A while before Christmas, my friend Kris contacted me. He asked if I would be interested in making a leather quiver. A gift for him to give to his girlfriend Loni. I said “of course!”. I have already made a quiver for myself and kept the pattern I had made. So I didn’t think it would be much trouble.
I asked him what kind of art he would like me to tool onto it. His answer was slightly vague, “I don’t know” he says “Something to do with horses and put her name on it”. Alright, I thought, that shouldn’t be too hard.
As with every new project I get, the excitement takes hold of me. I lose focus on other tasks and sometimes even lose sleep, dreaming up ideas for designs. So, soon after that conversation, I had searched and experimented with designs and found the image I would tool onto the quiver.
I got all the supplies ready and traced out the pattern. I used a thick veg tanned leather so it would be good and sturdy.
I cut out the pattern and took care of the edges using the slicker. Then gouged out my lines to guide me for my lacing holes. After all that tedious stuff was taken care of I was able to case (wet) the leather and trace the image onto it.
After tracing, I grabbed my swivel knife (after sharpening it, that’s important!) and began making all the cuts over the traced lines.
Then I got the beveler and began to transform the art from flat to three dimensional.
I added Loni’s name but tried not to make it too obvious. I wasn’t sure if it was for identification purposes or not but I wanted to keep it artistic.
Then it was onto the straps. I cut out what I needed, took care of the edges again with the slicker and gouged out stitch lines, but only for looks. I had no plan to stitch them but they would aid in my dyeing plans.
The weather was unseasonably nice so I took advantage of that and punched all the holes outside.
Next up was the dyeing. I chose to use an antique saddle tan and add black to specific areas as a contrast. I hate dyeing. It’s in that moment when all my hard work could be ruined with the stroke of a brush. There were moments of anxiety but ultimately it all worked out in the end.
Now I have known Loni since we were both little girls. She is one of those people that no longer feel like a friend but is a sister instead. We spent many years riding horses together so I felt very personal about making this quiver great for her. I laced it together and delivered it to Kris. I got to see her receive it, and use it, when we went out for some target practice together.
It was a fun project that I enjoyed making! I’m glad Loni was happy and that the quiver worked well for her!
