Day 31

I finished up the aprons I was working on yesterday.  I cant wait to see them on the retail floor, their price, but most importantly- if they sell.  I also clicked out a bunch of different shapes.  I found a leather glasses case that looks relatively easy.  I started a pattern and ill try to finish it tonight with my handy dandy sewing machine.

In great news:  I get to work part time during the school year!  The manager made sure to tell me that it was only a trial, but I'm still excited.

Day 30

I made some pretry cool work aprons today to sell on the retail floor.  They are made of oil tanned leather and look like they will wear very nicely.   One apron is for my manager's wife's sake.  She loves sparkles and anything feminine.  This one is made of purple sparkly learher with a white sparkly trim and crystal rivets.  I also suggested antiqued brass rivets for the oil tan.  He actually agreed.  The pics are of the aprons (unfinished), poor Cameron who took over my job sewing 1900 scuffer cases, and the floor tiles we're custom making for a customer.

Day 29

Wallets most of the day today.  That's okay because I talked to the manager and I get my vacation before school starts and she wants me to work part time when school starts!  Horray!  I also started on two embossed and antiqued belts for myself.  Ive been working there too long to be wearing a belt made in China.   I will post pictures soon!

Day 28

I didnt have to work in scuffer cases all day today!  I made some belts to go in an interesting floor tile....made up completely of belts.  I also sewed some wallets.

Day 27

I am on number 684 of 1900 little leather gadgets.  Each piece gets two rows of stitching.  I will have gained much patience after this.

Day 26

Another day of not so hard labor.  I made wallets and organized shelves.

Day 26

There are a ton of dyes for bracelets and I organized and catalogued them all today.  I even made a fancy Excel spreadsheet that my boss couldnt figure out.  Horray for order.

Day 25

I organizedrwo giant trash bins of scrap leather.   It gets sold in two pound bags, so a each bag gets a variety of quality and size.   I cut myself on a box cutter doing this.  It scared me and I cried in  front of a shop full of boys.

Later in the day, a box of hair-on bracelets got returned because someone (not me!) used the wrong cutting dyes on all of them.  We had to punch new holes in each of them.  The hair falls off and is itchy and gross.  I have no idea who would wear such a thing by choice.

Day 24

I did a lot today but I cant really remember details.  Nothing worth mentioning I suppose.  I'm just super tired.

Day 23

Today I organized a lot.  There are so many unfinished projects!  Then I applied gum trag to strips of leather to get rid of the frizzies on the sanded edges.  Check out the pictures.  That stuff is amazing!

Day 22

I set snaps.  All.  Day.  Finally I got a buddy to help me so I had someone to talk to.  I better be real good at setting snaps when I leave.

Day 21

I organized the wallet parts today.  Everything is getting cleaned out for moving to the new shop.  Everyone is excited for more space.

The second part of the day one of the employees showed me how to make an embossed belt.  I wanted to make one for Matt.  We experimented with different finishes and came up with one I liked.  It is beautiful!  I also made some keepers (the part that holds the buckled end down) to match some previously made belts.  What fun!  I'd really like to make a few more of these for fun and money.

Day 20

The manager was gone so everyone was kind of on their own to work on things that needed to be done.  I started by fixing a purse for someone.  It just needed the straps attached, but as I did that, more and more of it kept coming apart.  So i basically sewed the whole thing up to make it super sturdy.  Then I redid the beige purse I cut into the other day.  I replaced the gussets and practiced cutting the binding.  (That was how I messed up the first time.)  Then I did it for real and succeeded!  It still makes me really nervous.  I want so badly to be good at it.  Some things just take time I suppose.  The rest of the day was spent making wallet interiors.  Another employee worked on a holster.  I wanted to include pictures of it because it looks so good:

Day 19

The store sells wallets tooled with landscapes and I got to learn how to make them today.  Its fairly easy to use stamps and make something that looks good.  I was supposed to come up with a new design to sell.  I did a little scene with ducks and a cabin on a stream.  The owner saw and I think he liked it.  I still feel bad that I get to mess around ans be artistic all day when shop workers who have been there forever are stuck making belts and clicking parts.  I'm thankful Im in the position I am.

Day 18

Most of the day was spent making wallets.  Boring.....