I collect things, and leather is a favorite if I can find scraps. A leather clothing business was moving out of town and sold bags of scraps from the garments and accessories they made. I rummaged around and picked out a bag of colored leather small scraps and another scrap bag of mixed leathers that were larger very thin scraps. So two bags for $25 and I was happy for my find but I feel I went over budget for the cost of scraps.
Until...when I got home, I found one of the bags had within it a large, uncut hide of the softest dark brown, very thin hid as soft as butter....that alone was worth it all. It still remains uncut or altered on my orphaned wood chest I keep all my fabric in for sewing. Now, here is what I did...
American Indian artwork has all kinds of weaving in baskets and leathers. I found a pattern on a wallet that I liked.
Taking a base firm piece of about 4" by 8" with a smooth side out. Taking the colored leather very thin choice pieces I found blue, red and a light tan. I made these into the width of shoe laces, about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and as long as the scrap was, which was about 4" to 6 ". Cutting into the base leather with an sharp pointed Exacto Knife slits from which to weave into. This is the first pattern formed from these scraps.
Taped the leather down on my cutting mat, and with a ruler, next I made sliver thin strips. The next pattern is a border for the center piece.
I cut two more base leather pieces. Using the same method and altered the pattern just a little bit. Using only red for the center focus point made these two bookend pieces.
Now, I have this pattern and border design.
I used this to line a western jewelry chest, but now placed them on a bookcase as mats under family pictures.
