I only have a flatbed machine...

[imbecky]

I've never worked with leather, but I want to make leather (and fabric) goods to sell locally. I've been thinking about making bags, wallets, baskets, belts, and maybe motorcycle luggage. I'm not too sure what I will be drawn to making, yet; it will likely depend on what I can make on my industrial Pfaff 145 flatbed machine. I don't want to purchase another machine until I've established myself. 

What issues might I come across because I only have a flatbed? What should I avoid making without a post-bed machine? I don't want to purchase another machine until I've established myself. 

[Northmount]

On 7/7/2024 at 2:05 PM, imbecky said:

I've never worked with leather, but I want to make leather (and fabric) goods to sell locally. I've been thinking about making bags, wallets, baskets, belts, and maybe motorcycle luggage. I'm not too sure what I will be drawn to making, yet; it will likely depend on what I can make on my industrial Pfaff 145 flatbed machine. I don't want to purchase another machine until I've established myself.

Moved your post to leather sewing machines.

You should also read this thread. 

 

[$$hobby]

welcome

Quote

What issues might I come across because I only have a flatbed? What should I avoid making without a post-bed machine? I don't want to purchase another machine until I've established myself. 

some thoughts about this..

• limitation in the thickness of a layer or layers you can sew.  this will depend on your project.
• size of thread .
• size of project based off your machines throat.

What to avoid?  thats up to you.  To me, since you are new and just starting,....Clint Eastwood in one of his movies had a quote...."A mans gots to know his limitations".  This is about you too and your equipment or lack of it.

Once you TRY to do a project and run up against a wall, you will be the first to know and the first to need to figure if you can do a work around or ?   Sorry, but thats how OTJ training works and T&E.   You will be doing both.

Guess what?  you didnt just invent leatherwork.  So the many many others that have done this before you have hopefully figured things out.  But you want to know everything before you even started and that wont happen until "we are the Borg".  

If you have any "street fairs/farmers markets" in your area, you may want to visit them and if there are any leathercrafts, look at them and see how they are made.

Or if you have any goodwills/second hand stores/garage/estate sales, look for some leathercraft items you may want to build and then buy them and dissect/disassemble them to see how they are put together.  Its called REVERSE ENGINEERING.

If you want, look for some leather shops in yoru area where they sell leather.  The ones i have where i live, i can buy "scrap" leather by the pound.  I wouldnt buy some small envelope size piece, but something larger where i can have some leftover material to do some future testing.   By doing this, you can do some practice sewing.  try sewing 1 layer and then 2 then 3 and until your machine gives up or you hit that wall.  You ever see those fabric swatches with various fabrics?  you can make them for your leather/sewing.  such as jot down the thickness of the leather sewn, the thread sized used and maybe the TPI and or number associated with the dial on your machine to get that TPI.   

If you decide to make up some glued layers, you may want to try sewing through them too.  You may find that the glue may decide to do its job by sticking to your needle/thread.  

There is so much to learn and you will need to understand, you wont be able to do it all in 1 post.    Having some extra SCRAP material where you can work out issues would help.  If you can VISUALIZE things in your head, will help too.  But not everyone has that.  Do what you can/need to, to work it out.  If you can draw, try it.  If you have any scrap fabrics? that could work too.

use your imagination and think outside the box.

 

good luck

 

 

Edited July 9 by $$hobby

[AlZilla]

Here's a thread that seems like a great place to start learning about the machines and it's capabilities:

Off the top of my head, people generally prefer cylinder arm machines for bags.  The little I saw at the above link seems to indicate the Pfaff 145 is a well regarded machine. Stay within it's capabilities (max thread size and thickness it'll sew) and you should be able to sew lots of things.