Improve stitching / needs breathing room

[Webicons]

Today was an interesting day.  Here's what I learned:

When stitching, I was taught to return the thread on the bottom and to the front (closer to body). Let's call that Method 1.

I watched the movie posted by GMACE99 and I noticed the he was returning the thread on the top and to the back (away from body). We'll call that method 2.

The resulting stitches are totally different. In one sense I like the Front view of Method 1 but I really like the Back view of Method 2. 

To get the classic look to the stitch, in Method 1 I don't really have to exaggerate the up/down angle of my hands when I pull but it is definitely needed in Method 2. 

I also think that it's critical to have a clearly defined hole in Method 2 but that helps for either way. 

I can see where there may be a situation where it's better use one technique over the other. 

So much to learn...

Its interesting to note the direction of the stitching.  In Method 2 the Front view goes Up/Down but the Back view goes Down/Up.  In Method 1 the Front view and Back view both go Up/Down.  

Can someone explain why?  My head hurts. 

 

Edited September 8, 2017 by Webicons

[Tugadude]

Whatever method you used in the last row, it is not correct.  Thread is to go from top of slit to bottom of adjacent slit.

[Webicons]

8 hours ago, Tugadude said:

Whatever method you used in the last row, it is not correct.  Thread is to go from top of slit to bottom of adjacent slit.

Thank you Tugadude.  Does this apply to both the front and backside of the stitching?

[YinTx]

9 hours ago, Tugadude said:

Whatever method you used in the last row, it is not correct.  Thread is to go from top of slit to bottom of adjacent slit.

+1 for that.

Looks like your needles are reversed from what they should be.    The pattern Tugadude refers to should show identical on both front and back.

YinTx

[Webicons]

8 minutes ago, YinTx said:

+1 for that.

Looks like your needles are reversed from what they should be.    The pattern Tugadude refers to should show identical on both front and back.

YinTx

Thanks YinTx - I guess I'm back to my original stitching technique or I may have interpreted it wrong (which wouldn't be the first time!) 

When I started looking at videos on YouTube this week on Saddle Stitching was overwhelmed at all the different ways people stitch.  Some seemed outright wrong while others looked very interesting.  I think I saw a video on FineLeatherworking.com where they put both needles in at the same time.  

My head hurts again. 

[YinTx]

Thats the beauty of art, I think.  There is no one way to do it right, and sometimes when folks break all the rules, new art emerges.  There are tried and true methods that work once you learn them, and you end up using many different methods sometimes on the same project to get the stitching to look right all the way around.  And there are some outright wrong methods floating around, you just sometimes have to decide for yourself which ones you don't like and jettison them.

The sample runs you are doing I found really helpful when I was trying to figure out what worked best for me - keep doing them!  I made notes so when I went back to look at results, I knew what method gave which results.

YinTx

[Tugadude]

Good advice from YinTx