Tex Shooter Report post Posted June 24, 2014 A lot of people want to sew leather for a project or two, but don't want to spend a lot of money. "Springfield Leather" a advertiser on this forum sells a waxed thread kit with needles for $3.99 and a stitching awl for $11.50. These and a couple of things around the house like a sharp knife, a little glue, a ball point pen, a ruler and a board will work fine. With these items you can make a good looking project by hand saddle stitching. Cut your pattern on the board with the sharp knife (you may have to resharpen it a couple of times). Fold and glue the edges of the pattern together. Using the ruler and the ball point pen mark out a stitching line. (you might have to use lid tops also if the pattern has curves). Make marks along the stitching line for stitch spacing. With the pattern on the board use the awl for pricking holes at about 30 degrees from the edge. I tap the awl to do this with a small piece of wood, but don't try to make the tip go through more than about 1/16 of a inch. When this is done lift the pattern up and push the awl through each pricked hole, being careful to maintain the angle and not sticking your finger. Now you are ready to saddle stitch. You can use something to hold the leather to make the stitching easier, but I have doe it several times without anything while showing how it is done. Here is a sample of saddle stitching this way. -- Tex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramrod Report post Posted June 29, 2014 im sure that the average homebody in centuries past has had to make do with only the items that he could make to make his necessities out of leather. i would like to see what was available commercially around, say, the mid eighteenth century for leathercraft supplies - if any. i wonder if most people didn't make their own needles and tan their own hides. but what about thread? something to ponder. this thread made me think of stuff like that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camano ridge Report post Posted June 29, 2014 (edited) Ramrod, you may find this link of interest. http://www.sewalot.com/sewing_machine_threads.htm know that they have found bone sewing needles in acheological digs. Edited June 29, 2014 by camano ridge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WyomingSlick Report post Posted June 29, 2014 im sure that the average homebody in centuries past has had to make do with only the items that he could make to make his necessities out of leather. i would like to see what was available commercially around, say, the mid eighteenth century for leathercraft supplies - if any. i wonder if most people didn't make their own needles and tan their own hides. but what about thread? something to ponder. this thread made me think of stuff like that. Sewing needles have been around for tens of thousands of years.......Comercially produced steel needles for many centuries and iron, bronze, and copper needles for milennia. And before that they used bone needles and naturally occuring thorns and such from plants. Likewise, many types of thread such as cotton, silk, linen, wool, etc, have been available for thousands of years. And before that, people used sinew and leather strings from animals as well as long fibers from various plants. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramrod Report post Posted June 29, 2014 sweet! thank you, CR....i'm gonna check this out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramrod Report post Posted June 29, 2014 ok...that was a cool site! and a very long story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
