Leather film or barrier

[Angiemarie]

I have been painting the suede side of my very soft, thin leather with washable school glue as a barrier to prevent sticking under the presser foot of my straight sewer machine. After sewing I then wash the leather under water to remove the glue and dry.

Is there another method or product that would be easier to apply and remove? If I don’t use the barrier of glue I have trouble with the feed and stitch length. I have tried sewing with a teflon foot, on tissue paper etc. As I sew small pieces and very close to the edge of the leather some methods are quite cumbersome.

[AlZilla]

How about painters tape or something like it on the presser foot?  Might be a middle ground between Teflon and glue.

[fredk]

Have you tried a roller foot?

[Angiemarie]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

Have you tried a roller foot?

Yes, tried roller feet, painter’s  and magic tape on the bottom of presser foot. Currently have magic tape on the needle plate which helps a little. I am using a domestic machine as the leather is only 0.3mm thick. Would love to purchase an industrial walking foot but think the size of the presser walking foot and the thread may be too large.

[Angiemarie]

1 hour ago, AlZilla said:

How about painters tape or something like it on the presser foot?  Might be a middle ground between Teflon and glue.

Thanks for your suggestion - have tried both painters and magic tapes with limited success 😳

[AlZilla]

It sounds like an industrial would just be too big for you. 

Depending on how committed you are to solving it, a Davis Vertical Feed would probably do it. Walking foot, needle feed and no feed dogs. Quilters love them.

I know of no modern equivalent. I have one of these in my stash and it's pretty cool. Go to 1:30 to see it in action.

 

[kgg]

14 hours ago, Angiemarie said:

I am using a domestic machine as the leather is only 0.3mm thick.

The .3mm thickness is really thin leather. The .3mm would sort equate to about 3/4 oz in leather which is about the thickness of three sheets of regular copier paper. I suspect the problem is mainly do to the leather thickness. With such thin leather it will lend itself to stretching which will throw consistent stitch lengths off and the leather probably is being sucked / forced down ever so slightly into the needle hole of the feed dog as well as along the outside edges of the feed dog in the space between the feed dog and the needle plate opening.

I have seen this type of problem with my Juki DNU-1541S when I am sewing thin flexible items as it has a large needle opening in the feed dog and just loves to suck things down that hole. 

I have used regular weight copier paper placed on the feed dog side of the items with some success in the past. 

A couple of questions. Which domestic machine are you using, what thread size are you using and what size of needle?  

kgg