Mydori, Or My Fauxdori - Handmade Mtn

[jimhughes]

Tandy's On Line or brick and mortar stores usually have the thicker leather you're looking for. This is often used for leather carving . Like those wild west wallets, or belts you might have seen years ago, scrolls, roses, etc. Jim

[plumetis]

 

 

Hi TeaHive.

I stopped by the HobbyLobby near my work here in Concord. I checked out their leather options but they had leather sheets in small sizes. Biggest one is 8" x 10" and they didn't have them in the color I was looking for.

 

I picked up a larger leather sheet that was not cut to size, but it was a lot thinner and a bit flimsy for using as a leather Midori style cover. I want to make one for my A5 sized Clairefontaine or Fabriano notebooks.

 

While I was there I also got a tool to punch holes into leather and some elastic lace. But I think I'll return this leather and go for something thicker.

 

I'm thinking about this one on amazon:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Scrap-Leather-Medium-Brown-Cowhide/dp/B006UUHUDO/ref=pd_sbs_ac_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Y9XBEDG66E3ZNYK1DWV

 

I might also check Michaels or Joannes craft stores to see if they have any I like.

 

(Not TeaHive, sorry.)

 

I wouldn't use the leather you linked.

 

Scroll down and you will see someone asking the seller if this would be suitable for a book cover to which the seller answers that it's too thick.

 

You will want a certain amount of flexibility & softness in your leather so it can withstand the tension that is created by the elastics and opening/closing of the notebook (the spine especially).

 

Also note that this is chrome tanned (as opposed to the vegetable-tanned leather that TeaHive used and that Midori uses) and depending on the way that it has been been treated and will be treated might result in a very different look once it shows wear (scratches etc.), e.g. showing a different color underneath.

[pepsiplease69]

Thank you jimhughes and plumetis for your comments.

 

I will try to call Tandy leather to see if they can suggest the best leather for this purpose.

 

I did measure the thickness of the midori cover with my caliper and it was measuring at about 3mm thick.

[Cryptos]

@Teahive, nicely crafted! I am continually amazed at the skills everyone seems to have. Love seeing self-made stuff.

[TeaHive]

Glad to see others ringing in to help, not being online much the last couple days. Sorry Hobby Lobby didn't have what you were looking for! The large rectangle you mentioned is likely the one I used. It's about the size of a standard piece of paper. I haven't looked at the precise sizes of Midori booklets, so I'm not sure how they compare. But it sounds like you're on track for getting what you're looking for!

 

You can dye vegetable tanned leather, by the way. I just liked the natural color for mine.

 

Thanks, Cardboard_Tube! It didn't take much skill, just the use of a ruler, a hole punch, and trying a couple knots!

[BMG]

Very nice work! I'm impressed.

[Cryptos]

 

It didn't take much skill, just the use of a ruler, a hole punch, and trying a couple knots!

 

That's three more skills than I have. I see less and less people having a go at creating stuff, so when I do see it I am very pleased and amazed too. I started doodling recently - I am very poor at anything arty - and I had forgotten how much pleasure one can get from creating something, anything. So go you, TeaHive. I shall be watching to see what you do next!

[byggyns]

Veg tan leather is available from a variety of sources. Tandy is one, Springfield leather is another, there are certainly more out there, but some are more established than others. These two are probably the most trusted online retailers in the US. Tandy also has multiple physical locations both domestically & overseas. It is sometimes referred to as tooling leather or strap leather. It can be purchased pre-dyed or natural colored.

As far as thickness, you want between a 5 oz. and 7 oz. thick piece for the Midori type of covers. That thickness will give you the durability you need while still remaining flexible enough. The oz. that leather is measured in is approx 1/64" per oz. There is a handy reference chart near the bottom of this page:

https://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/leatherguide.aspx

 

As far as coloration of the leather, You can keep it close to the same color by placing a finish coat on it. Something like Resolene, an acrylic finish, is what I would use. Oil will darken the leather, as will UV exposure or dirt. The finish merely slows that process. As mentioned by TeaHive, veg tanned leather can be dyed in many different ways. There are spirit dyes, oil dyes, and water based dyes. Each have their own pros & cons. Veg tan is also the only type of leather that can be carved and tooled, as mentioned by jimhughes.

 

One key thing to consider is that the higher quality / priced veg tan leather will have a more even back (flesh) side. If you wind up with a piece of leather that has not been skived(thinned with blade) or sanded properly on the back, it makes for a really ugly looking result (loose flakes & fibers of leather that can peel up from the surface & dangle there). You absolutely DO NOT want a piece of veg tan with a "pasted" back side. It will not take dye properly, and if you want to tool it, it will not take the needed moisture correctly.

 

Edge finishing is also something that makes a project look much more elegant. I know that Midori leaves their edges raw, but a beveled & burnished edge with a contrasting color can really take the project to another level. You can see properly finished edges on Gfeller products.

[Ted A]

Tandy has both dyes and finish that are specifically designed to use with leather.

[TeaHive]

Got back from a long weekend with the family, and managed to go to the Hobby Lobby there for more veg-tan leather and some various scraps. I just cut the 8.5" x 11" piece in half to make two passport size Fauxdori. Currently, I'm letting them absorb some beeswax/coconut oil. One is scented with lavender oil as well, and the other with cinnamon and clove oils. I think I will turn one into a wallet/organizer. The other will be for journaling. The big one is pretty much just a big ol' sketchbook for now, until I get my Clairefontaine notebooks to put in it. Then it'll be a sort of catch-all.

 

I think I'm going to purposely suntan the small ones, too. It's just not a sunny day today, so I can't really get around to that yet. Booooo.

Edited April 7, 2015 by TeaHive

[bogiesan]

I don't shop Hobby Lobby.

Tandy has been a weird presence in my life for fifty years so I enjoy spending my money there. However, there are a million places to get inexpensive leather. Strongly urge you not to buy cheap leather just because it's cheap.

I'm a rank amateur leathercrafter but I have learned to always get three times as much leather as the project requires. I will totally mess up the first attempt, learn a lot on the second, and generally do a nicely polished job on the third.

Working in leather is more difficult thn you might think. Forgiving, yes. But leather work looks so much better with the development of some basic skills like just being able to cut a straight line, softening corners, accurate punching, beveling the edges, stamping or tooling, and some basic knot tying practice.

[bogiesan]

Sorry, forgot to add: Lovely work, TeaHive. You seem to have inspired many of us and that's high praise.

[TeaHive]

Sorry, forgot to add: Lovely work, TeaHive. You seem to have inspired many of us and that's high praise.

 

Thanks!

[TeaHive]

Finally got to make my passport-size Fauxdori! I was waiting several days for the leather to darken. The darker one I used several layers of coconut oil, a little sunlight, and some strong-brewed pu'erh tea. It resulted in a nice chocolate-milk color.

 

Forgive the poor light quality and my scratched-up desk.

 

 

I used 3.5" x 5.5" Clairefontaine staplebound booklets for this guy. It makes the perfect little chunk! No accessories for this one. This Fauxdori will pretty much be just for journaling.

 

 

 

And here are some color comparisons. The pu'erh stained mini against the natural color of my larger Fauxdori:

 

 

 

And the one on the right was darkened with just coconut oil (many, many applications) and a little sunlight. This one needs a 3.5" x 5.5" clothbound Clairefontaine book, the Midori zippered pouch, and I'll likely make my own Kraft folder for it. This one will be used as a wallet and kept in my purse.

 

[stonezebra]

Thanks to all the excellent suggestions, photos and links I am now the proud owner of my own fauxdori! Thanks everyone.

I made mine leather to fit my Field Notes in the tri-fold style and used buttons to protect the spine/holes. (there's a button inside for the middle elastic too). Found the leather at the nearby Tandy store, the embellishments and elastic at Michael's (silver and black), buttons in my sewing kit, and made the folder out of a spare piece of cardstock. There are several pieces of blotting paper interspersed and I'll probably be adding a small binder clip to use as a pen holder. May add a zipper pouch at some point along with a 'dashboard; to hold post-it notes/washi tape.

[TeaHive]

Whoot! It looks good!

 

I've been thinking about buying a binder spine and hole punch to put in a leather cover, as well. (As if I need any more notebooks, hehe.)

[cleosmama]

TeaHive and Stonezebra--Your work is very beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.

[TSherbs]

TeaHive and Stonezebra--Your work is very beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.

+1

[TeaHive]

Thanks!

[stonezebra]

TeaHive and Stonezebra--Your work is very beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.

Thank you, it was great fun! I'm making one for my Sweetie tomorrow.