Flat Joining Stitches Question

[Tinkerton]

I'm making a vest out of 4oz leather, where the seams butt up against each other rather than overlap. Aside from a baseball or X stitch, is there any other decorative stitches I could use to join the pieces?

Cheers

Tinkerton

[Hi Im Joe]

You could do a box or butt stitch. Nigel Armitage has a video on box stitching.

[DavidL]

You could try an invisible stitch if its not glued yet and on the back to cover up the excess stitch one continues piece of leather folded over the excess and stitched in

[Tinkerton]

How do you do an invisible stitch?

[DavidL]

two pieces grain side to grain side and stitched with the flesh side out. When you flip it over after the stitch is done the stitch can't be seen. If you pull out a pair of jeans, a soccer ball or shorts and look at the stitching some of the pieces are attached but the stitch can't be seen, which is what I call an invisible stitch, but its official name I'm not sure.

[Camerius]

two pieces grain side to grain side and stitched with the flesh side out. When you flip it over after the stitch is done the stitch can't be seen. If you pull out a pair of jeans, a soccer ball or shorts and look at the stitching some of the pieces are attached but the stitch can't be seen, which is what I call an invisible stitch, but its official name I'm not sure.

Great idea!

[HippieLee]

What do you do with the flaps on the inside? With fabric they are probably soft enough not to be bothersome but leather will be thicker won't it? (OR are we talking very thin garment leather) Would it be too many holes to go back and sew the flaps flat so on the front side you see the seam and a row of stitches on either side? Would that weaken the whole piece too much?

Just leave 'em be? glue and hammer a bit?

[DavidL]

if you go to your car or couch there is a way they do it where the have the invisible stitch then the inside has a lot of extra leather and its flattened and then saddle stitched on both sides of the invisible seam. You can add a liner too before you sew. It shouldn't be too weak if done correctly and should add strength.

The alternative (in this case for the vest it won't work too well if its too thick) is to add the liner so it matches the piece exactly. From there another single piece of leather like a rectangle will folded length wise into itself so flesh and flesh sides touch (the end is also rounded so it doesnt wrinkle around the bend.

So in the end it will be the excess of the invisible seam, then the liner and over top all will be the rectangle folded lengthwise to cover the edge, much like a turned edge on both sides where the rectangle is stitch saddle stitched from on end to another.

Both ways are more advanced and require practice. The first way is easier, where the second way needs proper measurements of the rectangle, the curve of the rectangle and stitching between several layers. The second way is harder to do well on a sewing machine unless its a tipmann boss or one that can handle 1/4 - 1/2 inch of leather.

Edited July 15, 2014 by DavidL