Piping question

[Tugadude]

Yep, practice and try different things.  Hopefully you'll get that "eureka" moment and can rest easy.

[RockyAussie]

14 hours ago, Dunluce said:

Not sure I understand that fully. I don’t suppose you have a photo do you?

Sorry @Dunluce I misunderstood what you were trying to do. I thought you were trying to figger out how to get the piping to attach to the piping as I have done in this first picture of a back pack I made. As you see it goes all the way around on the front and gusset.

What would look best is how the piping finishes short and the leather is turned in, as in this next picture following.

Here you just tuck it in and keep stitching through to the end then trim it up inside.

[Dunluce]

RockyAussie, that bottom picture is what I was talking about. Just to check, have you saved the piping (as suggested above) or is it just tucked in, trimmed and the sides folded over it?

Just now, Dunluce said:

RockyAussie, that bottom picture is what I was talking about. Just to check, have you saved the piping (as suggested above) or is it just tucked in, trimmed and the sides folded over it?

I meant skived!

[RockyAussie]

6 hours ago, Dunluce said:

RockyAussie, that bottom picture is what I was talking about. Just to check, have you saved the piping (as suggested above) or is it just tucked in, trimmed and the sides folded over it?

I meant skived!

Sometimes you can get a piping effect by just using leather folded over which could be skived in from the edges to get a more pronounced bead look on the edge but I generally use either some 2mm round lace or 3mm plastic tube piping as in this following link - http://www.theshanngroup.com/product/hollow-plastic-piping/

When I want to turn it in as shown in the picture I cut the piping on an angle to taper it off and leave the leather longer to use that to be tucked in. Whether that leather extra part needs to be skived depends on the thickness of the leather of the bag and the thickness of the leather used to cover the piping. I normally have it split down to .5 to .6mm for most jobs but this depends also on the piping feet for the sewing machine and what thickness it works best on.

[Stetson912]

On 5/25/2018 at 7:21 AM, Tugadude said:

BTW, on the bag I posted, I wonder whether the leather at the very top could be "splayed" out similar to a French seam.  Seems like it would work since it is being covered by the rolled edge.  That way it would lie even flatter.  You would only have to do it on the last 1/2" or so.

This isn't a bad idea. 

I think how you will finish the edges will determine how to proceed. As tugadude said, if you are binding the edges you can probably leave the last 1/2" or so later open flat and skived thin for the binding to go over. 

Rocky here knows his stuff, his techniques are solid and will work also. 

If you are using thick leather and burnishing the edges, I wouldn't bother too much with skiving it down. Just edge and burnish. 

Just my thoughts. 

[ljk]

Coming from the world of upholstery when I need to pipe or welt

I use a welt foot of appropriate size.  For boot side seams and purse

piping I used lawn trimmer string. The hardware or big box store has

many sizes and it is stiff.  Plus you can melt the end and pull

an appropriate taper.  Lacking the right size foot a zipper or side

seam foot will work.

[Dunluce]

Okay so I tried a couple of samples on some scrap as in the photo below (may grandson says it looks like an elephant’s arse) and I am sort of getting it. I used a bit of folded over leather not the proper type with beading in the middle. My only concern is that you can see where the stitching is. Have I stitched too close to the edge? Would it be covered better if I used the piping with beading in the middle?

[RockyAussie]

2 hours ago, Dunluce said:

My only concern is that you can see where the stitching is. Have I stitched too close to the edge? Would it be covered better if I used the piping with beading in the middle?

Yes the stitching has come in too close. This can happen quite easily if using a foot set that does not have a shape to keep from coming in too close. It can be done but takes very careful attention and is more annoying when you get most done well but one bit climbs up. Looks worse. Beading/piping in the middle will help but the right shape foot is more the issue. I am assuming perhaps incorrectly that you are using a sewing machine. Doing it by hand would take a lot of skill I think.   

[Stetson912]

@Dunluce, are you machine stitching or hand stitching?

[Dunluce]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that I am hand stitching.