THE MOST PRACTICAL WALLET

WALLET FOR THE REALIST. 

An early project. This one I made for me. No-risk. Any mistakes, and only I would suffer them ! ! ! !

Had seen this design in one of the pics on Pinterest and I thought this is something that I can give a go. For myself, to begin with.

I had liked the design because, really, what does one need on the road? Some cash and a card or two.  No real need to carry layers upon layers of leather in the name of a wallet. This wallet would also be super slim, if done well. No bulges in the pocket.

The question was, what if it worked out well (it did eventually)? I was also beginning to feel a bit confident.  This would also be my first project using pricking irons, which had just arrived by courier.

So instead of taking anything rough I chose good leathers, again with a business like look. No fancy colours or shades. This might be carried by myself into the world and therefore needed to look businesslike (my stock market background to be blamed for this).

There were some nice Tan coloured pieces of different thicknesses, their tempers exactly suitable for this kind of project. But this was going to turn out to be a trial by fire. Right from cutting the pieces to piecing them together required some very detailed thinking. I don’t use ready templates and would prefer not using them. I prefer to learn on the go, mistakes and all. That anyway is the whole point of handcrafting for a hobby.

The stitching itself was very demanding. It required me to think one small line at a time and then one big line, being the long stitching stint at the bottom and the others being the card pockets. Could not think one stretch at a time and had to break concentration time and again. This was a serious lesson that I did not enjoy, but learnt from.

The completion of the project was a great joy. Have also received quite a few compliments on the looks of the wallet to the practicality of the design. Some of the compliments that I received on Pinterest, I will cherish for a very long time.

It is now a nice, well used, shining accessory that I use daily. It will keep looking better and better with time.