Restoration and Modification of An Old Stitching Clam

Some time ago I managed to rescue an old sewing clam, which was being used as display in an suburban clothing store. A sewing clam, you ask, is something you use, when you sew leather by hand. The clam sits between your legs and holds the object for you, so you can use both hands freely for sewing. 

The condition of the clam was rather good, but it still needed a bit of restoration. However the length wasn't ideal for the way I sew leather, as I rarely use an awl for making holes, when I sew. Therefore I needed to modify it slightly by making it shorter, so it would sit in front of me. Therefore I brought it with me to my parent's place, as my dad has more tools and much more experience with woodwork, than I have.

This is how the sewing clam looked before it. It was quite hard for me to alter this old piece of genuine craftsmanship, but I wouldn't be using as much, as I will now. So I felt like, I had to do it in order to bring it back to use and back to life.

First we sanded it down. 

The length was shortened. Nerve wrecking procedure.

Then we drilled some holes in order to add a screw, that would secure the jaws without causing leg fatigue.

I gave it some shellac in order make it a bit harder - although the wood was extremely hard and dry.

After the shellac had dried I glued on some leather at the tip of the jaws. This was added so the object, that you're holding, doesn't get scratched.

Lastly a hinge were attached, so it can still be used the way it was intended.

The final result.

Now in Stock - Paton's Linen Thread

When you hand sew leather you can use threads made of a lot of different materials. Nowadays most people use nylon or polyester threads because they are more accessible, cheaper and also in some people's opinion stronger or longer lasting. 

I however prefer linen threads. That being said I also use both nylon and polyester thread in some cases, I'm not holier-than-thou. I prefer linen thread because it's a natural material - like leather - and it was the thread of choice for saddlers and leatherworkers for centuries, which is enough for me.

Some time ago I came across a good deal on some thinner to average linen thread, which I couldn't help buying, although I've never really thought about using thread in other colours than white, natural, brown and black. But now I also have red and a blueish grey in the assortment and I have to say, that it's quite nice.

To be honest, I think, it was the nice packaging, that made me buy the thread.  But it is good and it makes very nice stitches.

How to Saddle Stitch Like an Hermès Leather Craftsman

I re-watched this little clip featuring one of the leather craftsmen, that work for Hermès. And I have to say, that I find it very meditative, plus it made me want to do some leather work, which I can't find the time to do at the moment due to obligations at school.

The type of stitching is called saddle stitching and it dates back hundreds of years. It is a very strong stitch, that you use, when hand stitching leather. It is way stronger than a machine made stitch, in case you are wondering.

This diagram will explain it faster, than I'm able to. But if you have any questions regarding leather, leather crafts or want to learn about it, let me know, and I'll try to help.

I hope this will give some of you a better understanding of, why handsewn leather is so much better and why it costs more, as it is quite time consuming, because very few are just as fast as the Hermès craftsman.

Crafts - iPhone 3+4 Case

Lately I haven't quite been up to much in the basement. I have lacked time, energy and inspiration. But yesterday I decided to get down there and get to work! It was a struggle at first, but then I decided to make an iPhone case - another one - for myself and my girlfriend, as we both just bought one.

So yesterday I cut the leather and prepared the leather. Today I spent some time finishing it - although I must say that the edges haven't been burnished yet and the cases haven't been oiled. So consider them somewhat finished, but not quite.

The construction is pretty much the same as the previous one, except these cases were made in a darker vegetable tanned leather (from Italy) and instead of the polyester thread, I used a thinner (5ply) waxed linen thread from Barbour. I would have like to have used a thicker linen thread of 7 or 8 ply, but that's probably just me and I don't have that thickness in this colour at the moment. But besides that change and a couple of other twitches everything was the same, including the wet shaping.

Enjoy - and remember they are also on Flickr.

Crafts - "Sigge" Cardholder

I have been making this cardholder for some time now. I called it the "Sigge" after an old lady named Sigrid, which I unfortunately never had the pleasure of meeting. She passed away some months ago. Actually I heard that she always carried cash and never even had any credit cards - she always paid in cash, so it is a bit odd, that I have now named this cardholder after her. But her health insurance card was in the pocket of an old leather jacket of hers from which I was cutting out the leather. When I was making the cardholder and needed to see if it was the right size, I rummaged through my pockets and found her health insurance card. Hence the name Sigge.

The cardholder is ALL handmade. It will hold upto 6 cards (with some stretch and wear) and will hopefully develop a beautifull patina with wear.

I made the cardholder with the "THINK" impressed in it for one of my best friends. It was his birthday a couple of days ago, and I couldn't attend it, so instead I decided to give him a new cardholder, as he somehow managed to lose the old one, I made for him. Hopefully this one is a keeper. There is no meaning to the "THINK" besides it being a nod to the old Thinkpad that IBM made.

The Much Awaited Singer 222

As announced I have something very special in store for you. Something I have been wanting for a very long time. It is enclosed in this small black box with Bakelite handles.

When it comes to sewing machines I like them old. Very old. It isn't something that I base on aesthetics, although I would be lying if I said, that sewing machines weren't more handsome in the past. I like old sewing machines because they were built much stronger and much simpler. Sewing machines weren't some disposable junk that you would buy twice in a lifetime. It was an investment and a big one.

I'm not a skilled sewer. I sew alright, but my needs are pretty basic, which is why I have used and loved my Singer 221 ever since receiving as a late birthday present from my sister some time ago. Even though you can't do a million different stitches and you can't programme it on a computer, you can do everything that you would ever need to make. If that isn't enough there are still a lot of different accessories for the Featherweights widely available and there are helpful and passionate people like Graham Forsdyke, if you ever need any help or advice. But the part is that the Featherweights sews perfectly. The stitches are just so damn beautiful.

I can't remember when I first read about the Singer Featherweight, but again who would remember that?

I do however remember when I knew that I HAD to own a Featherweight - The 29th of August 2010 to be exact! I know the exact date because that was the date, when Tommy of This is Naive posted pics of her 222. I instantly knew that it was the machine I needed because it was small, handy, strong (like a mustang!), beautiful and somehow very manly.

If I had the space for it, I would probably be buying (old) industrial machines, but when you are a student and you have limited space, there is very few machines that can compete with the Singer Featherweights.

As mentioned before I already own the original Featherweight, the 221. But I sometimes miss - and need - the free arm function of the 222 - the older brother to the 221. Therefore I have been looking for a 222 that I would be able to pay for, which wasn't on eBay or online, as they fetch very high prices there. Fortunately I was lucky enough to find one in descent condition here in Denmark and I bought it for a very reasonable amount from an old lady named Agnethe.

The machine came with a lot of different accessories. I had most of them already, from what I have seen, but it is always nice to have substitutes and spares. It is in desperate need of some oil, which I couldn't find in my mess, so I'll have to drench when I get the chance to buy some new oil tomorrow. Lastly it needs a good clean-up, a new belt and some rubber feet, which I will be buying from Graham.

Thank you Agnethe. I promise to look after it and use it frequently with care.