Use the loop to hook around the button and close the loop. Thread some thick cord through the fold at the top. Tie the cord around your waist to wear your sporran! Kids can make this fun kilt card for a Scottish friend's birthday, or perhaps for St Andrew's Day!
We've written the message on a sporran on the front of the card, which is really effective! Cheer up your outlook with a collection of cheerful tartan Scottie dogs! Using a paper plate for the "mobile" element of our Scottie dog mobile made this a quick and easy way to display our collection of Scotties.
This softie sewing project is a lovely one for a beginner. They are relatively difficult to find, but are hinged on the bottom and snap together at the top in a purse like fashion. Highland Wear. I have made a new pattern which I will post when I get a chance, for anyone who may want one. The protype I made is better looking, and more correct to the 18th century, yet still looks great and fits in the 21st century.
Apparently sporrans were made with different designs. Upon examining my sporran I found that the brass cantle does not function as an opening. It is merely a decorative piece. The actual purse is accessed from the back and is closed by a single brass button.
This sporran dates to around when my grandfather enlisted in the 42nd Highlanders. The bag is made of red leather with a shiny finish, and black leather piping the color largely worn off all around the edge and the flap.
The back and pocket are all one piece of leather, with a gusset sewn in to allow the pocket to open. It is a very small pocket in terms of how much it could hold. The five black horsehair tassels are wrapped in a rigid black leather and tied onto the back rhrough brass grommets with cotton string.
The long white horsehair is sewn across the front in cascading layers. The strap I suspect is not original, as the brass buckle is held on with aluminum pop rivets which don't look period.
The side view shows how flat the sporran lies. Wow Tom I haven't seen one like this from this era. Very cool! It's a treasure to be sure. Thanks for taking the time to photograph it!
Here is the sporran and some pictures of the templates I used. The toggle is just a small piece of branch, I had lying around, split down the middle and sanded on the back.
The front "bellows" out to allow the hand inside. I once knocked the whole bottle over. What a mess that was! Now the dye is not super expensive, but why waste it where it won't be seen? For this part I dye the top surface of both pieces but only the bottom part of the top flap that will show when everything is assembled.
Hopefully the picture makes this obvious. After dying the leather needs to have some oil added to replenish what has been lost. I apply a light coat of neatsfoot oil. Be careful how much you put on as this will darken the leather. You can always add more, but once it's too dark you're stuck with it.
After allowing the oil to soak in for a couple of hours I apply the Resolene to the top surface. There are many different topcoats available, but this one is very resistant to water. I once again use a sponge to apply two coats. Let the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second coat. After the Resolene is dry I turn the top flap over and apply Tan Kote to the underside of the top flap that was dyed previously.
Put on enough so that the entire surface has a light coat and then use the wooden slicker or any other smooth surface to rub the leather down smooth. I think this looks better than the raw leather does. This step is not absolutely necessary, but adds that extra little something that stands out in the finished product.
Take and stick your finger in water and wet the edge of the leather slightly. Let it soak in slightly and the use the wooden slicker to rub the edge of the leather to slick down the fibers in the leather. Friction is more important than how hard you press. Once you have gone over the whole edge with water repeat the procedure with the gum tragacanth. This will provide a more permanent result. I have a punch for the belt slots but this tool is a little expensive.
Another method you can use is to punch holes at each end and use a utility knife and straight edge to cut the slots.
I used to do it that way, but knowing that I was going to make these to sell the price of the punch has been worth it. Take the pattern for the bag and cut two pieces. Also cut a piece for a gusset. This adds some depth and capacity to the bag. The size of the gusset is up to your personal preference. I cut a piece 2" wide and a few inches longer that needed to make it around the perimeter. Notice the small marks at the top and bottom center of the front bag piece.
These will come into play soon. Using a marker outline the piece somewhat underneath the top piece. We don't want the mark to show when the pieces are attached! Also notice the gap where the laces are in the top piece.
Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of where I applied the contact cement to the two pieces but put the cement on both pieces. Do not put it where the laces are. Make sure and put the lace in the top part before gluing. Once the contact cement is tacky on both pieces then carefully place the pieces together.
Take your mallet and tap around the top piece to help with adhesion. Be careful not to mar the surface. Now we can start punching the holes for the stitching. The care taken here will be evident in the finished product.
Take your stitching chisels and start around the groove made earlier. Always place the first prong of the tool into the last hole previously punched. This will make sure that the spacing is even. Along the long straight runs you can use a punch with more teeth.
Around the corners you need to use the two prong tool. When I am doing this part I am punching on a granite stone with a poly cutting board and a scrap piece of leather to protect the teeth of the tool. We can finally start sewing the pieces together! I use this cheap stitching pony to hold the pieces in position while I sew. Now what I do is called a saddle stitch and it's not terribly difficult once you learn it.
However I think it is terribly difficult to explain and would be a long Instructable all by itself. That is where I learned much of my leatherworking skills. They have very informative videos and I just like listening to the Brits talk! The main thing I can tell you about good stitching is consistency. Make every stitch the same way! People that see my work say they can't believe it's hand stitched. This is done very much like the front of the bag. Here at least I remembered to take a picture of the contact cement applied.
Don't put cement between the belt slots or you won't be able to get a belt through. Fold the gusset in half to find the middle of the length. Apply a small mark at the edge of the middle of the rough side of the leather.
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