Dec 17 17:21:25 107 PA. - More Leather working

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Sun Dec 17 17:21:25 107 PA. 2nd Leatherworkin Log for Rasputin

Kingsdale - Yakov's Deli: Basement
This is the heart of the Deli, meat grinders, several walk-in freezers. It is a Vegitarian's nightmare that is for sure.

With all of the various tools and equipment, this area is kept very clean and very tiddy.

Players-
Sage
Rasputin

Rasputin is down in the basement working on the second of two coats. He has gone as far as getting a standup bust so he can hang them up and work on them. Rasputin has come a far way in his work. But of course there are a few major issues with his work. Ones he doesn't see, or won't admit perhaps? He is bent over the work bench workgin on sewing of the leather together for the jacket.

With the arranagements being made for her to be sent down, Sage descends into the basement. It isn't until she's down the stairs and turning to see where the man resides that she abruptly pauses. At first, it almost seems like a farce that she's training the man until she begins to pick out the flaws in the design, "What do you think you're doing?" She asks, as she begins to move towards the man's work with a frown coming to her features.

Rasputin looks up, his mouth has pins in it, his beard has chalk on one side and pieces of leather on the other. He apparently didn't even hear you come down the stairs, his consentration was so focused on his work. He lifts up his hands needle and thread in one, the stiches apparently not working as he would like them to work. His seamline not so straight. "Hello Sage. Da," He shows off his work, mostly proud but pondering, "Dis workink on coats, da?"

Sage frowns a little more before she places her hands on her hips, "I thought we agreed that we'd get the profiles cut out and possibly the stretching done... not jump ahead like this." She gives a little gesture to the coats - if they can be called that.

Rasputin tugs his bead fiercly as his eyes kind of go wide, and he clenches his jaw a bit. He frowns and looks at the coat hanging up and the one on the table. He mutters to himself and then shakes his head and laughs, "Da, da. Mink gettink a head, da?" He shakes his head, "Net thinkink anyone will be wearink dhese, da?" He looks at the coat, and then goes over and measures the sleeves. He grins as one is 18 inches the other is 22 inches. He shakes his head, "Dwell at least mink enthusiastic, da?"

Sage holds a stern look when the man seems to react badly to her confrontation before she seems to lets it relax when the man laughs. She nods faintly, "Well, I appreciate your enthusiasm... but there was a reason I asked you to wait." She comments, "There are things here that can make these coats unwearable." She comments, she gestures along one sleeve line, "This isn't even, so a hand is likely going to have to wriggle out a bit." She comments, then moves to the other coat. "This shoulder part wont last long as its set up." She looks between the two. "And here... this coat wont look at all good when you're trying to fasten it up." She comments before demonstrating what she means, before she takes a breath and lets it out. "The game of making little alternations to fix mistakes is one that is rarely won... its generally better to start over."

Rasputin chuckles softly and bows his head, "Da, da. Dhis is da samink dith cookink." He grins, "Da. Should I pull da stiches out so we are havink net total loss? Or just startink over from scratch, and havink me undo laters?"

Sage nods faintly to the man's understanding with a small amused smile, "Yes, just like cooking." She agrees with a faint chuckle, then she purses her lips as she considers the attempt so far. "Well, if there are parts we can undo without losing a lesson..." She comments as she eyes the work, before she reaches out to unravel one particularly weakly attached area. "Like this..."

Rasputin nods and copies your motion, pulling out those threads which can be easily pulled out. He grins, "Da, da. Mink havink a great deal of leather for workink. Dhough, we can beink startink over, if we are needink to be doink such." he smiles and points over to a few nice rolls of leather he has placed out. "I am dhinkink we will be usink more news, than reusink old," He says as he looks at his very poor work. "Da?"

"Well, that's a good thing for sure." Sage comments before considering what's in his hand as she unwinds the stritches. "Because, you've already demonstrated that you need work on attaching things together properly." She takes the sleeve in her hand to the table where she uses a small tool to remove the rest of the stitching. "So, we're going to work on lining things up and securing it like that."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He says his tearing apart work now done. He walks over, puts down all of the tools and things he has on him. Then stands, almost at attention and watches your work. He sees your intent, but holds still so he doesn't interrupt your work. He nods slowly as he waits for you to tell him what to do. "Mink am beink sorries for messink up stuff." He says softly a few minutes after watching.

For the first part, it seems that Sage will take the lead demonstration. She takes one end of the once sleeve. She rolls it slightly, "Now, what will separate a good quality coat from a bad one is the stretch of its stitching." She comments, "Here's one spot where we can use the extra material to get in additional stitches to help hold things together." She brings the ends together so that each side curls into the inside of the sleeve. "It also allows for letting out the sleeve a little if the change is needed. We dont be keeping all the extra, though." She comments before she begins to pin one end into place. "You want to make sure each side is even or you'll end up with something odd happening to the sleeve."

Rasputin nods slowly and watches you work. He mimics your motions with two throw-away pieces of leather. He doesn't seem to be getting it exactly, but he is getting closer to what you are demonstrating. He doesn't go all in, until he watches your actions a bit more. "Da, dis is more likink bakink, rather than cookink. Bakink must be exact, cookink can be more free willed, da?" He looks at how exactly you are measuring things up. "Da, are pins badink on leather, net makink holes?" He looks and is puzzled at your technique apparently.

"You need a model more than we need to avoid making holes in the hide." Sage comments, before she turns it so that the man can see it. "You can always seem what happens when you pull one side further in than the other." She comments, "Now if you have a scrap piece, we can try practicing how to stitch the leather."

Rasputin nods and produceds two pieces of scrap. He holds them up and hands them to Sage, "Da, da. Dhese should be working well, da?" He gets some thread ready then stops and waits for you to show him exactly what to do, rather than rushing forward.

"Now, the nice thing about the approach for the arms is that it can be used for any spot where you need to stitch things together." She comments, before she nods and takes the scraps before putting them aside. She takes up her pinned demonstration model. "And, in case you are wondering, the stitches will be as follows... one set along the outside..." She traces her finger along, "And, one on the inside portion." She makes a gesture along the inside folded in parts. The inside portions should be done first." She comments, before she switches her attention to the scraps, "Now then, one thing that's important when it comes to stitching is that you don't want them too close to each other as it can ultimately damage the leather in the end."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, so first inside, dhen outside. Stitches should net beink too closink." He looks how you are handling the leather. He pulls out two other pieces, approximiately the same size. He lays them down and sets them up in the same way as you have yours set up. He examines them and nods, "Da. Da. Pleasink, be showink me the stitch pattern? Da? Dhis is somethink I am knowink I got wrong."

It takes a moment to get out a needle and thread it after Sage nods to the man's request. "This will likely take you a fair bit to practice." She comments before she lines up the two parts of the scrap that fit well enough together. She begins by securing the start with a direct stitch across. From there, she begins to form a pattern that confers strength onto the stitch while leaving some space. Diagonal lines criss-cross before the next set of holes are used to form another line across. This continues along the way. "We might not want to make too many holes, but as you can see, we can re-use the holes we have already made.

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He watches you for a several stitches. He chooses to slice off the area of work he had done, so as to use two sides of leather that have no holes so he doesn't confuse himself. "Da, dhis way I won't follow same mistakes, da?" he copies the pattern with air motions, then begins. He makes a few stitches, compaires, then continues, "Da, likeink dhis?"

Sage nods faintly to the man as he expresses the desire not to make a mistake. She stops when the man seems to get the general idea of the stitching. Then she moves over to consider the man's work. "Make sure to keep the spacing the same... and give a little tug if there's a little slack since we don't want loose threads getting snagged on something." She comments.

Rasputin nods slowly, and keeps tension on the thread, making sure that it doesn't go slack and kinks don't get in the thread. He slowly works his way down the two pieces of leather until he comes to the end. He nods and looks at your work, then to his. He mutters, "Net goodink as yours, da." He shakes his head, "Should I be tryink another two pieces? Or just cuttink these off, and sew dhese backink together, da?"

"I've had more practice than you." Sage comments, "You'll get it with time... just think back to when you started to bake, I'm sure we both made plenty of messes and mistakes." She adds with a small smile. "Well, let's talk a little strategy first." She comments, turning to what remains of one of the coats. "When you start to put this together, let's start with stitching up the easier parts..." She comments, "The front part, you'll want to fold the extra in like this..." She bends the leather in a little bit. "Continuing on up to the collar area." She comments, "Then, the around the collar, it'll be bent the other way since that will be facing down." She explains. "Then, work on the attaching the sleeve just at the shoulder area" She comments, demonstrating the slight folding. "Easier to practice the inside stitches in this area. But, leave the length of the sleeve loose for the most part, except the very top bit where you set how seam should line up... let's make sure the seam is on the under part of the arm."

Rasputin nods slolwy as you talk about the stragegy of how to put together a coat. He looks at the pieces of the coat and how you are talking about the different stitches and seams. He nods slowly, "Da, da. Mink thinkink workink front to back, da? Or workink front, dhen back, and finally connectink dhem?" He ponders a bit and thinks, "Da? Net?" He tugs his beard a bit.

Sage hms softly as she considers the man's questions, "Yes, you'll want to work from front to back. The appearance of the front tends to be a little more important than the back." She comments as she makes small hand gestures to demonstrate her meaning, before looking to the man to consider his understanding or to see if he has any other questions.

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He looks at the pattern, "So what are you thinkink I should be startink on? Should I be just tryink to makink good straight stitches? Or should I be workink on formink, and streching?" He looks at the pattern and then tugs his beard understanding how much work is requried.

Sage glances towards the remains of the coats as if remembering what she saw when she first came here, "Stitching." She comments as she looks back to the man, "Its the back bone of the coat... if you can't get that right, it doesn't matter how well you do the other things."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Dis dhere somethink small I can be makink, so I'm net just waistink thread and leather? Or should I just doink practice lines?" He looks at his two failed coats and grins, "Da/"

Sage purses her lips as she considers things that could be made without using much material. "How about a small pouch with a draw string worked into the lip of the pouch." She comments, "You'll be able to test the strength of your stitching easily enough. Just place something inside the pouch and hang the draw string from a hook."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Goodink idea." He thinks a moment, "With da stitchink on da inside, da? So dis to net showink the lines, likink a on da coat? And how heavy of an object? One or two pounds?" He thinks, "Da, I am likink pouches almost more dhan coat." He chuckles, "I am always needink pouches."

Sage smiles, "Sure, you can put the stitches on the inside." She replies before considering the weight. "A couple pounds should do. If you get confident, you can try adding a little more weight but don't over do it." She gives a faint chuckle herself when the man admits to liking the idea of pouches almost more than coats. "Just be glad I'm not suggesting you make a fancy purse... now there's something that could really challenge your ability to work finely."

Rasputin nods slowly, and looks around for leather, "Dis dhere a pouch size you would be likink? I could practicink with a few." He smiles and chuckles, "I am dhinkink I would have to be takink up more careful sewink, if I dwas to do a purse, da? Lace and silk, net leather and hide?" He smiles, "Should we perhaps be callink it a day for now? I can keep tryink later?"

"Feel free to experience with size." Sage replies, "Its mainly practicing of stitching, after all. If its small, you may have to do finer work than if its a bigger one. Either are good practice." She comments, before giving the man an amused look at the comment about purses. "No, lace and silk have better uses than purses." S he muses with a secretive smile, "But, I think we've covered what we need to." She comments, "I'll look forward to seeing what you manage. Just remember to take your time to do things right." She comments, "Until next time?"

Rasputin nods slowly and thinks about the pouches and things, "Da, da. Dhankink you. Mink stick too pouches, da?" He chuckles, "Net more coats, da?" He chuckles and goes over to the light switch, "Please after you, da?" He looks to you and waits for you to go up the stairs.

"Pouches are only a small part of the realm of working leather, but you'll find that out as you go, I'm sure." Sage comments, before chuckling faintly. Then with a nod, she begins to go up the stairs to head out to carry on the rest of her day.