LarsFromMars

My new years resolution was to get going on my leather projects, the first being a custom wallet. I posted earlier about getting my old singer 31-15 sewing machine to work with leather. I used it last year and was able to sew some leather with the guidance of an old shoe repairman in his shop. He sold me the machine when he suddenly retired, and I have had a hard time just getting over this initial hump of threading the machine properly. I was able to get an owners manual from the Smithsonion museum, no less, because this clunker was made in 1912! Only one person responded to my post, and since then I discovered my needle was in wrong. Now I can at least sew blue jean material, but not yet leather. I feel however, like I'm almost there. I bought some new needles 16-100, and some thread to match at the local joanne fabric store. When I try to sew these two thin practice pieces of leather together, it just puts a nice row of holes in the leather, but the thread goes nowhere. When I try on 2 thickness of blue jean, it works OK. When I try it on two double thick leather folded over, it almost works, but the stitches are all messed up. I gave up for now, but will try using various tensions and maybe a couple of different kinds of thread. If anyone has been down this road before, I would like to hear from you as to exactly which needle, which thread, how to adjust it, and whatever it takes to make a wallet. Is it OK to try to sew using only the hand wheel and not the motor and go extremely slow?

Yes, a lady friend of mine told me at the restaurant that maybe I have my bobbin in backwards. From her grin I was thinking that she meant I had a screw loose. We both laughed, but I have not tried it yet. It looks right according to the manual. I have this cool device called Iphone, so I could send fairly good pics if someone was interested.

I'm 51 and had a heart attack, so I have to take it easy. I bought an old singer sewing machine from a shoe retiring shoe repair man because it could sew leather. On my bucket list, are a few leather creations. A Wallet, a belt, a business card holder, some custom holsters/sleeves to hold my mag light, swiss army knife, cell phone etc. I have always been a bit like bat man with things attached all over me so I won;t lose them and they are ready when needed. So I spent about 6 hours just finding the manual and learning how to thread the needle and bobbin and adjust tension and stitch length. This machine has electric motor, but no working foot treadle or knee lifter, but it does sew thin leather. I used it in his shop, but now he's not around to help and I'm all alone at home with this machine, some leather and hopefully some of you folks can guide me through this. I might need a new bobbin, or just some info as to how to get the stitch tension right. The seem looks OK on top, but on the bottom, it's incorrect. According to my manual the top tension needs adjustment. I tried it with some old blue jeans and it is still not right. I messed with the tiny bobbin tension adjusting screw, dropped it and almost lost it twice. I gave up at about 3 AM yesterday. Eventually, I want to learn to make some fancy embossing and color logo's like some of the one's Ive seen on your fantastic website. But First, can you help me to sew a straight line on two practice pieces. If I can do that, I will be jumping for joy.