has anybody HAND embroidered leather

[oldtimer]

Here is a pair of mexican spur straps that I got as a gift from a mexican saddlemaker. A double thread is used.

/ Knut

Edited April 28, 2009 by oldtimer

[JohnBarton]

I am guessing when you say "hand" embroidered you mean needle, thread and hands. The closest I ever got to that was laying down my designs on leather and using my home sewing machine and the zig-zag function to embroider the designs. I WISH WISH WISH that I had my pix from back then to show off all the different things that I did.

One of the best was a family crest design submitted by a customer with six or so colors in it. That one took me about ten hours to do.

The hardest to do, plastic metallic thread because it breaks every inch or so.

Wanna have fun one day? Try butting two pieces of leather against each other and embroider them together with a 32 inch line and keep the line straight. I once had to do a replica of a cue point which had three veneers on each side of the point. That's six lines - three side by side that all need to be perfectly straight.

Those were the days - 18 years ago. :-)

[Suze]

Yes John - I mean needle, thread and hands --- no machine

Well at least I know it can be done and some of you have done so.

that helps....If you know a thing CAN be done, you know that YOU can do it. at least that seems to work for me......

sometimes not for the best, but I try

[Johanna]

The key to embroidery or beading or even sewing leather is to place the holes correctly. With leather, you only get one chance to get it right. Once the hole is in the leather, you're committed.

What did you think of sewing designs with the Toro?

Johanna

[Suze]

I know that you only get one chance Jo, that is why I am going to do the design on graph paper and do a pricking through the leather (theh "doner coat" is really quite thin and I can go through it with a sewing pin) and hopefully just have to "follow the dots" kind of sewing.

and Man is that machine sweet. I think in a little time I could figure out how to get it to do the curvy stuff without marking up the leather. Just before the thread went all wonky I was doing better.

Part of it is that it is soooo much heavier to run than any home machine -- turning the fly wheel is not easy. But an INCH of leather WOW

(If you find it missing some day - don't look here - >shifty eyes< nope not here --- Like I could move the thing up the steps and out of the house)

[amuckart]

Suze,

Since it sounds like you're a SCAdian, if you find someone in your local group who has a copy of Shoes and Pattens and/or Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York both of them have examples of embroidered leather shoes. In shoes at least it's not done the way you might think, it's tunnel stitched through the leather rather than stabbed.

If you don't have the books I can have a go at a small sample just with plain linen to give you the idea. It's only really good for doing stripes but until you get into the renaissance and rapier hangers it's the only example of true embroidery on leather I know of. Even the rapier hangers aren't really embroidered per-se, they just have fairly fine decorative stitching on them.

[Suze]

Suze,

Since it sounds like you're a SCAdian, if you find someone in your local group who has a copy of Shoes and Pattens and/or Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York both of them have examples of embroidered leather shoes. In shoes at least it's not done the way you might think, it's tunnel stitched through the leather rather than stabbed.

If you don't have the books I can have a go at a small sample just with plain linen to give you the idea. It's only really good for doing stripes but until you get into the renaissance and rapier hangers it's the only example of true embroidery on leather I know of. Even the rapier hangers aren't really embroidered per-se, they just have fairly fine decorative stitching on them.

Yep a SCAdian -- I have the shoes and pattons book - will have to ask "Mom teacher" about the other one

thanks

this project got put on the back burner for awhile

If I ever get it started I will be sure to post pics

thanks again

[Crew]

This is about as close as I've gotten to "hand-embroidery" - nothing more than a micro-punch and needles and cord!

[Nutty Saddler]

Almost any English saddler either has or can hand stitch a pattern onto either a nose or browband of a bridle , many years in the past ladies sidesaddles would have had hand sewn patterns on the skirts , panels and sometimes seats .

Being crazy I take this to the limit - I either use tools that are antique or have them specially made - these are not avialiable off the shelf. I use two styles of stitching, either double hand saddle stitch or single needle back stitch.

Here is a noseband I made about a month ago , as you can see it was made useing red thread ( I had to dye my own thread as red is not normal ) , the thread is 18/3 reverse twisted linnen thread made by Somac for the saddlery trade which is waxed before use. The pattern was drawn onto the leather before the stitches were marked - for this one I used a 17 ( YES 17 ) stitches to the inch pricking iron, te pattern was then stitched in single needle back stitch - with the overlay showing ( normally this is on the underside and not seen ) , also you can see that the overlay is in different directions to give the impression of ' pointing ' . This was very difficult and time consuming as it leaves no room for error, one stitch pulled to tight and the whole lot would have been ruined. In all JUST to draw, prick and stitch this pattern took most of a day to complete.

[RoaringBull]

Here is one that I made not too long ago...