Spi

[OurJud]

Prompted by what a couple of posters have said in another thread, I'd like to ask for some advice on my SPI.

For the wallet I just made I used some bonded nylon that was thin enough to fit through the eye of a fairly small sewing needle. I paced my holes 5mm apart which is apparently quite course for such thin thread, but here's my problem.

I know the correct way is to mark the holes with a wheel or prong iron before pushing through with an awl, but in the absence of such tools I used a metal ruler which I think worked fairly well (straight and evenly spaced holes were achieved).

Tomorrow I will be making the same wallet, but using some 0.8mm Tiger thread, so I guess I'll do the holes at the same distance (the thicker thread will be more suited to 5mm spaced holes, yes??)

Now what I need to know, is how do you get the holes closer together without risking them breaking through to each other as you push the awl through?

I've experimented with the Tiger thread on some scraps, and I had to make fairly big holes in order to get the thread and needle through (baring in mind the thread has to go through the same hole twice).

Maybe it's because I'm not using veg tan, but I just don't see how I can get the holes that close to each other without them breaking through. The awl I use is, I'm guessing, about as thin as they come, and I have to push it quite high up the shaft to get the holes big enough.

[gary]

Try up to 8spi for 0.8mm Tiger thread; 6 or 7 is okay as well. I can stitch 1.2mm leather (chrome tanned as well as veg tan) at 8spi with 0.8mm - just don't pull the stitches too tight. It has been suggested elsewhere that a fork can be used for marking stitches if you haven't got a pricking iron, pricking wheel or overstitch wheel. I presume you have a diamond awl - slant the holes as you would with a pricking iron (/ / / / rather than - - - - or | | | |).

Gary

[Macca]

sounds like your awl is making large holes ? got a picture of it (against a ruler or something so we can see the width of it)

also what needles ? you say you need large holes to get them through

I'd be looking at 8 SPI as the largest stitch for a wallet, preferably 10 or 12, depending on the look.

8,10 or 12 should be easy to do without damaging the leather, so sounds like you have might have problems with awl/needle size or maybe stitch angle ?

as above, 8 SPI & 0.8mm Tiger thread should work ok, higher SPI & you'll have to drop the thread size

Edited March 28, 2014 by Macca

[OurJud]

I presume you have a diamond awl - slant the holes as you would with a pricking iron (/ / / / rather than - - - - or | | | |).

Gary

No, it's a straight awl, or do they call them scratch awls? I chose a scratch awl because I don't like the traditional slanting saddle stitch. I wasn't aware using a straight stitch could create a problem.

sounds like your awl is making large holes ? got a picture of it (against a ruler or something so we can see the width of it)

also what needles ? you say you need large holes to get them through

As I say above, it's a straight awl (no taper after the initial point) and is about 2mm wide. For the Tiger thread I use 002 John James needles.

Also, in that I'm using a ruler to mark the holes, is there an easy way to work out the distance between each hole for, say, 10spi?

Edited March 29, 2014 by OurJud

[gary]

Sewing awl or stitching awl - it does what is says on the tin. Keeps the stitches from ripping into each other and cuts much easier than a relatively blunt scratch awl. It was probably developed over thousands of years for a reason.

If you're going to stick with a scratch awl then you're probably stuck with large stitch spacing.

For hole spacing using a ruler at, say 10spi, get a ruler graduated in 10ths of an inch, for hole spacing using a ruler at, say 8spi, get a ruler graduated in 8ths of an inch. You can see there's a trend developing here.

For awkward spacing like 9 or 12spi, make your own measure. Another option is to get a cheap kids' set of school compasses, mark out the first inch at whatever spacing you want then use the compasses to continue. Or get an overstitch wheel.

Gary