Dec 27 17:17:56 107 PA - Rasputin figures out Leatherworking.

From Chronicles

Weather at Wed Dec 27 17:17:56 107 PA (0.41C, 32.75F)

3rd Leatherworking Log for Rasputin (Last)

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 his basement working away at making an example of a leather pouch with lanyard made out of braided leather. The lanyard is actually very well done, though that isn't as much leatherworking as Rasputin's skin preparing and cooking skills with meat. The pouch, well it is sewed all the way around at least. He hums to himself, as he works away, some Russian song most likely.

After the last session, Sage isn't sure what to expect this time around. She takes the stairs down at a measured pace before stepping down onto the basement floor and making her way over towards the table where they've worked at previously. She spots the man working on the pouch and lets a small smile come to her lips. "Hey.." She greets him simply.

Rasputin has made four pouches for you to examine. None of them are great, but all of them are at least functional. As you would expect the stiching is not super tight and the lines aren't super straight. But at least they are pouches, with ever increasing more complex stich work so that is something. Rasputin looks up and smiles, "Da, da. Greetinks Sage. How is goink?" He smile and before you can answer, "Mink has been busy makink and practicink, da. Dis net super, but net horrible? Da?"

Sage is just on the verge of responding to the questions when the man goes on, and shifts her attention to the work to examine them. She hms softly at the first one, "Not bad for a first start..." She comments before moving onto the next one. This one draws a shake of her head, "This one will fall apart before it really gets used." She comments, before moving onto the third one. "A little better than the first..." She comments before considering the last one, "Another small improvement..." She adds with a nod before looking back to the man, "Its a decent start... looks like you've begun to figure out what works and doesn't, but its going to take a lot of practice before you become truly proficient." She comments, before pausing, "And, I'm doing fairly well. Yourself?"

Rasputin has actually taken a step back from the table, and is almost standing at attention as you inspect his work. He listens, and peers at what you are speaking about as you make comments and point out flaws. He nods slowly, thinking about how to improve. He frowns as the falling apart one and seems to feel bad about it. But as you talk about his improvement with the last two he is very pleased. After a brief moment for him to take it all in, he says, "Mink doink well, da. And mink thankink you for teachinks, mink seem to be doink better, da?" He beams, "Buttink net goodink yet, da. What shall mink be learnink today?"

"You are showing improvement, yes." Sage replies with a small smile, "I think I would like to see you stitch something together while I watch first before we move onto other things." She comments, "Just to see if I might be able to see how you are handling it now that you have a little practice. Then, we can move onto the next step when it comes to the coats."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He smiles and walks over to a supply of leather, "Da, should I be startink a new? Or perhapsink pull apart one of dhose to reuse?"

Sage offers another small smile before shrugging faintly, "Whatever you are most comfortable with doing. Its the practice that's important, its the same principle either way." She comments, "And I'm glad I can help teach you this." She adds, not wishing the man to think she's brushed aside the thank you.

Rasputin grins a bit and walks over to the worse of the four pouches. He flips out a knife and quickly cuts the seems down, and trims off the holes. He cuts it down about a half inch in all sides. He smiles and looks to you and says, "Da, you are welcomes." He smiles, "You are wantink me to sew on the inside first, da dhen be turnink inside out, for the out seam?"

Sage chuckles softly, "We are just practicing the stitches themselves... you may begin as you see fit, I'm more interested in seeing you go through the motions. If it is easier, do the same thing you did when making the pouch in the first place... only better than the work you did on this one, hm?" She adds with a musing tone.

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He strings up some thread and prepairs, "So, firstink we holdink dhem close and tight? Da?" He smiles, "Slowly, buttink net makink stiches too closeink, da?" He begins, slowly stiching around the round sections of the pouch. "Da, linkink dhis?" He keeps working slowly, allowing you to interrupt if required.

Sage purses her lips as she watches the man begin to stitch, and watches closely as the man goes through the motion. She shakes her head faintly, "You're being too delicate with pulling the stitches tight... the thread will snap before you damage the hide." She comments, "And, you may have a bit better luck if you hold the needle like..." She adds before she begins to subtly adjust the man's fingers on the needle. "And, push the needle through like..." She guides the man's attempt, "Let it catch a spot, then apply to pressure to slip it through... makes for a smaller hole."

Rasputin nods and practices holding the needle as you show him with his fingers. He puts it down, brings it up, puts it down then brings it up again to make sure he can repeat the holding of the needle. He thinks a moment and tries again. "Likink dhis? OK, da," he is saying almost to himself. Then he tries again and begins to punch holes into the leather with his needle and thread. "Da, lets tryink dhis again." He smiles and puts down several stiches again.

Once the man begins to practice, Sage will only intervene if she needs to make an adjustment to correct it. Otherwise, she's content to watch the man try to learn this new thing. She nods faintly when he seems to have it. It isn't until the man begins to make the stitches with a more solid approach. She chuckles, "There... that's how you should be doing it." She comments, "Better... much better."

Rasputin continues working his way around this round, tightening up the stiches and making sure this pouch is done very well, "Da, da. Dis muchink better." He smiles and continues his work slowly following around. "Da, soink, what should I be tryink now? Or should I doink more of dhese?"

"Now, its time to take the next step." Sage explains as she moves over to take up the example piece she made out of the sleeve of one of the jackets. She removes the pins if they were left in. "Since its generally easier to sew the inside portion first..." She turns the hide so that it would be effectively inside out, then lines up the extra bit that will stick into the coat, "Let's work on starting to piece together a jacket. A sewing machine is a little easier for this inside bit... but we can probably fix this so that we can sew by hand without worrying about it flopping all over the place."

Rasputin nods slowly and watches your work, "Da, linink up and makink sure da seam is close together with da pins, da?" he says softly as you work. "I would be needink to be makink da stitches tight, so it would net beink floppink, da? But net too tight or else weaken leather, da?" He continues, "Do you wantink me to be tryink?"

"Pins or clips can work." Sage replies before she begins to put pins in one side, "I'll do this side and you practice pinning the other end of this." She comments, "It can be easier if you have something to wrap the hide around to simulate something a bit bigger than the arm that'll go into it." She comments, "But, yes, these stitches will be the main thing that keeps the coat together. So, they have to be good."

Rasputin nods slowly and begins to follow your example immediately. He uses a set of small clips, which he uses for drying leather, he lines these up very tightly. He follows them up with pins, slowly moving the clips after he has pinned it all together. "Da, linkink dhis?" He thinks a moment, "Mink havink a large rollink pin, would dhat work?"

"Just make sure that they don't interfere with your ability to sew it together." She comments, "But, that's looking about right." She comments before she purses her lips, then nods. "A rolling pin may work in a pinch." She comments, "The shoulders are best to be on something like a man-shaped torso or clothing dummy." She comments, "The arms are the toughest part, really."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, I will be gettink somethink likink dhat, to be makink it betters items." He smiles a bit, "Should I startink on sewink? Followink your leads and yours stitches? da?" He smiles a bit, and preps a long thread on a needle, and practices holding it a few more times. Making sure he is holding it the same way you showed him earlier.

Sage takes a moment to check over their work, going as far as slipping her arm into the sleeve to test the lining up of the fold they have. "Alright, let's start stitching it up." She comments, "Leave a bit free at this end since we'll need some slack to attach to the shoulder. And a little bit free at the cuff since we'll likely need to fine tune a little for the length."

Rasputin nods slowly, and begins to slowly work on the stitches, only pulling out the pins after he had stitched well past them. He makes each stitch, tests it, pulls it taught, and then makes the next loop in the leather. He is being very careful, and trying his best to copy your example as well.

Not wanting to discourage the man from the attempt, Sage holds her tongue for a little bit. "Alright." She replies, "Its not as easy given the smaller space to work." She pauses as she considers the options, "Its harder to be as fluid with the needle and it may be better to get a sewing machine ultimately for this part." She comments, "Sometimes sewing the stitch this way..." She makes finger gestures to indicate the a more perpendicular approach with the needle to the hide, "can help with limited space."

Rasputin nods slowly and slows down a little bit more, "Da, da." He follows your example with the needle making the perpendicular incision with the needle. He repeats the motions to make sure he can redo the stitch. He nods, "Likink dhis? Da?"

Sage waits for the man to get used to the motion and try it out before nodding, "You seem to be picking it up well enough." She comments, "Its a bit slower, but it gets the job done." She comments before she purses her lips, "Do you think you'll be able to piece together one or both coats? The finishing touches are pretty easy after that. I can show you when we try to wear them."

Rasputin nod slowly, "Da, da. I could be givink it a try, da."

Rasputin nod slowly, "Da, da. I could be givink it a try, da." He smiles a bit, "Would you be linkink me to be doink dhis and showink you mink work?" He smiles and looks at the other arm you did some work, "Shouldink mink be makink both, before mink showink you mink work?"

"As long as you do the best job you can do... I don't mind if you have one or two coats done." Sage comments, before pursing her lips as she begins to locate the items that the man will need. "And, let me know if I can provide anything that might be useful to you." She adds before pausing, "Otherwise, I think with some time and practice, you should be able to put together a reasonable first attempt."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Spasibo." He smiles, "I'll be makink one, dhen sendink or findink you to show. Dhen work on da other one. Da? Would dhat be OK?" He looks to you and smiles and waits for your reply, "Da?"

"That should work just fine." Sage replies, "That way you can try to do the finishing touches on the second. But, the basics of leather working is getting the structure right... everything else is just making it look nice." She comments, "Do you have any questions before I go?" Rasputin shakes his head, "Net, net. I am goodink. I will be workink slowly, da?" He smiles and nods, "Mink thinkink mink good. Mink will be workink, da? Spasibo again." He pauses, "Mink meanink, Thank you dery much."

"You're quite welcome." Sage replies with a smile, "And in that case, I shall leave you to work in your own time. I look forward to seeing the result." She adds before she begins to make her way towards the stairs. "Take care."

Rasputin watches Sage leave and then continues on his work, sewing up the sleeve of the leather coat.