thekid77 Report post Posted March 15, 2015 hey friends, I tried making a wallet strap for the first time today out of some 8-9oz vegtan i had lying around....everything was going well until i started stitching.... i noticed that the leather along the stitched edge was starting to deform.....is my leather too soft? sure, smaller harness needles and thread would help, but i hand stitch wallets all the time and never have this problem.... any advice is appreciated!! thank you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted March 15, 2015 The needle is pushing leather out of the way when it goes through, so if it's deforming the edge, there are two easy options- move the needle further in, or move the edge further out. On the second suggestion....what I mean is make the strap and complete your sewing before trimming the final edge width. Just make it slightly over sized. You might also look at how the edge is being supported. If the leather is 'floppy' then, yes, it's too soft for the way you're stitching. you'll just have to change the way you're holding the leather. It might also be the stitch spacing, or the tension on the stitches. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thekid77 Report post Posted March 15, 2015 The needle is pushing leather out of the way when it goes through, so if it's deforming the edge, there are two easy options- move the needle further in, or move the edge further out. On the second suggestion....what I mean is make the strap and complete your sewing before trimming the final edge width. Just make it slightly over sized. You might also look at how the edge is being supported. If the leather is 'floppy' then, yes, it's too soft for the way you're stitching. you'll just have to change the way you're holding the leather. It might also be the stitch spacing, or the tension on the stitches. Thanks for the advice Twin, it's really odd...I stitch through the same thickness of leather all the time for wallets, and this never happens.....when I stitch something like a strap, it's getting deformed....I will try everything you've suggested Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
motomuzieq Report post Posted March 19, 2015 Hi, please forgive my rudeness for barging in suddenly... I'm new to this forum, I hope i 'm not breaking any rules... I was thinking asking this and fortunately bumped to your post.... I'm a newbie in leatherwork and I am making a watch strap.. All straps that I made have this 'bulging' form on the side... I've tried to make it oversized then spending hours trimming it with my cutter and exacto knife...in the end, I ruined my straps because of the trimming part.. I found that if the leather is softer, this problem will even more persistent... The thing is, I want to make a soft vintage watch strap and this problem really a bother.... Is there any further suggestion? Thank you very much.... Regards, Seto PS: When I said I'm a newbie, I mean a total noob.. For your info, I just learn how to cut leather with cutters 3 months ago... And also, please forgive my bad english... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paramedic04 Report post Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Sounds like it could be your stitch holes are too big or your needles are too big to me. I'm relatively new to leatherworking myself, but I had that same problem doing the first wallet I ever tried. Post some pictures if you have any so we can get a better idea of what your problem is. Edited March 28, 2015 by Paramedic04 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
