These turned out amazing seriously! Makes me want to try leatherworking too.
Thank you so much! You absolutely should, I bet you would make some incredible stuff with leather ✨
While I don't have much experience with tooling leather, I work in a leather studio, and we use large, extra-sharp rotary cutters for the majority of our cuts. They wouldn't work for anything detailed, but the make cutting lines and long cuts so much easier.
in love with the cans of beans as pattern weights at 6:02 /gen
For the rather straight/longer cuts, I got myself an electric, rotating blade. Very nice tool. For the finer, more detailed cuts - I always keep my sharpening stone handy. You can do nothing more than to always keep your blade sharp. Also, never try to cut heavy leather in one go. You just hurt yourself.
You are sure you are not an elf?
the box of loose patterns stresses me out. this is such a cool idea and the corset turned out amazing!
I love for you that you started on leatherworking! I think you can make so much more high quality projects now!
no wayy I just bought some leather yesterday to work with for the first time, this is perfect
Fall is the best season… can’t wait to see what you do next
i enjoyed hearing your in the moment thought process and little ramblings during the leather imprinting part!!
WOW! You look incredible. One of my favorites, which is saying a lot because you make incredible designs.
I never minded the grommet setting part of leatherworking but that's probably because we use one of those rotary leather punches for the holes (do not get a cheap one, my weak little hands flattened one of those in a month of casual use, get a decent one). And we have these things that look a bit like garden shears for trimming edges of leather straps etc., they've got a blade on the top and a pad of something like self-healing mat material to cut against, definitely a hand saver. And I've used scissors for thinner leathers, though I think you can get specific leather scissors which will save your hands a lot.
That looks incredible, especially for a first attempt.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH YOUR INSPIRING ME TO GET BACK INTO SEWING TYYYY MWAH
Autumn is my favorite season
I'm a beginner leather worker too. I heard you say that the mat you are working on probably needs to be changed out. What I recommend would be to use the paper that your leather is wrapped in to use your dyes on. It will protect your work surface and prevent dye getting to the bottom of your piece(s), as long as you let your work surface dry enough. I have boxes that I have saved that say "protect paper". Any of the heavy wrapping paper that I get from the orders, I usually keep for this purpose. Just a recommendation.
You did amazing job on your first leather project. It is just lovely.
This is so well timed, I just started making plans to re-make some of my foam armor in real leather for durability and I've been researching how to start leather working, so really nice to see a beginner attempt something similar!
Leafs! Leafs! 🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁
Praise the Autumn!
Such a fun experience to learn leather working !
i've done leatherwork and i rough cut with a pair of scissors, then do the detail cutting with very sharp exactos. and i don't press hard enough to cut through something as thick as your leather in 1 go. i make layered cuts. takes a but longer, but my hands don't want to die after.
I use a sharp pair of scissors to cut leather up to 4oz thick except for strait edges where i use a rotary tool and a metal ruler. Your projects always look excellent. Great job!
Gorgeous! I absolutely love it all 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 Bravo!!
Ahhh i am the biggest fullmetal fan and out of nowhere you come with winry rockbell!
That makes me happy (:
Cuts are the blood sacrifices for the creative gods
This turned out STUNNING!
So excited for the rest of your autumn content ! This was fantastic and is kinda encouraging me to break out the leather I’ve had in my closet for a year and give leather working a shot
Your videos do scream “vast reservoirs of unearned confidence”
Nice to see you working more with leather ❤
This was a delight to listen to while sewing leather. For cutting, I recommend using the box cutter for big cuts and the xcto blade for small detailed cuts. Echoing a few others: multiple shallow cuts is better (and safer) than trying to get it one go. Forcing a blade to move is how you get nasty cuts. As for not beating up your hands, it's a mix of knowing to take breaks and just simply building up the calluses on your hands. I've been doing leatherwork for a decade and my hands are getting rough lol
I think the corset ended up great, and the tooling did get the texture of a leaf! If you have plans to continue doing leatherwork (and I hope you do!) I highly recommend the Leather Element videos on Weaver Leather's channel. They cover the basics (and more advanced stuff) very well.
One thing I will add is that I *highly* recommend a polyethylene cutting board over a wooden cutting board for hole punching. Wooden cutting boards will dull your tools faster and they last longer. (I used wooden cutting boards at the start as well, and I've broken every single one) I usually use one side just for punches and the other side just for tooling.
My god Kira, that looks so beautiful!
long time lurker, but had to comment - this is so impressive! inspired me to have a go at leather crafting. Great job!
Everything came out awesome sauce!!
I designed a leather corset just like this inspired by your summer leaf corset!!! Im so excited to have a more direct guide when I get around to it hehehe
That is pretty dang impressive for a first try.
For any future leather adventures, I might suggest a swivel blade for cutting. Still learning novice leatherworker myself, but I have experienced that blister production from using a craft knife also. Having the swivel blade is very helpful for avoiding them more as well as makes curved lines a lot easier to cut as well.
As for wetting the leather, yeah, you have to keep doing it sometimes as the water evaporates and the leather soaks up the water. Thicker pieces require more water to tool for longer.
Love your designs and it is quite gratifying to watch the progress as you expand into new territories of materials.
Can't believe I didn't get a notification about this. I may be a fall guy but I still love leaves.
As much as grommet time sucks I think it looks more like armour to my brain. If it was sewn it would read more as clothes. Don't know if that's just me.
The end result looks so good!
We love Kira Rockbell hours. Lovely video to kick off spooky season - your work is always one of my favorite parts about my favorite time of year! 💜
The hand damage on the first project is always the worst, I bruised the palm of my hand punching holes the first time lol you are doing great!
To avoid the cutting g pain I use a leather knife it's the Cresent shaped one and you change grip when it gets rough and just sharpen the k if when it dulls rather than need to replace. ALSO leather shears for cutting the leather down to a better more manageable size.
“Plagiarizing nature” is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard, subscribed 😂
I’m SO GLAD I FOUND YOUR CHANNEL!!!!! Your music is impeccable, designs are outstanding and THE EXECUTION? Totally fangirling rn
These pieces are gorgeous and have such a high quality finish ❤
This is amazing, and giving me way to much confidence in my craft making ability
First glance at the picture, read the thumbnail... Instantly liked. Sooo cool. And now I'm enjoying your video, Kira❤.
Kira's posts hit different when I'm sleep-deprived and in need of my comfort youtuber... :)
I am so here for the whimsical Fall vibes
okay, but is there anything Kira isn't good at? this came out so good!