Invisible stitch from both sides of leather

[WastelandOuterwear]

So my mentor has been insistant that i must sew this bag through the edges of the leather like wo, similar to a butt stitch but the idea is for it to be invisible on both sides... I really dont even think that is possible since we live on the land of physics. What do you guys think

 

Below is what the technique is based off of. I personally think those tabs are folded inward then sewn instead of thinking that those arnt even tabs and are acually the middle thickness of the leather.

 

[KingsCountyLeather]

 

[RockyAussie]

Is your mentor a sadist?  Is there any good reason to be able to achieve doing this method? The threads will have to go straight when going across to tension correctly not on an angle as in your picture...Sorry.

[plinkercases]

In the Stohlman art of hand sewing there is a hidden stich technique but used to wrap a covering piece around the open edge of multiple layers on a saddles and even then only one side of the stitch is hidden. It involves essentially making a flap in the leather into which you set the stitch and then bone the flap back down over the stiches as in the video. However if you are sewing edge butted to edge as it appears you want to you would need to is a flap on both sides of the  butt seam on the top and then use your technique but from the top so the stitching works against the way the seam wants to open...... good luck..... and mean mentor.... should the mentor not show you how by...mentoring?

 

[WastelandOuterwear]

On 4/21/2018 at 10:05 PM, plinkercases said:

In the Stohlman art of hand sewing there is a hidden stich technique but used to wrap a covering piece around the open edge of multiple layers on a saddles and even then only one side of the stitch is hidden. It involves essentially making a flap in the leather into which you set the stitch and then bone the flap back down over the stiches as in the video. However if you are sewing edge butted to edge as it appears you want to you would need to is a flap on both sides of the  butt seam on the top and then use your technique but from the top so the stitching works against the way the seam wants to open...... good luck..... and mean mentor.... should the mentor not show you how by...mentoring?

 

Well i suggested doing it that way, but i absolutely must do it that way shown. He refuses i do it any other way, And he doesnt seem to know how to do it which is frustrating.

 

But im frustrated cause the stitch doesnt go with this bag since the pattern has been changed 4 times. And i work really hard researching and what not on the tooling and size and i dont want ugly stitches that dont work, itd feel like a waste of 3 months of research. But i cannot figure out a way to draw it togeather using this method. It just doesnt seem too work.

[WastelandOuterwear]

On 4/21/2018 at 8:42 PM, RockyAussie said:

Is your mentor a sadist?  Is there any good reason to be able to achieve doing this method? The threads will have to go straight when going across to tension correctly not on an angle as in your picture...Sorry.

Idk the idea is that, ide be able to do something noone else can do therefore im special or somethng. Problem is though, he doesnt know how to do it, its just simply doesnt work and its just a bas stitch in strength and practicality, and his research isnt nearly as extensive since i have personally called the irish dublin museum and they told me how it was stitch, but he blew off saying "they arnt leather workers so how could they know what they are talking about"....

 

Hes not a bad leatherworker by any means but im currently at a standstill in my apprenticeship because of this stitch.

Edited April 24, 2018 by WastelandOuterwear

[KingsCountyLeather]

I could email Nigel Armitage and ask him if he knows? He has often suggested people to email any problems you have. He is also a member here but doesn’t visit the site all the time @Dangerous Beans

[Matt S]

@WastelandOuterwear I don't know your mentor from Adam. He may be encouraging you to figure it out for yourself as an exercise in perseverance, lateral thinking and problem solving. That is the more generous explanation I can think of. I can think of one or two possible solutions to this puzzle but I think that I'll hold off posting them until I've tried them out and you've tried a few more approaches. Maybe post them here for specific feedback and suggestions, and to help other people trying out this technique.

Out of interest, what qualifies him as a mentor/teacher? Teaching is a specific skillset and there are a lot of people who are very skilled at all sorts of things who can't teach for toffee.

[WastelandOuterwear]

10 minutes ago, Matt S said:

@WastelandOuterwear I don't know your mentor from Adam. He may be encouraging you to figure it out for yourself as an exercise in perseverance, lateral thinking and problem solving. That is the more generous explanation I can think of. I can think of one or two possible solutions to this puzzle but I think that I'll hold off posting them until I've tried them out and you've tried a few more approaches. Maybe post them here for specific feedback and suggestions, and to help other people trying out this technique.

Out of interest, what qualifies him as a mentor/teacher? Teaching is a specific skillset and there are a lot of people who are very skilled at all sorts of things who can't teach for toffee.

Well that is what i was thinking, i have a few diffrent ways of doing said technique, and ill post them showing the varying degrees of success/failure. But other than experiance and having past apprentices i really couldnt tell ya haha.

[koreric75]

I'd start out by finding something more pliable and same thickness that you can practice getting the angle right with an awl and focus on the stitch itself vs wrestling with that very thick and stiff looking leather, once you get that looking good use scrap pieces of the same type of leather, once you have those stitched looking good you should have the confidence of stitching your bag and not damaging beyond repair or having to redo all the work. Once the stitches are done I'm still trying to picture what the final look is assembled, but if skived at a miter, and making the stitch that goes between holes on the same side, when pulled tight you should only possibly see small holes on the flesh side...?