stitching by hand

[pete]

do all of you groove BOTH sides of a project when hand stitching, or just the front? How is the best way to get the awl to pierce the exact center of the back groove?

pete

[Jordan]

from experience, sand the edges flush before grooving, then the front and back will have a better chance of lining up. On the backside I found that grooving helps reduce friction wear of the stitches, esthetically I don't think it does much after all it is the backside and won't be seen much in use. Personal preference prevails in this case LOL

[$$hobby]

Getting the needle thru the back groove just comes w/experience.

w/regards to the back groove, i will always make a groove on the front/back since it protects the stitching if the leater is thick enough. I specially make a point of doing it on tack.

also, to each his own.

Edited December 25, 2008 by $$hobby

[Rawhide]

I groove both sides if the leather is thick enough. When stabbing the holes, I line up the awl with the mark and begin to push, I watch on the back side to see if the tip is going to come out in the groove, I adjust as needed then push the awl through. Once you do a few, you kind of get a feel for it and you don't have to watch each stab.

[Shorts]

I groove the top side, punch the holes, then groove the backside in a connect-the-dots sort of way. Yes, oddly enough, they all remain straight

What counts most is keeping the awl straight whether you groove backside before punching or after. As mentioned, grooving the back allows the stitches to set a little further in the leather. Especially belts and holsters, protecting the stitches that are constantly laying against clothing and seams so they stand a chance of lasting as long as they can.

[CitizenKate]

I groove the top side, punch the holes, then groove the backside in a connect-the-dots sort of way. Yes, oddly enough, they all remain straight

I'll put that on my list of clever things to try next time. Thanks for sharing that!

I will have to mention that I only do a cut groove on heavy leather. I've experienced problems with cutting grooves on some projects that use lighter weights of leather, in that the cut grooves weakened the leather and resulted in tearing at the seams.

In those cases, I prefer just a modeled groove, which I do only on the "top" or "front" side, and cut the sewn pieces flush after stitching.

Another factor to consider (besides weight) is how much abrasion you think the stitching will be exposed to. For a seam that will receive much abrasion, the biggest risk of failure is having the thread wear out and break. In that case, get the stitching as recessed as possible without compromising the strength of the leather at the seam. If the seam will not receive much rubbing or abrasion, I prefer a modeled groove, which recesses the stitching somewhat less, but preserves more of the top grain, and thus the strength of the leather where the seam is.

Kate

[badger]

You can always groove the top and just crease the bottom.

It compresses the leather rather than removing it.

Karl

[ShirleyT]

I stitch with two needles and a stitching awl using a saddle clam. Lots of beeswax on the thread (silk for thin leathers, linen everything else) Stitch line marked first with dividers - front and back - then pricking iron (not a wheel) on the grain. The clam is held leaning a little left with the knees and lots of practice and I mostly get the awl through to the right place. Having the line marked on the back with the dividers (or a compass race) helps. Good basic illustrated how-to in Valerie Michael's leatherworking book. And I still manage to meander...sigh

[TrooperChuck]

Like others have already mentioned, I only put a groove in thicker leather. I used to groove everything, but one day I noticed that it's hard to groove a smooth line in thin leathers and the groove was cutting away half the thickness of the leather!

I like Badger's tip of using a creaser. I'm going to try that.

Rawhide's comments about sewing thicker leather and watching for the exit of the awl, then adjusting until it comes out where it is supposed to, is exactly what I do. When I first started, my stitches were all over the place. After a lot of practice, I can now put the holes pretty much where I want them, but I still occasionally go off track and have to re-stab it.

The funny thing about leather work is that lots of it looks really simple, and in theory IS simple, but even the simplest tasks still come with a learning curve.

Edited January 4, 2009 by TrooperChuck