Stitching Light Leather With Glover's Needles

[Harpo84]

I know saddle stitch and backstitch and I've been using these on thick leather but now I'd like to try some light leather work.

Can anyone tell me how I should stitch light leather? For example: I'm working on something that has 2 - 3 layers of 2oz pigskin that need stitching together at the edges.

My book just says 'now stitch it'... but how? Is it that obvious?

Are you just meant to use running stitch? Is there any more secure alternative?

I'm using Glover's Needles and 18/3 by the way.

Thanks.

[ramrod]

what exactly are you stitching? the reason i ask is because when you stitch together light leathers, they tend to pucker - and it ain't a good look. there's really no structure to the leathers by themselves. possibly a sewing machine can make it a bit more tolerable.

[mrdabeetle]

You can use a normal sewing machine with a leather/heavy fabric needle for ultra light leathers. With hand stitching, it is very difficult to keep the leather from puckering and still keep the thread tension right. If the feed dogs (the things that grab the material and pull it through) are marking the leather, you can put a piece of paper underneath the leather where you are stitching and just tear it away when you are finished.

Edited March 2, 2012 by mrdabeetle

[Sylvia]

I know saddle stitch and backstitch and I've been using these on thick leather but now I'd like to try some light leather work.

Can anyone tell me how I should stitch light leather? For example: I'm working on something that has 2 - 3 layers of 2oz pigskin that need stitching together at the edges.

My book just says 'now stitch it'... but how? Is it that obvious?

Are you just meant to use running stitch? Is there any more secure alternative?

I'm using Glover's Needles and 18/3 by the way.

Thanks.

I looked this up for you... I don't know if it gives you enough information but here it is. The excerpt is from an old book on making leather goods published as a text book for a ladies school. Here it talks about stitches to use on gloves.

[Harpo84]

I think I'm probably making this sound far more difficult than it is

I'm trying to make a choker. I'm planning to cut a length of my 2oz pigskin three times the width of the choker, fold it so I have three layers with the exposed edge to one side on the back. Then stitch along each edge. Not over, just along.

I know what you mean about keeping the leather unpuckered while keeping the stitches tight but hopefully it won't be too bad with three layers. I've done a trial run with a scrap and it doesn't seem too flimsy.

What type of stitching would you normally use to make say, a wallet? Looking at the beaten up old wallet that's been in my pocket for the last 10 years, the stitching looks like saddle stitch to my untrained eye. Definitely not running stitch. But if I attempt that with my glover's needles I pierce the thread nearly every time. I tried backstitch with not much more luck.

Do I just need more practice? Or is there a different way to stitch with glover's needles that avoids this?

I'm thinking about using one glover's needle and one saddler's needle to avoid piercing the thread and just saddle stitching it. It just feels like there should be a simpler way of stitching light leather?

EDIT: I don't have a sewing machine by the way.

And thank you Sylvia for the interesting find. The second method is a no no because I don't want to stitch 'over' the edge. The first method would work but I'd prefer something more secure than a running stitch style stitch. Good find though. I found absolutely nothing through google.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Harpo84

[ramrod]

a saddle stitch should work for you. after all, it is strong and easy to do.

in order to prevent your needle from piercing the thread, you have to pull the first thread back through the hole slightly as you insert the second needle. it's pretty much standard practice while hand stitching. it becomes a habit before too long.

sounds like you have the proper thickness if you are tripling the leather before sewing.

[Harpo84]

I've given saddle stitch another go.

The problems I'm having are that with the glover's needles I'm obviously not using an awl, so when I pull the thread back to get the second needle in there's still not much room left in the small round hole created by the glover's needle.

I tried using one glover's needle and one saddler's needle. Obviously glover's needle first to make the hole. This solved the problem of piercing the thread but created the problem that every other stitch leaves you with the glover's needle on the side with no stitch markings. Grr....

Tonight I'm going to try marking my stitches and carefully piercing them with a round awl so I can use two saddler's needles. But if I'm going to have to do it like that then I'm wondering why do glover's needles even exist?

Can anyone who has ever made a wallet or anything out of light leather tell me how they pierce / stitch and what tools they use?

Edited March 8, 2012 by Harpo84

[Grumpytoo]

Well, if four years is not too late! What I found using glover's needles is that you can use a saddle stitch by sliding one needle along the "flat' on the other needle. To do this you partly penetrate the leather with one needle and lay the point of the other on one of its flat surfaces while the first needle is still in the leather. You then slide the second needle through so that both needles are in the leather at the same time sticking through the same hole. Then pull through (try to avoid leaving blood marks on the leather!!).