Made a shooting bag

[prairie dog]

My youngest boy need a shooting bag so I dug around in my "stuff" to see what I had to make one.

The leather came off an old sofa I saw sitting on a curb (waiting for the trash truck) one day. ( I made a quick U-turn and skinned it.) The brass buckle is from one of my old leather belts that grew too short hanging in the closet.  The brass D ring came off something I can't remember and the brass eagle pin came out of his Grandmothers costume jewelry box.

I drew the pattern on graph paper using the powder horn as a guide for my curved lines.



I did all the stitching by hand.  It did not turn out exactly as I had in mind, but I learned from my mistakes and I believe my next attempt will be better.





In any event, my boy got a functional shooting bag, I got some practice in leather working, and the cost for the materials was "free".  Hard to beat a deal like that.  

[greyhunter]

Nicely done PD. don't fret the stitching as long as it holds! Found goods are good goods! Funny you say, I have the same problem with my belts hanging in the closet, growing shorter. Hmm.

[Gambia]

Everbody has to start somewhere and I'd say you did a pretty good job.

[Spotted Bull]

Awesome job for a first time! Stitches look nice and even! Very well done!

[pathfinder]

Funny you say, I have the same problem with my belts hanging in the closet, growing shorter. Hmm.

As I understand it,beer has an adverse effect on certain types of leather,mostly on the 5-8oz variety,and as fate would have it,that's what most belt's are made of. The effect is shrinkage!

Nice job for a first try! Be warned though,it's addicting.

[Roaddog]

Ya did a darn good job there PD. Keep up the good work.

[sse]

Good job...

( I made a quick U-turn and skinned it.)

Road kill shootin bag...LOL

[Hanshi]

Mistakes?  What mistakes?

[prairie dog]

A couple of mistakes.  One, the flap did not work out to be as long as I thought it would.  I didn't allow enough for the overlap of the bag.  There were also "puckers" where the leather had stretched.  Those spots didn't lay flat when I traced my pattern so the parts didn't line up square and the puckers are still there in the finished bag.  But it was a learning experience and not a costly mistake seeing as the "road kill sofa" gave up it's hide freely.

[rickevans]

The leather came off an old sofa I saw sitting on a curb (waiting for the trash truck) one day. ( I made a quick U-turn and skinned it.)

This. I need to tell my bride that I am NOT the only one like this...

Nice work there PD.  Good planning and I like that D ring on the strap to hold things like a powder measure, pick and brush or in this case a capper. Good idea. It looks great. Your yongster no doubt is shining in pride as his hand made shooting bag.

[pathfinder]

This. I need to tell my bride that I am NOT the only one like this...

Back when my youngest step-daughter was @ 14,she WOULD NOT ask for a ride ANYWHERE on wendsday's,garbage day. IF she did,as soon as I started slowing the truck down,she would dive under the dash so her freind's wouldnt see her!

You can take a heat gun to the hide and it will "shrink" back to it's original shape. Spent years in the furniture repair biz and that's a trick I used on leather furniture that had "packing dent's" in the panel's. You'd be surprized at how much heat those hides can take. Hold the heat gun @ 1' away and keep it moving around,you'll actually see the hide re-shape it's self. good way to avoid "pucker's"  

Another family "secret" unleashed on the world! BBWWHAHAHAHA!!!

[prairie dog]

Good advice.  I will remember that.

[Bison Horn]

 Nice job PD!

[Caddo]

Looks great!