Tortilla

Sometimes, things just come together. This holster is one of those things. From the drawing a few posts back, I started playing with the outline of the holster, because I didn't like the outline I had; I just didn't think it looked "right". After a few minutes, the drawing transformed into the Tortilla-style holster you see in the picture. I cut it out, and started stitching, and when I was done, I really couldn't believe the result.

There is about a million minute details about holster making that are easy to get wrong. I usually get something wrong. The stitching is sometimes slightly uneven, or they don't lay flat on the stitch-line. The demensions of the projecr may be slightly off. Not so much that you have to scrap the piece and start over, but enough that you, the maker, notice, and it bothers you. Sometimes to get the cut you want, you have to cut across the grain of the leather, and it makes for weird stretching. Sometimes you slip while cutting, and nick the finish on the side of the holster.

Any of these things can easily go wrong. Sometimes multiple ones go wrong, and when you get done, you can't point at any one thing and say "that screwed this project up", but the project is screwed up nonetheless.

And sometimes everything comes together. The grain is beautiful, the stitching is perfect, and the measurements are precise. You were able to cut the leather so that the natural grain enhances, rather than detracts from the piece. It all just works.

And that's why you keep making things, and trying to get better.