Martha Koenig

Its a shame, but after several days of airing it out it smells just as bad as before ... I guess its just one of those cases of bad leather i read about on the internet. And that after i figured veg tan would be a "safe bet" Thank you anyway for trying to help. Ill contact my supplier and send it back.

Hello everyone, i just received my newest shipment of leather. But it has a terrible, chemical smell to it that my previous shipments of the same leather did not have. It makes me dizzy and sticks to the appartment. I had stored it in our stairwell over night and the whole stairwell started to stink! Not I've put it into a gardenshed. Does anyone know if i can get rid of that smell? I really want to use that leather but i dont want to poison myself ... Otherwise I will have to send it back and i havent found a possible replacement yet. Since i might need to send it back i also cant use any drastic ways of smellremoval. Please help or tell me if you have encountered this sort of problem before. Thanks in advance Martha

I actually twined two thinner threads with beeswax and tried TXAG's technique. It worked like a charm. I guess he was spot on with the 0.8 mm thread. But the prices for a spool of 0.8mm thread made my eyes bleed, i guess im going to buy thinner thread and twine it myself... I dont shy away from the extra work, it is, after all, my hobby to slowly make things.

My thread is about 0.5 mm thick and i use normal sewing needles. As for my punches im using these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-4-6-Prong-Chisel-Diamond-Pro-line-Pre-Stitching-DIY-Leather-Craft-Tool-2x4mm-/390642659152?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&var=&hash=item5af41def50 If you scroll further down there are pictures with exact lengt and breadth of the prongs. Since the leather is quite thick they leave a diamond shaped hole which closes after a while, leaving only thin, slightly visible incisions where the sharp sides of the prongs entered. Aside from the punch i only have a round awl ( the other type is not available where i live, sadly), but i use a 1-pronged punch to do the job. I have not made a stitching groove as i intended to make the zigzag. Im currently using the saddle stitch and its the only type of stitch i have learned to use so far. What type of thread and needle qould you recommend? If i take a thread any thicker than mine i will need new needles to go with it anyway. Also, TXAG, your tip with pulling up one side and down the other makes sense, i will try it next time. The knot i also tried but the thread is so thin that it has no visible effect. Unfortunately, there are no leathercraft stores anywhere close so i will have to mailorder everything. On the upside im open to suggestions ( within reasonable pricerange, of course ) since im not limited by choice that way .

Hello, as im doing a project with thicker leather (2-3 mm thickness) i have encountered a problem i never had doing very thin leatherprojects. I have pricked my leather with my diamondshaped tool and tried to sew a testpiece of scrapleather, but the shape of the stitching is weirdly off. Instead of the usual zig-zag the thread always went where it wanted, ultimately resulting in: 1. Starting at the top 2. going to the middle of the next hole 3. ending at the bottom of the next 4. coming out at the top again looking like a "prolonged" zigzag. As i wont be able to start stitching before i find my error i would appreciate any help. I have already watched Nigel Armitages youtube videos and many others. I am also suspecting my thread might have to do with my problem. As i mentioned i have only sewn thin leather before and used a very thin waxed thread - i havent chosen a "final" thread for my project yet ( as i will need to buy one first to match coulour), so im open to suggestions. I have also considered using my round hole punch of 2mm diameter to make round stitching holes, can you tell me if that would be a sound or a stupid decision? Many thanks in advance, Martha Edit: A small Illustration as to what kind of bag im making. The white lines are the path the stitching should follow. As you can see im doing nothing fancy, but im not sure what kind of stitching would be as decorative as it would be powerful. The bag is intended for my daily commute so it should be able to withstand some long-term abuse