It was below freezing outside but I’m still working on it (Larry) to get the show booth ready for a photo shoot. The belts are finally done and the walls should go faster. It snowed the last hour we were working outside. The cold sapped all of my energy and I am beat tonight. All of the belts on the ends of the hooks have silver, brass or nickel plate buckles on them, plus we had to go back and oil a lot of the leather hangers as the new leather was lighter colored than the old. I told Jean I was prepared for some snippy artist or a show management minion complaining about me selling buckles. If I am accepted, they have been juried in – “hard cheese” as the Brits. say. Note elevated tables for pedestals. Side wall belt spacings are different to give same perspective of back wall spacings. The final booth shot will only show about 1/3 of my show inventory. When it is all done I will post images of the "inventory booth" and the "museum booth".
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Overcast and 40 degrees but the deed is done and the first round of shots were sent of to Larry "The Man". The darn spur straps kept falling off the wall as velcro (sticky back side) doesn't stick that well in the cold. Finally threaded a tag tie through the peg board and around a stick on the back side. This saddle is an 1860's reproduction that was exhibited at Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame several years ago. Chinks, short ("sheepherder" for old southwest guys) chaps on left. This is hardly 1/3 if the inventory I display to make money. I hope newcomers get an idea, from this post, of how much work it takes to jump through show director's hoops to get into the shows YOU want to exhibit in, not necessarily those rated as the BEST.
it was below freezing all of last week and I was under gun to get saddle finished. It went out yesterday for baggage flight to Las Vegas, then on flight to Australia in a week after NFR (National Finals Rodeo).I'll be back working the booth this week, but am also dealing with finishing restoration work almost a year old. This is the "Dream Catcher" trick saddle. Yes, it is supposed to be "colours" - Aussies.
Beautiful -- what kind of a machine does that embroidery? and the pleating too?
How did you meet this client?
Old Singer 31-15 lockstitch machine with a roller foot. It is used by a lot of boot makers - the non-computer assisted guys. The design has to accomplish a lot of construction stuff like quilting to felt and saddle leather underneath, besides being decorative. I have two other saddles in Australia, and she contacted me from pictures of work in progress posted on Facebook. Everything was done by hand. The sewing machine was the only mechanization used. Its the old way of building them.
The edge sewing and handholds were sewn with a Luberto Classic lockstitch machine. It is a modern copy of the old Pierson 6 machine which the Brits sent out to their colonies in the 19th century. You can run it with motor or crank it by hand. The handholds are about 1" thick with about 3/8" thick rawhide as a core. The cantle (roll at back of seat) is sewn by hand. It is also about 1" thick. More than you want to know LOL.
Richard,
This is a beautiful piece of artwork. Is it for actual use or is it supposed to be on display only? I ask because I don't see how this beautiful piece of art could be used in a rodeo/riding event that would get it dirty.
My dh was a shoe repairman for about 7 years and took training from some guys in a shoe shop in New Orleans, the old Rap and Tap. Dh was meticulous about his work, like you are. If his stitches were not just so, he did the work over. Thanks for bringing back some good memories. Oh, by the way all his equipment was second hand some going back to the early 20th century. :D
Wow, that is awesome that your work will be used in actual shows or events.
Another young Canadian woman is performing at NFR using this saddle. It
is the second saddle I made for here. I started doing her saddles when she was about 16. I get a big kick out of seeing the performer's pictures on Facebook and recognizing what I made for them.
No, it isn't. I am a pretty good seamstress (I do lots of fiber things), but have never sewn on leather, but can see all the tricky things you are doing here, that I might do with a thin fabric. Show me your machines ... then show me a photo of your hands ;)
You have to be kidding: a photo of my hands??? During the show season I have to put band aids on my fingers so I don't scare the little kids and probably some adults. I tell my apprentices if they don't have at least one black fingernail, they are not working fast enough or hard enough LOL. Here are pictures of my sewing machines you asked about. All are sewing machines except the Union Lockstitch which is stitcher. A stitcher has an awl on top that makes a hole for the needle to come through up from the bottom. A looper throws the thread into the needle which hooks it and takes it down around the bobbin which is about 2.5" in diameter. It will sew really heavy stuff. A sewing machine has the needle making the hole and carrying the thread down where a hook catches it and takes it around the bobbin which are seldom over 1" in diameter.
Singer 31-15: light detailed sewing with nylon thread
Pfaff 145: first machine I bought after grad. school. Medium to light work with nylon thread.
Singer 51W-54: post machine for gusset work. I use this head on the 31-15 table with nylon thread.
Singer 20U-109: my new baby for light work on billfold and case interiors and a new tack on using up small scrap - "my kaleidoscope period" LOL. it uses light nylon thread.
Union Lockstitch: stitcher uses heavy linen thread that runs through a wax pot. A real touchy machine that you set and leave alone. A harness maker I know actually runs two of these with different settings.
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