steveb leatherworks: the blather

It is not too often that I start a project without a clear idea of the “desired end-state”. Usually with customer work, I attend to the details in a number of emails or conversations that drill down into the  specific colors, design and hardware they’d like me to use. I don’t ever cut leather until i know where i want to end up – the essence of measuring twice and cutting once.. The glaring exception is things I make for myself or new prototype development..then it can be like drawing a wild card..it either “sings or sucks”. Some of this experimentation winds up in the trash, most of the time it winds up in my pocket, because generally, it is something i want or need…and I am too busy and cheep to chuck my sorta kinda work.

So being the “can-do” guy at the multi-national global megamonolthic steveb leatherworks, I take a big leap and slot another job in the queue, a new Journal cover for myself to replace the beater prototype I have been using that really doesn’t showcase my work very well and since alot of people see it, it needed to be updated. How to update it, I wasnt sure, but I wanted to use some veg tan and texture it up for a nice “hand”, becaue when someone asks me about it, the first thing i do is hand it to ’em. That interaction always results in sale, I am happy to say. The way I finish leather and stamp it, feels great to the hand and most folks have never seen anything like my work…city folks especially.

So – I cut the leather for my own personal journal and begin prepping it…and then the dinner bell rings. Some broccoli rabe with sausage and linguini and two beers later I am back out in the shop..a little buzzed, fat and happy and feeling a little lazy, definetly not focused and so I ‘resume ” where I left off. Ha

Weeelll, I start on the back of the journal with a nice tight big-block basketweave…and then decide half-way through that maybe some of my wack texturing would be cool….ok….and then for some reason i pull my beader blade out and take a swipe at a freehand curve (which i never do cuz it is a bitch to control)….and then think that a tri-weave might look good..uh huh….. what a friggin mess. So i step back and look at my handy work…and decide to go have another beer…,and watch a little computer screen…..and then later on around bedtime, I decide to take another look at my handiwork.

Well, thinking how i was thinking, i thought i could “fix” it and pull this buncha crap together with some slight of hand coloration….not so much.  So after witching hour, i fire up the dye machines, back up the big-rig mixer and whip up some colors for this beauty….and came up with this.

Don’t let it be said that I am not willing to show a little ass every now and then. I was not impressed with the design and, should have just stuck with the basket weave, or the wack texturing or the tri-weave – but all three put this thing over the top and made it a mess. The color begins to bring it together, but this is something that never would have gotten to this point, had it been for anyone else. I probably would have buried it in the backyard…probably SHOULD have buried it in the backyard, but being stubborn, I thought i could salvage it….ahhh…hmmmm….bad idea

This is what happens when ya dont pay attention and stray from the “way”. So as penance, I am going to carry this thing till it wears out and will use it as a reminder of what happens when ya don’t have a plan and just freewheel it.

Epilogue: so i was carrying this today, someone saw it – loved it and asked them to make me one “just like it”. LOL – Maybe I will sell her this one. I don’t see making another one of these anytime soon…..