Belt Question

[Tommy217xxx]

Hey everyone, I'm starting on my first belt and i had a few questions. The belt is a blank from tandy. It's 48" long. I've already grooved and diamond punched it. I'm gonna saddle stitch it. What end should I start on? Also should I try to stitch each side as one continues stitch? If so, how much extra thread should I have so I have enough?

Thanks In advance for any help and tips.

[Matchlock]

Hey Tommy;

I like to begin stitching in an unobtrusive place such as the buckle end, That way, if you're stitching with a machine, the few stitches you do to lock them in isn't seen. If you're stitching by hand which it appears you are then I would start there anyway.

Cut your thread about six times longer than the belt and you should be good to go. You should should use what is called a "pricking" punch to mark the stitch holes but not to punch the holes, this is done with your awl when actually sewing. push your needle through the first hole and pull them up so they're even at the ends (same length on both sides of the belt). Now, start stitching by pushing your awl into the leather first, then push your left needle through first, then the right needle through the same hole, left needle into the next hole you make with your awl, and then the right needle and on and on you go until you've done the entire belt. When you get to the end just do a couple of back stitches to lock the stitches and that's all there is to it.

There are some exceptional write-ups on the web on how to do the saddle stitch properly and I would highly recommend that if you're really serious about sewing leather properly, then reading some of this material is a real plus. One gentleman that comes to mind on YouTube for example is Nigel Armitage. He's an English craftsman who does some incredibly fine leatherwork and he has some video tutorials on how to saddle stitch properly. His videos are easy to understand, and very concise. I recommend him highly.

I hope this information is useful to you Tommy, and good luck with your belt. It would be nice to know how you made out when you're finished and perhaps you will provide a photo or two of the finished belt.

Bud

[silverwingit]

Good advice, Bud, but I have to take one exception.

Six times 4 feet would be 24 feet of thread, twelve feet on each end when starting out. That's a whopping length of thread to pull through 300 some stitch holes (the approximate number of holes along both sides of the belt at 6 stitches per inch). Several more manageable lengths would be better especially since Tommy is probably just starting out given the nature of his question. I'd suggest using lengths of 6-8 feet and learning to knot the ends and start back a few stitches with a new length of thread.

At least that's the way I see it.

Michelle