First Post - Saddle Stitch Question.

[DeWayne Hayes]

Hi all, this is my first post. In fact, I've only been into the leatherwork hobby for a couple weeks, inspired by my desire to make my own knife sheaths.

I'm attaching a picture to help explain my problem. These are the first couple of sheaths I've made, one for a pocket knife (just to protect it in the pocket) and one for my old Marbles Woodcraft knife. Both are made from Veg-tan (3-4 oz and 5-6 oz respectively). Both were dyed with Fiebings saddle tan oil dye (the pocket sheath by dauber, the larger sheath by airbrush). And both are stitched with Tandy waxed linen thread, by hand.

On the pocket sheath, the stitching stayed pretty well nice and white/natural. But on the larger sheath it turned a funky sort of olive drab. It's as though the wax is really dirty. I can assure you it was clean when I started. Strangely, if I move a stitch around with my fingernail, it will become a little whiter as the caked up was rearranges, but it's still left looking pretty soiled.

Can anyone explain what I'm doing wrong? I did stitch the sheath the same day as I dyed it - I probably waited a couple hours. But the dye seemed dry to me - thinly applied as it was with an airbrush. You think it's the dye staining the wax?

I'd like to have nice white stitching in contrast against the leather color. I'm ready to try poly or nylon, I'm not married to linen, it's just the first thing I got to try. But I need help before I just repeat this same mistake again.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

DeWayne

http://s19.photobucket.com/user/sonvolt/media/IMG_1411_zpsyuhokbnl.jpg.html?filters[user]=7464691&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0

[mlapaglia]

Stitch after you dye and apply the finish. Take a paper bag and wipe off the excess wax before stitching. Pull the thread between your fingers protected by brown paper bag. This removes the excess wax. Is that thread or Tandy's waxed Sinew?

FYI, Tandy makes crap thread.

[meganrakes]

This was your first leather project?? I'm impressed!! I just started with leather too and I cannot get my stitching to look that good no matter how much I try or how many instructional videos I watch. How did you learn??

[DeWayne Hayes]

Thanks for the compliment. I think I learned watching videos too. I use a lightly scribed line to lay out my stitching line and then use a pricking fork to make my holes. That's about it - the front looks good, the back is not near as straight though, as is sometimes the case with hand stitching.

DeWayne

In regard to my initial problem though, I've just changed over to brown linen thread. That way I can stitch, wet mold, then airbrush my dye and it doesn't change the color of the thread. I just quit trying to have white on brown and embraced brown on brown. One added benefit I've found from stitching BEFORE wet molding to the knife is that when the sheath is wetted, the leather expands and really snugs up around the stitching, which looks good to me (others may not care for it.)

DeWayne

[whistler]

If my first project looked anything like that I wouldn't care about the off color thread! Please take that as a compliment!

I've been reading post and watching videos but not started my first project yet but hope to get my feet wet soon. I'm sure you'll get things sorted out soon. Good Luck!