Category Archives: Wallets

A Thank You

Front with angled slit pocket.

This  was to thank a family friend who knows of my hobby and generously donated an old handbag with nice hardware I can upcycle into a new bag.

I split a remnant piece of black chaps leather for all the visible parts.  The pocked backs (not visible) are recycled garment leather (from a skirt); hand stitched with sage green linen thread and finished with gold edge paint.

Interior has three pockets.
Profile – finished with metallic gold edge paint and burnished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Evolution of Wallets

I am burned out on wallets for now but here is a series of their evolution.  The most basic leather with six pockets to hand stitched with hidden pockets and the addition of an ID holder.  Yup if you look carefully you can see my really crude prototype of the ID holder wallet in blue garment leather suede.  😮

 

evolution-red-croc-proto-flap-final-flap-1
Open sesame!

 

evolution-red-croc-proto-flap-final-flap-closed
Love the shade of blue on that crude prototype!

I’m taking a break on wallets for now, but JP, Pete, and JK are next prototypes for slim card wallets…you guys know who you are.  I gotta’ do some handles and baby shoes right now.

Crocodile Textured Leather Wallet

front-view-croc-proto
Hand stitched with linen thread- this was another experiment – I wanted to see how my stitching skills were. I used Stohlman’s book for reference and recommend newbies follow the instructions step by step including don’t set your awl down as you sew with two needles in two hands.  Yes! Make or buy a stitching pony.

croc-proto-open

I changed up the pattern a bit and added two hidden pockets; this was a step I would include in another wallet for a family member.

bill-slot for faux croc
I also turned the leather for the interior piece in so it is visible when you look in the bill slot – I lined the flesh side of the exterior piece with a piece of coordinating suede.

 

Black Textured Leather Wallet With ID Holder & Hidden Pockets

This was for a family member – the deal? Use it and provide me with feedback (good & bad).  One evaluator said he had a problem – the pockets stretched out.  He also said it may have been his fault in that he put lots of cards in the pockets…

inside-id-flap-up
I used a textured cowhide, (about 3 oz or 1.2 mm thick) for the interior & extrior pockets and recycled garment leather for the pockets & ID flap. The test here? Can the garment grade leather hold up or will it stretch.

On the left and under the ID holder, I used two pockets and on the right side interior I used three pocket.

bill-slot-from-the-top-id-flap-down
Inside the bill slot.

So far the feed back is it looks great and is sturdy.  The flap and wallet close, but the carrier wants the overall profile to lay flatter.  His feedback is it may come with time and use.  It may be just the bulk since I lined the bill slot and added the hidden pockets – a little larger gap (middle fold area) may help with that too…

Men’s Black Textured Leather Bi-Fold Wallet

front closed
The front & back of the wallet look the same – black weave imprinted leather.
interior full pockets
The four interior card slots are made of recycled black garment leather.
interior with biz card f n b
This image is with the front & back of my new business cards. Similar to the brochures, the business card is a little version of the black suede wristlet I made.
$ bill slot interior
Dollar bill slot runs the full length of the wallet. Credit for this wallet pattern goes to “ducjes” a leather worker website user/member.