Canadian Leathercraft – Summer 2012

An issue of the Society’s newsletter, transcribed from the original. Download as PDF.

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Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft CANADIAN LEATHERCRAFT

Volume LVV No. 4 Summer - 2012 0045-5121

Members-at-Large Marion Kehoe, Joanne Malec, with Howard Woodman,
London Leather Guild Member make Leather Bird Toys
In this Edition…
Page 2 Notes from the Editor, Membership reminder, Norland Leather Guild Member Passes Away Page 3 Highlights of the Executive Meeting, A Canadian Site to Visit, To: All Members-at-Large Page 4 Cross Dyeing by Irva Ford, Branch Report MAL
Page 5 How to Make a Leather Bird Carrier
Page 6 How to Make a Leather Bird Toy
Page 7 MAL Photo Gallery
Page 8 More Pictures from the 2012 Annual, Got Any CSCL Library Books or Videos

President: Lauch Harrison, 68 Tisdale St. S, Hamilton, ON L8N 2W2 –[email protected]
1st Vice-Pres.: Rob Regan,[email protected]
2nd Vice-Pres.: Ken Boroski,1960 Aldermead Rd., Mississauga, ON L5M [email protected]
Past President: Barbara Chynoweth, 3350 Monck Rd., Norland, ON K0M 1K0 – [email protected]
Treasurer: Della Chynoweth,3350 Monck Rd., Norland, ON K0M [email protected]
Recording Secretary: Della Chynoweth,3350 Monck Rd., Norland, ON K0M [email protected].
Correspondence: Pat Bullock, 139 Valentia Rd., Little Britain, ON K0m [email protected]
Membership: Tracey Howard, RR#1 2316 Conc Rd. A, Brechin, ON L0K 1B0 –[email protected]
Editor: Madeleine Mitchell, 17 Light St., Woodstock, ON N4S 6G7 – [email protected]
Website: www.canadianleathercraft.org

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2
Notes from the Editor…
It's been a sweltering Summer in South Western Ontario this year with dry conditions that threaten crops and my potted plants. Thank goodness August has brought a bit of a reprieve with gentle showers and pop-up downpours! Time to reflect on CSCL and this issue of the “Canadian Leathercraft”. I've been publishing this quarterly Newsletter since 2003 and really could not do it without the contributions of CSCL members. This edition has articles by
Member-at-Large, Lauren McPherson. She has been instrumental in getting those members who do not belong to a CSCL Branch, but are CSCL members nevertheless, organized and participating in events. The Members-at-Large table at Annuals is just one example. Read
Lauren's article about her trip to “A Canadian Site to Visit” and submit your own favourite site.
Also, one of Lauren's articles describes a project created by Student Member of CSCL, Joanna Malec. Joanna was the 2012 Winner of the Ontario Crafts Council Design, a very prestigious award for one of CSCL's youngest members. Be sure to read.
CSCL, as long as I have been a member, has always welcomed and mentored new and young leathercrafters – they are our future, cliched though that may sound. I'm sure CSCL Fellow Paul Kitchener will agree, he continues to welcome the curious and talented young folks to the Mississauga Branch demonstration table. Likewise in Hamilton, Peter Grove and Sean Dalgetty provide guidance to, and generously share their skills with newcomers. In fact, CSCL members are our greatest asset in promoting the Society.
Norland Branch recently lost a treasured, long time member, Gloria Cousins. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carol Broumley and family. Carol remains a CSCL member.
Soon enough, the cooler temperatures of the Autumn will be approaching and outdoor activities will be replaced with indoor activities – perhaps a leather project for the next CSCL Biennial Exhibition to be held in 2013, or the next Annual.
“Canadian Leathercraft” is your source of information about CSCL and it’s members.
Check out the CSCL webswitew wat.canadianleathercraft.org
As always, if you have questions, comments, or even a future article for this newsletter, contact your Editor, Madeleine Mitcmhaedlle [email protected]

Memberships were due April 1, 2012 but it's not too late to sign on or renew contact: Tracey Howard 705-426-4663 or email [email protected]

Norland Leather Guild Member Passes Away

CSCL extends sympathy to the family of Gloria Cousins, who passed away July 31, 2012.
Gloria was a longtime member of the Norland Leather Guild. Gloria was a member of the Happy Wanderers and volunteered with many service organizations in the Community. She received the City of Kawartha Lakes Senior of the Year award in 2007. Gloria was a Lay Reader of Christ Church, Coboconk.
Gloria's late husband, Art was also a leathercrafter and active in CSCL.
Her daughter, Carol Broumley, continues the family tradition as a member of the Norland Branch.

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3 Highlights from Executive Council Meetings… May 2012 highlights-

New Slate for 2012-2014 Executive Council meets for first meeting
Barb Chynoweth to be the Privacy Policy Officer for CSCL 's members.
Planning already started for the 2013 Annual, to be hosted by Norland Branch.
Biennial Exhibition in the Spring of 2013, to be held at the Woodstock Art
MAL Branch Report submitted by Lauren McPherson.
Next meeting late September. See the Autumn Newsletter for more information.

A Canadian Site To Visit
By Lauren McPherson
MAGNETAWAN, Ontario: Advertised as site #19 on this downtown corner Chamber of Commerce billboard you will want to visit (one square above the bottom left corner) when you are north of
Barrie. Follow the signs: Take Old Highway Road off Hwy 124, Poverty Bay Road East and travel down a Canadian forested single lane driveway into view of Poverty Bay, one of the hundreds of tiny Muskoka lakes. You have reached Windows to the North Gallery. Explore the Canadian art for sale here: pottery, photography, wood, fiber, glass, jewellery,paintings. Thirty-three artists are celebrating women in art, an endeavour for employment and promotion that can be viewed online at www.windowstothenorth.com,
705-387-3085, Open Daily Mon-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 11-5.

To: All Members-At-Large
Send me a brief description of your Canadian Site To Visit. Use my MAGNETAWAN,Ontario paragraph in this issue for an example of a CANADIAN CRAFT SHOP. This can include recent art treasures, leather pieces and past travels. On your behalf, all submissions will be stored in my MAL library and pulled to contribute to quarterly Canadian Leathercraft issues. Electronic, printed material, photos:
all formats are welcome. [Contact by mail: 574 Cayley Drive, London, ON,N6H 3G8; email: [email protected]]

Lauren McPherson
Members-At-Large Representative

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4 CROSS DYEING By Irva Ford
[As Printed In Canadian Leathercraft, Volume XIX, No. 2, Fall 1970]

Rather than mixing dyes to obtain colours that are not manufactured for retail sale, the desired colours may be obtained by cross dyeing. The following chart may be of assistance when colouring your leather.
Over: Makes:
Brown Orange Havana Brown
Brown Yellow Light Brown
Brown Purple Seal Brown
Green Violet Light Blue
Green Orange Olive Green
Green Light Blue Peacock Green
Yellow Blue Green
Yellow Green Bright Green
Yellow Light Blue Light Green
Yellow Brown Golden Brown
Yellow Purple Green Brown
Yellow Orange Orange Yellow
Yellow Pink Peach
Yellow Red Bright Red
Red Blue Purple
Red Dark Blue Plum
Red Light Blue Garnet
Red Dark Brown Maroon
Red Brown Henna
Red Purple Wine
Red Yellow Scarlet
Red Orange Tangerine
Red Lavender Rose
Red Grey Taupe
Purple Green Medium Blue
Purple Bright Red Wine
Purple Dark Green Navy Blue
Dark Blue Orange Dark Brown
Light Blue Dark Red Garnet
Light Blue Yellow Light Green
Pink Light Blue Lavender
Pink Orange Deep Orange

[Editor's Note: Irva Ford was a respected Fellow in CSCL, Hamilton Branch through the early years. I remember her as a teacher and mentor in the 1970's]

BRANCH REPORT MAL from May 25, 2012 Executive Meeting
MAL successfully reached our goal of raising money to purchase two 7-8 oz vegetable tanned leather pieces included on the Draw Table at the Convention. The full $110 was attained from several MAL.
We MAL,are proud of the MAL who received ribbons and awards for their work including, Joanna Malec who won the coveted CSCL 2012 Ontario Crafts Council Design Award for her colourful sculpture titled HANDSTERPIECE.
Submitted by Lauren McPherson

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5 How To Make A Leather Bird Carrier
By Lauren McPherson

A Bird Carrier, also known as an octopus, is the kind that carries the reward of successful bird hunting, for example the 5lb Canadian grouse, similar to a quail but with bigger feathers.

Although hunters might require different size carriers the finished size here is 9 ½ inches x 2 ½ inches cut from a piece of strong, flexible, 3-4 ounce veg-tanned leather. Five straps will carry five birds. Durable snaps on the carrier allow it to be fastened over your belt thus leaving your hands free.

Making a cardboard pattern is a good idea for marking the placement of the snaps, straps and slits. Using a ruler, draw the 12 ½ inch x 2 ½ inch outline onto the cardboard. Using something sharp like a needle poke the holes in the cardboard to mark the snaps, straps and slits. Cut out the cardboard pattern. Lay the cardboard pattern on the leather and mark all the holes on the leather. Use a #0 punch to punch these holes. Use a head knife, Xacto or other sharp knife to cut the straps and slits.

How to use the carrier: Form a loop by folding a strap up until the bottom of the slit is even with the top of the slit. Keep this point even. Working on a flat surface push the upper edge of each side outward (left and right) forming two flat loops. Pinch the exposed back of these loops, lift up, and pinch the earlier outward loops under the exposed back. Slip the bird’s head in and cinch it down around the bird’s neck. The bird’s weight will hold it snugly.

[Top Photo: MAL completed Bird Carrier; Left & Bottom Diagram:
The Craftsman, Issue January-February1967]

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6 How To Make A Leather Bird Toy
By Lauren McPherson et al
Bird toys was the theme of the evening when London Members-at-large gathered at the home of David and Dorothy McPherson for a summer
BBQ.The get-together also provided an opportunity to present
Joanna Malec with her Ontario Crafts Council Design Award she’d won at CSCL’s 62nd Annual Convention in Burlington.
The fun and easy July leather project How To Make A Leather Bird Toy was demonstrated by Joanna. After recently acquiring a green cheek conure parrot, Albert, Joanna decided to try making some bird toys – with the simplest one being a knotted leather cord. Parrots love to untie knots with their beaks!
When each person was given a 54 inch long leather strip that was ¼ inch wide we learned that the strips 1/8 inch wide will tie tighter and look bigger. The leather must be veg-tanned to eliminate the risk of the bird ingesting harmful chemicals from chrome-dyed leather.
That evening everyone made a simple knotted cord toy. Just fold the cord in half and tie a knot at the fold. Then tie a knot about 4 inches along each separate cord and/or continue knotting as often and frequent as you desire.
On one toy, Joanna showed how she’d used 1 inch x 1 inch or 2 inch x
2 inch squares (often referred to as chips) of veg-tanned leather that she’d leather-punched a centre hole in to pass the leather strip through. A couple of people tried knotting wooden beads from
TUNDRA onto the cord. A cotton string tied through the top loop allows it to hang as a swinging toy.
In another toy, Joanna had knotted two cords together and the resulting 4 cords hanging down resembled a spider.
Metal bells can also be strung onto the cords, but remove the jingle parts first as any zinc coating is dangerous.
Apparently there is a market for bird toys, and they make a great gift for any bird owner. Two topics to Google are homemade bird toys and How to make leather bird toys that give such helpful hints as the use of food colouring to colour cardboard tubes and wooden chips in any toy for birds.

Albert, the parrot, in his cage, enjoys his leather toy

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7 …MAL Photo Gallery…

Out-going Chairman of Council of Fellows, David McPherson presents OCC Design Award to Joanna Malec, Junior MAL

MAL Roselle Wallace, Toronto displays her lovely Leaf Sculpture at the 2012 Annual

Got Any CSCL Library Books or Videos?
Rob Regan, is searching for missing books or videos.
Please return by September to your Branch.
Rob's also looking for ideas for new additions to the Library – contact him at [email protected]

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More Photos from the 2012 Annual

Part of the MAL Display Table at the 2012 Annual (Note: Joanna Malec's Hand Sculpture -OCC Design Award at the top right of the photo)

Part of Mississauga Branch Table at the 2012 Annual