Saddle stitching crooked and uneven. Please advise on how to make stitching more uniform and nicer.

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hello friends,

I have been learning to make watch straps and just started learning to sew the stitches on them. Here is a link to some photos of a recently completed strap. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21757158@N03/sets/72157622680810486/ I think the stitching, although not horrible, is also not very nice. They are not completely straight looking or uniform and I was really trying hard to make it look nice. I am using a saddle stitch with two needles. I have made the tiny holes with a little watch band hole puncher that makes about 1.5mm holes and i think I am using a number 7 stitching spacer wheel (not sure what its called). I also scribe the leather with a groover before punching the holes and before using the spacer. The thread is prewaxed and about the same thickness of most of my watch bands that I have purchased in the past from strap makers. Now, can any of you fine people please tell me why my stitches look so bad? Do I need to make bigger holes? Do I need more space between the holes? Do I need to pull the thread tighter or less tigher? Not sure what to do. I would really appreciate your suggestions.

Kind regards,

NewYorker in Sydney

[celticleather]

Have a read through the tutorial on handstitching at http://www.bowstock..../saddstit0.html, particularly the figures 11 to 18. It is important to be consistent in the way that the threads pass through the stitch holes.

I would recommend using a pricking iron to mark the stitch spacing, and a diamond awl to make the stitch holes. As well as marking the stitch spacing, the pricking iron also predetermines the correct angle for the awl hole.

Above all, remember that good, neat handstitching doesn't just happen . . . it takes practice, practice, practice!

Edited October 29, 2009 by celticleather

[Jordan]

I have found my stitching is straighter if I make sure to always stitch the same ie. always put the left needle through first then the right one on every stitch. Or visa versa if it more comfortable for you. Also whatever snugness on the stitches must remain consistent throughout, not so much as to pucker the leather but not so loose either. Kind of a feel you get with practice. I found it is harder to get good results the smaller an item is, so watch bands are tough for me to do. Good luck and hope this helped. Jordan

[UKRay]

You might find it easier to groove your stitch line before sewing. It allows the stitches to lie into a channel which somehow makes them look straighter and neater.

I'd definitely echo Celticleather's suggestion about the pricking iron and diamond awl , but would also suggest you look at the stitching punches that Tandy sell, They are also angled to make the stitches lie more neatly, the big difference is that you can punch the holes right through with them whilst the pricking iron is only used as a marker for the stitches. This is an easier technique for a beginner to master.

Jordan's suggestion about always using one particular needle to start the stitch with is one I was taught as a lad (and that was a long while ago!). It really works and helps to keep the stitches regular. I would also agree that smaller items are harder to make - but maybe that is because my eyes are getting worse as I get older.

A trick that might help you get the same tension on each stitch is to have the work in a set of clams or locked in a stitching horse jaws and pull both threads tight together and listen for the 'twang' the thread makes when you pull it tight. Try to match the sound each time and you should find your stitches become more even. The higher pitched the twang, the tighter you have pulled the thread. Try it - it works for me.

Finally look at the thread you are using. You stitches seem nicely formed to me but the thread seems to have twisted as you pulled the stitches tight. Check the lay as it may be you would benefit from using a reversed lay (in other words the threads are twisted together the other way). I once purchased a reel of second-hand thread that was, supposedly, the 'wrong' lay for me and I have to say, I never made anything that looked good with it. I eventually threw it away and bought a new reel.

This stuff gets a lot easier the more you do it... practise, practise and then practise some more.

Ray

[Crystal]

Hi New Yorker! This is a link to another hand sewing discussion: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=17122&st=0

I personally prefer to see stitching spi relative to the size of the project. I think the smaller the item the more spi it needs and the size of the thread should be smaller, also.

Crystal

[cybertracy]

all the above will help greatly, as well as lots of practice, it's a craft that just takes some time to master. Also try running back over your finished stitches with your spacer wheel, it helps "set" the stitches and spread them more uniformly.

[Dangerous Dave]

There are several keys to neat hand stitching. The key is preparation and layout. This is what I do and it works so well that I often get questions about it.

After the leather is ready to stitch, lay it flat on a granite slab. Take a pair of wing dividers and lightly scribe a line down the edges of the strap roughly 1/8th inch from the edge. If you are creasing your leather, the scribe line should fall on the crease. Next layout where your holes are going to be. Personally I use pricking irons, either 7,8,9 or 10 SPI. Prick the stitch locations and follow up by piercing the leather with a polished diamond awl. Lightly coat the mating surfaces with Barge cement and allow it to tack dry. Slipping two needles through matching yet opposite holes and gently and evenly push the pieces together. Clamp the work into a stitching horse and begin stitching right to left away from you. After passing the right needle through the work, do not pull tight rather leave a small loop. Pass the left needle over top of the right thread and as the left needle exits the right side hole, pull on the loop of thread while pushing the needle. This make certain that the two threads are separate of each other, then pull both tight at the same time. Another key is consistant thread tension. After completeing the stitches and trimming the thread, pound the stitches with a flat faced hammer against that granite slab. If done correctly and after lots of practice, the stitches will be as even and tight and consistant as any made with a machine.

I'll attach a couple of photos that show some finished work.

Dave

[katsass]

I have found my stitching is straighter if I make sure to always stitch the same ie. always put the left needle through first then the right one on every stitch. Or visa versa if it more comfortable for you. Also whatever snugness on the stitches must remain consistent throughout, not so much as to pucker the leather but not so loose either. Kind of a feel you get with practice. I found it is harder to get good results the smaller an item is, so watch bands are tough for me to do. Good luck and hope this helped. Jordan

I agree with Jordan...always stitch in exactly the same manner as he describes......but I also have found that if you put some tension on the first thread thru the hole (ie. pull the thread back towards yourself with some pressure) before inserting the second needle, the lay of the stitch will be smoother and more even. Mike

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. I have printed everything out you all sent me and visited the links some of you have provided and am putting your advice into practive. . I found it all completely helpful. I thank you so much. I love such helpful forums like these. As soon as I get some better stitching done I will share with everyone. Warm regards!

New Yorker in Sydney.

[RockinJB]

Ive had good luck with a round awl needle and the tandy artificial sinew... as far as spacing, I would use a spur type prick spacer. I agree that consistancy in stitching is key.... i even had someone ask for a zig-zag saddle stitch... (alternate left and right)

[leatherman1457]

New Yorker use the same amount of pressure when pulling the stitch and when you have completed it use a overstitch wheel to straighten and align the stitchs. made sure you use the same size wheel as the stitchs. ie: if you are stitching 8 holes per inch use a #8 overstitch wheel. it makes for a very professional look. Gary

Edited November 19, 2009 by leatherman1457