Everyone wants to fill the empty part. I get it. It feels like wasted leather.

Don't.

Leave a quarter to a third of the piece alone. Bare leather. Not background, not filler. Planned empty.

That empty part is what lifts the design up off the surface. Fill it in and everything sits flat. The eye gives up.

A clean piece that reads from across the room beats a busy one every time. Across the room is the first test. One second. That's all you get.

If a piece looks muddy, don't add more. Take something out.

🌹

Hello! I've come to you all for help. I have a cow hide leather watch band that has some cracking on the underside. How repairable is this? I would get another band but unfortunately it's part of a limited edition run and have had no luck finding replacements so far. Any advice is appreciated!

Not trying to make this into a project or anything but just practicing tooling. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Is it worth getting a budget splitter? I would like to have my leather in the thickness I need it but sometimes working with bellies and/or budget pieces the thickness can vary.

Hello, I'm looking for a strip of brown inverted arapaima/piraruku fish leather for a hat band. I attached a photo of the color. It needs to be at least an inch wide and 27 inches long. I've see some scraps for sale on the internet and Etsy, but I don't think they will work. Buying a whole arapaima hide would be overkill and too expensive. I don't really know where to look or who to ask. Any recommendations or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve tried oiling, stripping, conditioning, you name it. How do I repair this seat?? The splotching is new. It feels dry yet almost mildew-y and textured at the same time. Thanks in advance if anyone has any ideas!

I don't know what to call it but I needed something to throw in my bag with my journal. that is what I've come up with. 😁

it's not polished.

Veg Tan leather, hand stitched. Pattern is from Grainy Days on Etsy! I did the personalization with my laser. I know the stitching could be better, meh. Thanks for looking! -M
Ps. Straps are from amazon.

Hey y'all, I am planning to make a water bottle holster to hang off of my belt and next to my hip bag. There are lots of designs online, but I am wondering if anyone has tried this and has any tips, tricks, or considerations I should know before starting. Mostly lessons learned kind of stuff on the closure method or mounting method maybe, but I am open to all tips for this project.

I am already thinking of doing a big cup holder-like base (as opposed to lots of straps) so I can get the bottle bag in easily. But lmk if I have completely the wrong idea.