Making a Leather Costrel: Part 2 - Stitching and Wet Mold Preparation 

A trick that I was shown for saddle stitching was to lay your string along your "stitching track" from begging to end. Then you double that amount. So if your "stitching track" is lets say its 2 feet, you double it. So you make it 4 feet. Then add on a few inches depending on how thick your leather is and how tight your stitching is. That always gave me the correct amount, so I'm not wasting string and saved me alot.

I like you. You talk the casual crafter's language. Good on ya!!!

Magnets! Genius!

Start with 10', then add a million more. Classic.

Depending on the width of the leather around 5 to 6 times the stitch length works so far for me without fail

Thread path times 4 usually works.

One tip for cutting your thread is lay the throat end of the blade, the part the never gets used much, against the thread and pull the thread up and against the blade in stead of moving the blade back and forth on it.

nice videos

For a sadle stitch if you use 3 times the total distance will get you you almost exactly the amount of thread you need. I do this by draping the thread along the stitch areas 3x and waste very little thread.

So after sewing it, you don't have to tie it off in some way? Melting it a bit with the lighter will keep it from loosening? I'm sure the saddle stich helps with that somewhat.

When you realized that you forgot to punch the holes for the strap before you soaked it, did you consider that you could have gone ahead and formed it, let everything dry, and then punched the holes before you sealed it? And would that have been easier than trying to punch them in wet leather?

I have a question. Why not make it as one piece of leather, so it is not stitched in the buttom. I mean, why not just bent it in the buttom and only stitch it on the sides

Can you stain leather with fresh blood ?

Do you have any contact info....i want a leather canteen....better yet 2

What type of dye did you use? Alcohol, oil, water base?