How do I stitch leather onto denim?

[Nedscore]

Hi there! I am so excited to bring my questions to this forum because I have been doing lots of research and I want to find out from the true experts what the truth is. I am car nerd, but not a sewing one yet, so I hope to learn from you all so I can expand my knowledge.

I am starting my own leather/clothing brand and part of what I am making employs a tactic from the brand "Chrome Hearts". I have already purchased steel dies and a press to cut the leather. Now I want to sew it on denim and maybe leather pants/jackets, but I want to achieve a similar look to how Chrome Hearts sews on their letters. I will attach some pictures, but I will also clearly state my questions below. No worry if you don't know the full answers, please feel free to share what you know. I know I am traversing a couple techniques and areas with this project.

1. What kind of machine is best to do this job? I started off by thinking the "Singer Heavy Duty 4432" could do this, but as I dug deeper, I found a video from the factory and noticed they were using what appears to be a more industrial double feed table sewing machine. I also learned, that the singer machine may not be as high quality. I will put a link to the factory video if the forum lets me. https://www.reddit.com/r/FashionReps/comments/fsmwg5/this_is_how_chrome_hearts_jeans_are_made/ This is an old video, so the sample product photos I attach may be done differently or with a triple feed machine. Anyway, from that video I derived that maybe a Juki DDL8700H could fit the bill. However, I went to a local tailor and leather worker and she felt that I would need a triple feed walking foot machine like a Juki 1541. I am not sure which I need and possibly the sample photos I provide are done by different machines. I have heard all different theories about the size of the needle being the only thing that matters, but I am not sure.

2. What kind of thread is best? I don't want thread that frays. I've done a couple tests with my tailor and I'm not sure if the thread that she uses is just different or meant for clothing. I have attached a picture of this (N shaped leather) to show what I mean by fraying. Maybe Chrome hearts is using some sort of waxed thread. I've heard about bonded nylon, but have never felt it. Does it look waxed? Additionally, based on the photos, what size thread are you seeing? 69? 138? Are they different sizes for different applications. I really like the example of the singular red cross and I think it is a very clear depiction of what I like, especially the diagonal stitches.

3. How can I achieve the tightened look? I like how it looks like the stitches are almost pulling the patches tightly into the base denim/leather. Is this possible with adjusting settings.

I know this was a long post, but it means a lot to me to provide this level of quality on my brand. Lastly, I am a beginner, but I am driven and willing to spend thousands of hours on this project, so learning curve isn't as much of a problem for me. Please let me know what you think. I look forward to connecting with all of you and eventually making this happen! Thanks.

 

[chuck123wapati]

 Are you saying you are going to duplicate someone else's techniques and clothing to make your own line?  Copying that exactly may not be legal. Seems kind of unethical to me at the least. Good luck.

[Nedscore]

Hi @chuck123wapati. Thank you for your response. I appreciate your concern. I have no intention of stealing their intellectual property when it comes to design. Patchwork, however, has been around for centuries. My design is using my own logo, as seen with one of the letters of my brand in the last image of my original post. Similar to how Banksy doesn't own spray paint and public walls, Chrome hearts doesn't own leather patchwork. Would it be unethical for a photographer to ask another photographer what camera and brand of film they use because they want to take similar photos? Please let me know if I am still seeing this wrong. I am new to this world and don't want to break unspoken rules.