Butting Up Two Pieces Of Leather

[mtroyalguy]

So this has probably been asked before, and I have searched the forum, but I probably just cant figure out the correct search terms.

Is it possible/viable to join two pieces at a seam by butting them up, or do I need to overlap them.

My boyfriend recently got accepted to art school and I want to make him a portfolio, and I really like the envelope style I found a bunch of on Pinterest (that was a distraction that took hours to find my way out of btw).

However, I do not have a large enough single piece of leather to make this, and so soon after Christmas don't have the money to go buy one before I need to give it to him. He starts this week and I told him I probably have a portfolio in my storage unit so he will wait a week or two before buying one.

TLDR:

I do not have a large enough single piece for my project and cant afford to buy one right now.

Is it possible to join two pieces by butting them up or is overlap my only choice?

I am thinking a seam like on a tube, but on a flat piece I don't know if it will hold. Like this - XXXXXXXXX or HHHHHHHHHHH

Or do I have to saddle stitch them and turn it inside out so the side view would be like a 3?

Or overlap them and stitch them like the seam on a pair of jeans?

[electrathon]

I usually use the spine piece as a separate strip of thinner leather. I like the look and it helps it to bend.

Aaon

[mtroyalguy]

Thank you. I will keep that in mind as a back up. I am looking to do something more in this style though. Super simple.

http://styleseeker.c...heories_561.jpg

Sorry, apparently I am not smart enough to figure out thumbnails right now.

Edited January 6, 2014 by mtroyalguy

[Dwight]

Here is one way to skin the cat, . . .

The upper drawing is what the inside would look like showing where the pieces all join up.

The lower drawing shows the outside of it, with the decorative pieces on the back.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited January 6, 2014 by Dwight

[ikewineb]

You could always cut a small strip of leather and place behind the seam. Glue and sew. The stitch you choose to use, might depend on where you put the seam, but I feel it should cross the seam so the leather doesn't pucker. Do a search on here for blanket stitch. It might be a good choice.

[ChuckBurrows]

Get a copy of the "Art of Handstitching Leather" it shows two methods of butting leather together and then sewing as long as the leather is thick enough. You can also overlap without added thickness by skiving both edges and then making a lap joint...

[mtroyalguy]

Thank you all for the input.

I have a copy of Al's Handstiching book if that is what you mean, Chuck and the only reference I could find was for cylinders, but the structural engineering is different on a cyclinder.

Anyway, I have decided to suck it up and buy a big enough single piece and save myself the grief, but I am sure this will be helpful in the future.

[Nuttish]

All is possible.

Ideally you want a butt stitch. It's difficult to do nicely and will pucker to some degree but it's less visible than a cross stitch. A cross stitch would be an easier to execute and perfectly suitable alternative, though not as strong as a butt (saddle) stitch. You will usually see them in contrasting thread on hipster goods. PM me and I will show you an example of one on an appallingly overpriced $100 wallet. You can also try a baseball stitch. In other words, you may not need to spend more money.

The seam on decent quality jeans is a flat fell seam. Theoretically you could try one, but they're hard to do by hand (impossible at the weight leather you're proposing) and aren't suitable for high stress seams because all the tension is on one thread. A blanket stitch is for edge binding fabric or fixing layers of leather. It is therefore not suitable for joining butt edges.

[ChuckBurrows]

using a curved awl and needles the process is the same whether a cylinder or a flat surface - at least ways that's the way I was taught and have done so for 45+ years

[ToddB 68]

mtroyalguy,

I like ChuckBurrows idea "You can also overlap without added thickness by skiving both edges and then making a lap joint."

You could skive both pieces, sand flat and glue together with your choice of bonding adhesive, then stitch for added strength and esthetics. I don't think it would ever come apart !

ToddB68