Zig-Zag Only On One Side

[whipstitchwallets]

If you want the back to be slanted as well you need to cast the stitch on the back. Some people call it throw the loop and Im sure there are other terms.

I was going to try to type it out but it didnt make sense. Here is a link I found that is pretty easy to follow this is exactly how I stitch if I want the back to also be slanted and it works great.

http://www.bowstock.co.uk/saddstit0.html

Its also the same way its done in "the leather working handbook" if you have that. Has nice easy to follow pictures as well.

The nigel video are great but aren't his slants of his pricking iron going the opposite direction in most videos instead of like this ///// they slant towards him. I could be mistaken.

Anyway please try that and let me know if that works

i look forward to trying this today; I have always had a slant on the front only. Thanks

[Camerius]

My slants is going like \\\\\ instead of /////.

What you can do is try let the needle enter from the left or the right hand side, and too let either the left hand needle be crossed on top or from the bottom before you pass it through the top end of the hole. This will let you both lean the stitches differently (forwards or backwards), but too let you switch sides as to what side the stitch will lean (left or right hand side of the piece you are stitching).

There isn't a right or wrong way here, as long as you get that slant right, a tight stitch and level stitching line. The rest is just a matter of preference and a lot of practice.

[alackofcolor]

My experience has been that you need a decent thickness of leather to get slanted stitches on both sides. If the leather is too thin, it won't hold the pattern very well on one side and you'll get a straight stitch on that side. But for sufficiently thick leather, here's a diagram I made in response to my own questions about how you get nice zig-zags on both sides of the leather, whether the slots are slanted \\\\ or ////. This is a problem I struggled with for a while.

I lead with my right hand when I stitch, so the diagram is set up that way. Also, dots on the thread circles mean that the thread is coming out towards me, x's mean it's going away from me.

[mrtreat32]

i look forward to trying this today; I have always had a slant on the front only. Thanks

Let me know how it turns out. Like someone else in this thread mentioned the only time it doesn't work is on soft or very thin leather in my experience. For some reason when I cast the thread it makes the front stitching go straight if the leather is very soft.

I don't find that it needs to be thick as long as it has some firmness on the grain side. The goat that I have stitched on briefly is very thin but the stitching looks great because it feels firm which seems to hold the stitches in place.

i look forward to trying this today; I have always had a slant on the front only. Thanks

Let me know how it turns out. Like someone else in this thread mentioned the only time it doesn't work is on soft or very thin leather in my experience. For some reason when I cast the thread it makes the front stitching go straight if the leather is very soft.

I don't find that it needs to be thick as long as it has some firmness on the grain side. The goat that I have stitched on briefly is very thin but the stitching looks great because it feels firm which seems to hold the stitches in place.

[DavidL]

Best leather to stitch is thick, stiff veg.

Chrome can be stitched.. but.. you can't cast the thread and the leather can't take hardly any tension. I will pull only 10 percent when the stitch is about to set in (imagine how much tension a sewing machine has when sewing chrome).

[whipstitchwallets]

Hey Mr. Treat,

Just following up because you said you were curious...

"Throwing the stitch" worked ok, but what worked far better for me, and keep in mind I am using only 2-3oz veg tan, was to punch the holes through the grain side on both pieces so that when stitching them together flesh to flesh the diamonds are slanted in opposite directions. With this configurations I was able to get very tight and defined slants on both sides. With the slants going in opposite directions, if you could see through the leather it would almost look like xxxxxxxxx.....if that makes sense. Anyway, I'll be doing it this way for whenever I do flesh to flesh (both grain sides out).

[mrtreat32]

Hey Mr. Treat,

Just following up because you said you were curious...

"Throwing the stitch" worked ok, but what worked far better for me, and keep in mind I am using only 2-3oz veg tan, was to punch the holes through the grain side on both pieces so that when stitching them together flesh to flesh the diamonds are slanted in opposite directions. With this configurations I was able to get very tight and defined slants on both sides. With the slants going in opposite directions, if you could see through the leather it would almost look like xxxxxxxxx.....if that makes sense. Anyway, I'll be doing it this way for whenever I do flesh to flesh (both grain sides out).

interesting. I have never heard of it done like that but I will give it a try on some scrap leather.

[DavidL]

I do it the same way it works great. Best way is to mark the first stitch is with a scratch compass set at 2mm or 3mm on both sides.