Last Updated on September 25, 2022
How to Sewing Leather at Home? Leather is one of the most popular materials, which is not surprising. Firstly, it is practical and at the same time very beautiful. Secondly, you can make almost anything from clothes, shoes, bags, and Jewelry.
How to Sew Leather with Sewing Machine?
Unfortunately, the leather has one weak point. But don’t let your fear of using this stuff to create something stop you from trying. Before sewing leather at Home, you can learn everything you need to know from TheSewingStuffs. If you do not just read the article, what sewing machine is best for sewing leather or use it as an instruction.
Types of Leather?
Two factors influence the appearance and thickness of the leather: the raw materials from which it is made and the dressing technology. There are several types of leather:
- The soft grade is relevant for clothes.
- For shoes and bags – hard grade
- For Jewelry – a variety
What is Required for Sewing Leather?
After you buy leather, cut and sew it. Please note that it has many features and that you must consider can you sew leather.
First, it stretches in width and length, but in the transverse direction, it is much stronger than in the longitudinal direction. It follows from this that paired parts should have the same direction.
When preparing tools, be guided by the type of leather. So, you can process a soft grade on a sewing machine with a No. 80 or No. 90 needle, and a hard grade lends itself only to hands and a needle with a triangular tip.
Cut the leather not with scissors but with a special tool such as a cobbler’s knife (also called a furrier) or Rotary Cutter.
In addition to what was listed above (a sewing machine with a No. 80 or No. 90 needle or a needle with a triangular tip, a glass or plastic surface), it will come in handy:
- Awl
- A hammer
- Thimble
- Synthetic threads of excellent quality
- Glue-based seam enhancer
- Rubber glue
What is Allowed to Sew the Leather?
A needle with a triangular tip, if there is no such types of needle change the needle and try again, a crochet hook, and a sewing machine for leather. Based on the type of leather and your professional level. Below is information about each method.
1. Needlepoint in the Form of a Triangular Tip
To sew the leather with a needle and not worry about the result, you must act in this way:
- Draw a line with chalk on the material. You can take a needle and push, but carefully.
- Make holes in the material along the line. This will require an awl and a hammer. It’s simple: put an awl and knock on it with a hammer a couple of times. Before you make holes in the material along the line, substitute rubber under it.
- Open the holes as many as you need.
- Put the leather in the clip.
Next, start connecting the parts. Combining them with a saddle seam, “forward needle,” and over the edge is possible.
Important! To facilitate and speed up the work, take not one but two needles and grease them with wax for more effortless glide.
2. Crochet or Hook
A hook is also suitable (without a needle) with a tip like a triangular tip. Just be as careful as possible – they can easily damage such a “finicky” material.
Operating procedure:
- Fix the hook in one hand and the workpiece in the other hand.
- On the outside of a piece of leather, gouge a hole and thread a hook through it.
- Form a loop of thread inside a leather piece, then stretch it to the face of the future product.
- Set the hook aside and pull the thread. You should end up with one part of the thread on the outside. And the other part of the thread on the inside.
- Make another hole.
- Grab the thread with a hook and bring it outside by about 1 cm.
- Remove the hook, and insert a little of the previous thread into the loop formed.
- Secure the hand stitch and pass the thread along the inside.
After you end – when the first and last hand stitch meet each other, make two or three loops in the opposite direction.
3. On a Sewing Machine
You can sew leather on a sewing machine only if its thickness is no more than 1.5 mm. Thicker material should be processed manually.
As for the sewing process, it is almost the same as when using a hook. The only difference is that you will have to upgrade the equipment and spend money slightly:
- The sewing needle must be special. It has a round section, and at the end – a point. The unique shape guarantees easy piercing of the material without damaging the fibers.
- If the needle does not cope with the leather and you cannot make holes, then there are two ways: press the needle more tightly and replace the material with a less dense one.
- If the threads are constantly tangled or not even tightened on the sewing machine, then change them to nylon or linen.
- For the leather to slide along the conveyor of the sewing machine without any problems, purchase a roller, Teflon, or fluoroplastic foot.
Don’t be discouraged if the roller, Teflon, or PTFE foot is too expensive or unavailable in local stores. Experts advise applying sunflower, olive, or other vegetable oil and talc to the pattern. In addition, you can help promote the material with your hands.
Recommendations for Sewing leather at Home
And in conclusion, let’s talk about some “tricks” that will make the job easier:
- Choose old patterns – those that have been tested on personal experience. First, test new patterns on another material and only then apply them to the leather.
- Give preference to patterns that do not involve a fit. If not possible, then at least give up darts in favor of complex seams.
- The most optimal cut is a shirt. Do not make kimono sleeves and the like.
- Before cutting, mark all imperfections (holes, bumps) to skip them. An ordinary pencil or ballpoint pen will do, but getting a special washable marker is better.
- When cutting, remember that the leather stretches both in width and length. Do not forget that paired parts must have one direction.
- You need to cut the suede, so the pile is from the bottom up.
- When sewing, you should constantly iron the leather, and the following conditions should be observed – from the inside out, with a thin gauze-type fabric, at a low temperature.
Can the Brother Cs6000i Sew Leather?
Yes, you can sew leather with Brother CS600i perfectly. This sewing machine with durable construction is designed in a way that it can sew both thick and thin materials with 98% quality and perfection. Besides, its wide table also makes leather projects convenient to finish.
Conclusion
Thus, sewing from leather at Home is not so difficult. The main thing is to learn the basics and prepare the tools following the type of material and your sewing skills.
We hope our article was clear and exhaustive and will help. And you can buy high-quality and inexpensive leather online.
“I like to turn a piece of string into something that I can wear.” I am dedicated to sharing knowledge on the necessary sewing equipment in The Sewing Stuffs.
