About Stitching (Pic Inside)

[Hi Im Joe]

Interesting read.

LOL. I feel bad hijacking the OP's thread but I don't want him to read some of David's comments and actually think they are correct and/or true.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Hi Im Joe

[DavidL]

When I say something Im hoping that I get corrected so that it furthers what I'm saying, creating a discussion. However, to try to get me to apologize is ridiculous and childish thing to force someone to apologize. Just like how I want to get my work critiqued I put ideas out there so people can use it for something or gets them thinking and further their work to a further understanding of the craft.

Hello I would love to see any feedback and opinion.

Here is progress I made after read all the feedback from you guys (also I watched Nigel's video) :

I still use the same thread (this is only what I got this time)

Result : Now with slanted effect on both side (following Nigel's tutorial)

Am I in right direction or not? Thanks!

Your in the right direction. Only thing is the thread is too thick so its bulging where the two threads meet. I try to tell people to either go thick thread and 5-7 SPI or 7-9 SPI .58mm. When you go with thinner thread it doesnt fill up the hold and you have to be soft with your touch. Thicker threads normally mean thicker leather and the tension can be raised and should be raised.

Edited July 5, 2014 by DavidL

[armndrsyhr]

Thank you guys! I really appreciate all the feedback

I'm happy with the result

Also, I have issue with marking holes in multiple-layer leather.

How to get same precise hole in front and flesh side?

I guess that is result from bad leather cutting?

Let me know what do you think guys!

Thanks!!

Edited July 5, 2014 by armndrsyhr

[Sona]

There are some different possibilities. If you use some pricking iron (which you just tap to mark the leather) instead of pricking chisels (which you punch through it all the way) the is the way, Nigel shows in this video:

This is a good way for smaller things, as you´d have to punch a lot if you´d like to stitch bigger things like messanger bags and stuff.

Which pricking chisels (like the japanese ones) you could glue them first (most use contact cement) and punch through it. Be sure you hold the iron in a 90° angle to get nice, clean holes, lined up perfectly.

The fastest way using one of these tools is to glue the layers together, mark the holes on the top layer and to push the awl through all layers. But this needs a very sharp and polished awl (maybe with some wax)and some experience as you need a feeling for the angle. The first attemps on this normally don´t line up nicely on the back side, but the better you get the better becomes your stitching

[Hi Im Joe]

I've found its much easier to punch straight holes with an awl if you do it into a cork board holding the article flat on your work bench instead of in the pony.

[armndrsyhr]

Hi, thank guys, I will try all different methods.

Hope this will work!

Edited July 6, 2014 by armndrsyhr

[Sona]

Yeah, I forgot that one, joe just mentioned. I push the awl through while stitching like nigel does.
But when I used to punch the holes like Joe, I used some piece of thick felt underneath. I think it dulls the blade not as fast as kork and it´s easier to pull the awl out again.
Just find your way - that a topic with a lot of different methods and a lot of different opinions like you have mentioned already

[DavidL]

I think its time I gave away my technique that I found works best when stitching 2 or more layers. Hopefully it helps.

Use a normal pricking iron and mark the grain side of one side, and use the same iron and mark the grain side of other layer. The slant on the front will look like /// and the backside is also /// if you flip it over - regular way front is - /// and back \\\. Slide your awl in the slit and on the backside rotate it to follow the slit on the back.

Now when you look at your stitch on the front side and backside they are indistinguishable. A side note if the marks are slightly misaligned it doesnt affect the stitch noticeably.

Also works well for turned edges and invisible edge since you don't have to stitch through multiple layers w/out a guide on the back, just add some contact cement w/ a small applicator once the piece is stitched. This technique will not work for layers that have to be glued together first then hit with the iron like alligator hide glued on veg tanned leather.

Edited July 6, 2014 by DavidL

[Camerius]

My stitching is going \\\\\ instead of ////, not that it matters to me, and if I need to, I can just switch needle priority (right hand needle going in from right, and having left hand needle go on the bottom when they cross instead of on top, before going in through the hole).

What I'm wondering is how many are having the harness stitch ending up as mine, and how many does not. Not that it matters in the end, if the costumer is happy, that the stitches looks good, level and tight. As Nigel says himself "It's not that it may be wrong, it may simply be that someone is stitching differently" (paraphrasing here)....

[mlapaglia]

Just to add my 2 cents. sinew is not a good thing to use to stitch with for most applications. Stick to a waxed linen, or waxed poly thread. I use waxed linen.