A Stitch in Time

[Redmeadow Knives]

Those boots are insane, I can't imagine sewing that. The bags are beautiful too. My wife has been in the leather shop a lot lately, the kids are getting her up to par on the tools. We've been talking about maybe her making women's belts.

 

[Horsewright]

Those boots are insane, I can't imagine sewing that. The bags are beautiful too. My wife has been in the leather shop a lot lately, the kids are getting her up to par on the tools. We've been talking about maybe her making women's belts.

Well ya ain't gonna want to hear this but if ya get heavy into belts you’re gonna want a Cobra 18 running 138 thread top and bottom and size 20/22 needles. However that machine will open up a whole nuther world for ya of projects that it would do so much better then your Cobra 4 will struggle through. The 4 really does want to sew heavy projects and although ya can trick it sometimes into doing ok at lighter stuff, it will go haywire on ya sooner or later. Thats what we run a 4 and a 18. We were at a show one time and a very famous saddle maker was on one side of our booth and Ozuna Boot Co was on the other. Both guys were in our booth and asking Nichole what machine she was using to get such great stitching on her purses.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Well ya ain't gonna want to hear this but if ya get heavy into belts you’re gonna want a Cobra 18 running 138 thread top and bottom and size 20/22 needles. However that machine will open up a whole nuther world for ya of projects that it would do so much better then your Cobra 4 will struggle through. The 4 really does want to sew heavy projects and although ya can trick it sometimes into doing ok at lighter stuff, it will go haywire on ya sooner or later. Thats what we run a 4 and a 18. We were at a show one time and a very famous saddle maker was on one side of our booth and Ozuna Boot Co was on the other. Both guys were in our booth and asking Nichole what machine she was using to get such great stitching on her purses.

That's the plan, I hadn't looked into which model, I think the 20 was on my mind but haven't done enough research (my wallet just groaned... "oh no, not this talk again").

Especially since the kids have taken such an interest in leatherwork I knew a finer machine would be in order one day and have put one on the "needed expensive tools" list. Two big things top the list, another grinder and something that will sew down to two pieces of 2-3oz leather together.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

 

[Horsewright]

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Those belts are great!

Yeah the 20 would work great too, plus it has the cooler paint job like the 4! Looks like the difference is that the 20 will sew slightly thicker stuff than the 18. Only $300 diff. The other advantage is there are just some things sew better of a flatbed machine and some things sew better on a cylinder arm machine. Ya'd be surprised at the number of projects where ya use both. So for me say working on a pair of chaps. I'll do the majority of the sewing on the 18, but I'll sew the belt on with the 4:

For the wife she'll use the 18 for everything on a tote but that top stitch that also holds the lining in is done on the 4:

Same with her duffel bags. All the stitching is done on the 18:

Except the two main seams that go all the way around that hold the bag together, thats done on the 4:

Ya tell Roy what an old timer, one of my horsemanship mentors, told me when I was in my 20's. A guy with the right machine can make a pretty good living making chaps/leggings. I don't even push em hard and just had four pairs to do in line. Let him know too it went from straw hat to felt hat time here yesterday. I'd poked a hole in my Sunbody chasing some cattle through some brush. This one is a Rodeo King and I really like it:

Its a different kinda straw, same stuff burlap is made out of.

Ya know the old song: "When we ride the roan mares we're free,". ......or something like that. The blue roan is still a filly though too but we're close.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Beautiful work, crisp and clean. My daughter wants to make a purse and I've gotta get that process figured out.

I've gotta get Roy a felt hat, I broke mine out the other day as we're finally starting to get cool weather.

My kids love looking at your pictures by the way, both the leather and the horses.

 

[Horsewright]

Perfect! My wife’s purse making arose out of my chap projects. Something to do with the left overs. Too little to make another pair of leggings, too much to throw away. Bout out of typing time today but let your daughter know I will have some ideas and suggestions in the morning.

Yeah felt again today around here, good deal on the pics.

 

[J. Doyle]

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I know who to contact when I need a new belt.

 

[Horsewright]

Here's an idea for a simple purse to start out on for the Lil Miss, I'm sorry I don't know your daughter's name.

We call this a Canteen purse. It was suggested to us by a cousin of Nichole's. This gal goes to lots of fairs, rodeos and events. She wanted something very small to carry just the wallet and, phone and chapstick kind of deal. These have been tremendous sellers for us at shows. I've seen folks come in and buy 10 at a time. Its a very simple idea. Just two halves sewn together inside out with the flap sewn on too, before ya put them together Then turn it right side out after. Course it can be fancied up some too. Long strap to be worn crossbody. We've also made some of these with short straps as kinda a horn bag. Folks can hang it off the saddle horn and carry their phone etc. Anyhoo a few pics.

This one is water buffalo chap leather. The pinked edge (crinkle cut), of the flap is done with a special roller knife, mostly used for fabric. Very simple and straight forward. The stitching on the flap is just decorative as its single ply. Another cool thing about the 138 size threads for your new Cobra 20 is all the colors available. Way more than in 207 or 277 for your 4.

The cool thing about this pattern and part of original thought process of Nichole's cousin was dangling fringe kind of a bohemian thing she called it:

The three piece design allows ya to mix and match colors but it could also be done two piece with an integral flap for even more simplicity. The fringes are simply bled on. There is no closure on the bag so the fringe on the flap adds a lil weight to help keep it closed. And who says they have to be smoothout? What about roughout:

Hair on is always popular. Even outside the western world:

And ya can get fancy with a matching card wallet too:

Just some ideas on a simple purse that might be a great place for the Lil Miss to start as they cover lots of different techniques. Cutting, glueing, sewing etc, lots of processes to learn and practice.

Edited to add a couple horse pics:

My sorting crew:

Ol Spud (my horse, white shirt) can climb the steep stuff easily, he's tough:

Mitchy The Kid will be his registered name, we call him Mitchy:

Have Roy and Lil Miss look up Call Me Mitch, thats his dad. Some pretty cool lil vids out there of him working. And if you've seen Yellowstone at all Call Me Mitch is a son of Metallic Cat.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Here's an idea for a simple purse to start out on for the Lil Miss, I'm sorry I don't know your daughter's name.

We call this a Canteen purse. It was suggested to us by a cousin of Nichole's. This gal goes to lots of fairs, rodeos and events. She wanted something very small to carry just the wallet and, phone and chapstick kind of deal. These have been tremendous sellers for us at shows. I've seen folks come in and buy 10 at a time. Its a very simple idea. Just two halves sewn together inside out with the flap sewn on too, before ya put them together Then turn it right side out after. Course it can be fancied up some too. Long strap to be worn crossbody. We've also made some of these with short straps as kinda a horn bag. Folks can hang it off the saddle horn and carry their phone etc. Anyhoo a few pics.

This one is water buffalo chap leather. The pinked edge (crinkle cut), of the flap is done with a special roller knife, mostly used for fabric. Very simple and straight forward. The stitching on the flap is just decorative as its single ply. Another cool thing about the 138 size threads for your new Cobra 20 is all the colors available. Way more than in 207 or 277 for your 4.

The cool thing about this pattern and part of original thought process of Nichole's cousin was dangling fringe kind of a bohemian thing she called it:

The three piece design allows ya to mix and match colors but it could also be done two piece with an integral flap for even more simplicity. The fringes are simply bled on. There is no closure on the bag so the fringe on the flap adds a lil weight to help keep it closed. And who says they have to be smoothout? What about roughout:

Hair on is always popular. Even outside the western world:

And ya can get fancy with a matching card wallet too:

Just some ideas on a simple purse that might be a great place for the Lil Miss to start as they cover lots of different techniques. Cutting, glueing, sewing etc, lots of processes to learn and practice.

Edited to add a couple horse pics:

My sorting crew:

Ol Spud (my horse, white shirt) can climb the steep stuff easily, he's tough:

Mitchy The Kid will be his registered name, we call him Mitchy:

Have Roy and Lil Miss look up Call Me Mitch, thats his dad. Some pretty cool lil vids out there of him working. And if you've seen Yellowstone at all Call Me Mitch is a son of Metallic Cat.

Thanks for posting that Dave. Lil Miss goes by Ains, short for Ainsley. As a side note, her name means "Ones own Meadow" and Roy's means "Red" (Scottish origin for both). Anyways, that's where Redmeadow comes from.

She loves those purses and already wants to make one. Question for you, is the strap sewed part way down along with the two sides before you reverse them? Trying to figure out how it attaches and that's the only thing I can think of.

Beautiful horses, Mitchy looks incredible.

 

[Horsewright]

Yes sir more later, out of typing time this morning. But the strap does enter the seam bout 3/4” from the top and then is sewn in the seam for about an 1.25”s

 

[Horsewright]

Ains it is! Tell her it's great to meet her. Everybody around here has nicknames too. Mine is Chief Greybeard. Very interesting on the background of your business name. A true family business for sure. I was familiar with the Scots derivation of ruadh distilling down into Roy and meaning red but not of Ainsley. Very, very cool. I grew up part of the time in Scotland. I'm described in my buddy's JP's book Accidental Cowboy, (a memoir of his struggle with PTSD and how cowboying helped him out), as the only cowboy you'll ever meet that played rugby for a high school in Scotland. I lived there for 3.5 years total. Do you have Scottish heritage? The name Rory is another derivation of ruadh like Roy is and also means red. The folks I lived with when I went to high school there had named their dog, a Shetland Sheepdog, Rory. Their youngest son, Andrew, had trouble rolling his r's correctly as a good Scot should and so they figured calling the dog with a name with two r's in it would give him lots of practice. It worked.

The first knife I ever made was a Scottish Dirk handled with a Red Stag antler shed I found in the Highlands of Scotland while hiking. Wow just did the math and that was 45 years ago! Here's a scary pic:

There was a Hiking Club at the school I went to, (Waid Academy, in Anstruther, Fife). School was winding down for the summer and I had been invited to go with the club on a hike to the top of Benn Cruchan. It was a very small school and so everybody knew everybody and I did want to go along as I was very interested in Scottish history and several interesting things had happened there including the battle of The Pass of Brander. That pic above was at the bottom of the mountain before the hike. Crazy hair I know but I was 17. In the little fishing village of Anstruther where we lived there wasn't a barbershop. So it cost a Pound to get to St Andrews on the bus to the nearest barbershop and that was a lot of money. Heck the haircut was only 35 pence. So wasn't too big on keeping well trimmed. Anyhoo on this hike I found the red deer shed and when I got home a couple of weeks later to California, my dad and I (after I got a haircut), decided to make this dirk using the shed. My dad wasn't a knifemaker but he was pretty handy around the shop. We used coffee to dye the antler as it was pretty bleached and we cut down an old kitchen knife in to the correct shape for a dirk. It came out pretty cool. Have no ideal where it is or what happened to it.

Another great skill for Ains to learn making this purse is pattern building. The old trick of folding paper in half and then drawing out one side of the pattern and then cutting both sides out at the same time while the paper is still folded would be ideal for this shape. Ideal for both the purse body and the flap. I'm glad she's excited over this project, she'll have fun.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

That's awesome Dave, I'm a typical mutt mix of Scottish, Irish, English and German. The second or third knife I made was for Sgian Dubh for a friend, he insisted on paying me for it so I told him I'd take one dollar so I could have the first dollar I ever made knifemaking. He gave it to me in a little frame with a note.

Strange but true story, I had a dream once about a word, kept seeing it over and over. It was an odd word with too many consonants and too many vowels in a row. When I woke up I googled it and nothing came up. I put it in google maps and it showed an area in northern Scotland, the only thing there was a little farm. I always thought that was interesting and kick myself for not writing it down.

Ains is excited about making a purse. I found some leather flexible enough, it's a little thick but it should work well. Her and Roy will be tooling some sheaths today and we'll get a pattern set up.

 

[Horsewright]

That's awesome Dave, I'm a typical mutt mix of Scottish, Irish, English and German. The second or third knife I made was for Sgian Dubh for a friend, he insisted on paying me for it so I told him I'd take one dollar so I could have the first dollar I ever made knifemaking. He gave it to me in a little frame with a note.

Strange but true story, I had a dream once about a word, kept seeing it over and over. It was an odd word with too many consonants and too many vowels in a row. When I woke up I googled it and nothing came up. I put it in google maps and it showed an area in northern Scotland, the only thing there was a little farm. I always thought that was interesting and kick myself for not writing it down.

Ains is excited about making a purse. I found some leather flexible enough, it's a little thick but it should work well. Her and Roy will be tooling some sheaths today and we'll get a pattern set up.

Good deal on the purse with Ains. Keep me posted how that goes. The thickness really makes it a little tougher to turn back right side out. Lot of folks will use a boning tool to help with that, it'll reach where fingers might not. If this catches on with Ains I can see ya adding a skiving machine to that list with he Cobra 20. We have the Cobra NP4. Nichole uses it constantly, dang near every project.

Ok now thats very interesting. Was the dream re-occuring or just once? I understand what ya mean about those Gaelic words seeming strange. I use to live in a house in the Highlands called Alltnacrieche. Or in English "house by the bending or crooked stream." Calling it a house was kind of a misnomer as it had 16 bedrooms upstairs and an oak staircase I could drive my F250 Super Duty up and make the turn at the top! Anyhoo in his book "The Highland Clans" Sir Ian Moncrieffe of that Ilk, the author, relays a similar story or incident. This book by the way is considered one of the absolute authoritarian tomes on said subject and worth a read if such is of interest. Sir Ian was (he passed away an few years back), in a unique position to write such a book for several reasons. He himself was a Highland chief being the chief of the Moncrieffes. Even among chiefs he was a rarity. of that Ilk means that he lived at a place where the surname came from. So Sir Ian Moncrieffe also owned Moncrieffe and that is where the surname came from. The people where called after the location when they started handing out last names. Sir Ian was also the Lord Lyon, King of Arms of Scotland. As mentioned uniquely positioned to write such a book. Anyhoo on page 23 he mentions a similar incident to what you experienced and he has a name for it, he calls it Ancestral Memory. So James Fraser, a working man, a cartwright, right before WW2 related an occurring dream to Charles Ian Fraser of Reelig, a noted and meticulous scholar of the Highlands. Just prior to Reelig's death in 1963, Reelig sent an accounting of these conversations with James Fraser to Sir Ian. The cartwright gave an account from a recurring dream of the battle of Blar-na-Leine in 1544. This battle was between the Frasers and the Clanranald sept of the MacDonalds with a lil help from the Camerons. It was disastrous defeat for the Frasers as they were wiped out almost to the man, including Lord Lovat, their chief and his heir. Various contemporary sources saying that 5-8 Frasers survived. The cartwright was able to give such an accounting of the battle including weapons, armor, tactics and details of the battle that few scholars steeped in that battle could have given. Some of the details, according to Sir Ian were obvious in retrospect but had not occurred to anyone prior. Other details were corroborated by very obscure sources. It seemed improbable that this cartwright would have the opportunity or ability to do the research necessary to support his story. Sir Ian said that Reelig although naturally skeptical was unable to escape the impression that James Fraser, the cartwright was telling the truth. The Fraser clansmen were much interbred with in their own clan lands and James Fraser probably descended over and over again through cousin marriages within his own ancestry from a surviving Fraser eyewitness to the battle. So his recurring dream could possibly be an example of Ancestral Memory??

Quien sabe?

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Good deal on the purse with Ains. Keep me posted how that goes. The thickness really makes it a little tougher to turn back right side out. Lot of folks will use a boning tool to help with that, it'll reach where fingers might not. If this catches on with Ains I can see ya adding a skiving machine to that list with he Cobra 20. We have the Cobra NP4. Nichole uses it constantly, dang near every project.

Ok now thats very interesting. Was the dream re-occuring or just once? I understand what ya mean about those Gaelic words seeming strange. I use to live in a house in the Highlands called Alltnacrieche. Or in English "house by the bending or crooked stream." Calling it a house was kind of a misnomer as it had 16 bedrooms upstairs and an oak staircase I could drive my F250 Super Duty up and make the turn at the top! Anyhoo in his book "The Highland Clans" Sir Ian Moncrieffe of that Ilk, the author, relays a similar story or incident. This book by the way is considered one of the absolute authoritarian tomes on said subject and worth a read if such is of interest. Sir Ian was (he passed away an few years back), in a unique position to write such a book for several reasons. He himself was a Highland chief being the chief of the Moncrieffes. Even among chiefs he was a rarity. of that Ilk means that he lived at a place where the surname came from. So Sir Ian Moncrieffe also owned Moncrieffe and that is where the surname came from. The people where called after the location when they started handing out last names. Sir Ian was also the Lord Lyon, King of Arms of Scotland. As mentioned uniquely positioned to write such a book. Anyhoo on page 23 he mentions a similar incident to what you experienced and he has a name for it, he calls it Ancestral Memory. So James Fraser, a working man, a cartwright, right before WW2 related an occurring dream to Charles Ian Fraser of Reelig, a noted and meticulous scholar of the Highlands. Just prior to Reelig's death in 1963, Reelig sent an accounting of these conversations with James Fraser to Sir Ian. The cartwright gave an account from a recurring dream of the battle of Blar-na-Leine in 1544. This battle was between the Frasers and the Clanranald sept of the MacDonalds with a lil help from the Camerons. It was disastrous defeat for the Frasers as they were wiped out almost to the man, including Lord Lovat, their chief and his heir. Various contemporary sources saying that 5-8 Frasers survived. The cartwright was able to give such an accounting of the battle including weapons, armor, tactics and details of the battle that few scholars steeped in that battle could have given. Some of the details, according to Sir Ian were obvious in retrospect but had not occurred to anyone prior. Other details were corroborated by very obscure sources. It seemed improbable that this cartwright would have the opportunity or ability to do the research necessary to support his story. Sir Ian said that Reelig although naturally skeptical was unable to escape the impression that James Fraser, the cartwright was telling the truth. The Fraser clansmen were much interbred with in their own clan lands and James Fraser probably descended over and over again through cousin marriages within his own ancestry from a surviving Fraser eyewitness to the battle. So his recurring dream could possibly be an example of Ancestral Memory??

Quien sabe?

Ancestral Memory makes sense, I don't doubt the possibility one bit. When Ains started talking she would tell stories and describe things that she couldn't possibly know anything about, it was fascinating.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

On the leather front, the kids have been working incredibly hard on tooling. We'll all tool a piece and critique ourselves and then do a pass around and critique each other. It's worked out well.

Since they watch the old man sell a knife or two they have wanted to sell some things of their own. They came up with a pretty big plan and have been working really hard on it and have been doing some amazing tooling.

 

[Horsewright]

Thats interesting about Ains. A friend always said my son Logan was an-old soul.
Good deal on the tooling. Ya got a poundo board under your rock?

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Thats interesting about Ains. A friend always said my son Logan was an-old soul.
Good deal on the tooling. Ya got a poundo board under your rock?

I glued a thick piece of leather to the bottom that seems to be working for now. Ains is definitely an old soul, I've been accused of the same.

 

[Horsewright]

I glued a thick piece of leather to the bottom that seems to be working for now. Ains is definitely an old soul, I've been accused of the same.

Good deal. That lil padding really helps with vibration and double, stuttering stamping. Cuts down the noise some too. Nichole has a huge surface plate as a tooling stone. Takes two big guys to safely move it and we have a poundo board underneath it even. Even with that kinda mass the poundo board helps.

Find all this stuff fascinating. If you were to look at a map would you recall what part of northern Scotland? Caithness? Sutherland? North of the Moray Firth, Western Isles etc.? Your word was from? Be interesting. Lots of mystical unexplainable stuff in the Highlands. Was watching a documentary a while back and there was an estate in the highlands that was allowing folks to come on their very park like grounds for Sunday walks etc with their dogs. Folks be walking along and suddenly the dog would jump off this bridge and commit suicide. Literally they had 20 dogs jump off this same bridge, over a period of time, as they're being walked. All of em died and no explanation as to why they jumped. All normal well behaved dogs and splat they jump off the same bridge. On the documentary they brought in all kinds of experts, vets, biologists game keepers etc. The working hypothesis was that the dogs were seeing otters down in the stream below and trying to chase them. No evidence of otters though or anything else that the dogs might chase according to the biologist and the game keeper. They'd come up with another answer and again no evidence to support that could be found. Finally they talked with this older woman and she say's its a "thin place." And that was the end of that. People no longer walked their dogs there across that bridge and no more dog suicides.

We often joke about having a cow portal to another dimension on our ranch, or a "thin place." I had 13 riders one time and we combed that entire place looking for cattle. I divided my crew up and sent some here and some there and sweep back across here and you guys go up to that high valley there and come down that other ridge line and so on. The ranch is big but its not that big. We treed a mountain lion, chased and almost roped some wild pigs (the horse got high centered on some sage), and the only two head of cattle we found, were after dark, back at the corrals when we were done. Come out the next morning and the entire herd is at a water less than two miles away, laying down waiting for us. Took bout half and hour to get around them and bring them in. They had come back through the cow portal to another dimension.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

I wish I could remember where it was Dave, it was one of those things I looked up when I woke up and then lost it. Like when you remember a dream and say to yourself "I've gotta remember that" and an hour later all you can remember is that you had a crazy dream.

I like that "thin place" story, that's a great way to put it. I don't believe in coincidence and think that there's something in the ether that connects us" all. This year I got hooked on near death experience interviews and was fascinated in how much they have in common, not the details but the big picture of how souls rotate through different existences and that our time here is temporary. It gives new meaning to Momento Mori (Remember that you must die). We all gotta go sometime.

Man, I gotta lay off the Marcus Aurelius!!

Edit to add: I just realized how the title of this thread applies to the conversation... Coincidence? I think not