sherilynn

Wiz, I hope I am fully conveying just how valuable this information is to me! It is generous of you and others to share your time following these threads and responding as you do! I cannot wait to get my machine- I've been sewing and upholstering for years and I'm excited to make the transition to some serious leather sewing- couldn't do it without help like yours and the other members of this site who share their time and expertise! Looking forward to the day when I can contribute something of value to other newbies! Sheri

Many, many thanks to everyone for replying with such helpful information. I think I'm misunderstanding the measurement/weight of leather; with the information you all provided I played around with one of my embossed cow hides (the weight I would use for upholstery) and found that 4 layers pressed flat comes to about 3/8" so It looks like I'm well within range for a machine without any extreme requirements. Thank you all again for the education! Sheri

Hello Wiz! I'm a newbie to machine sewing leather and experiencing the same overload of info shopping for a machine- I need to make a decision soon as the time spent researching- while important- is cutting into actual production! I've been reading your postings and they're extremely informative- I joined this site largely because of the quality of info in your posts- thanks for the education! If I may, I'd like to pose a couple more questions... First, is there one machine (that you would recommend) that can handle a continuum of weights? Specifically, from lighter weight items like denim and doe skin, up to and including sturdy, medium weight leathers as for upholstery, belts and handbags? I will also be working with hair-on hides. I'm also unclear as to how to interpret the measurements regarding the thickness of the leather a machine can handle (i.e., if a machine is said to handle 1/4" the actual thickness of the working piece will be 1" where seam allowances converge and overlap). Again, I appreciate this site and everyone's willingness to share their knowledge! My best, Sheri