Help me expand my horizons

[AZNightwolf]

2 hours ago, johnv474 said:

A rule of thumb is place your stitch line in from the edge at a distance equal to the total thickness of the leather being sewn... up to about 1/4" maximum.

 

Thread, needle, awl, and spacing choice is partly based on tradition and partly based on preference. Between two options, thicker thread will look more rugged/chunky and thinner thread will look more refined/designer. In general I recommend 5-6 stitches per inch for strength/rugged goods (never less than that) and 7-9 spi for finer, smaller stuff. This is for sewing by hand, not machine.

 

Here's a little chart that will give you a starting point and you can experiment from there.  In this chart, Maine "light" is 0.03 (0.75mm), medium is 0.04 (1.0mm) and heavy is 0.05 (1.25 mm). I did not have 0.02 (0.5mm) extra-light at that time but I like that at about 7-8 spi.

 

Great stuff John, thanks for sharing it

[Brianm77]

Yes, good stuff.  Thanks guys