Hand Stitching a Belt

[JazzBass]

Forgive the amateur question. I'm about to do my first lined and stitched, instead of plain, belt (a guitar strap, actually- no matter). Here's my question:

It takes 4x or more thread than the length to be stitched.
When stitching a belt, what is the common practice - does one actually deal with, say, 30 feet of thread between the needles, or is it done in manageable lengths, continuing by restarting back one stitch (as with a broken thread)? I'm guessing the latter - but if so, how "invisible" is the "restart", and are there any special tips in that regard?

[Matt S]

The second one. Even when stitching a long seam I find that more than a fathom (from on hand to another, with your arms stretched out) of thread just gets difficult. The overlap will always be visible if you go hunting for it but you can usually jiggle that first stitch around a little so either they sit alongside each other or the new stitch over the top of the old.

[billybopp]

Either way can work, but there are trade-offs. 

Natural fibers such as linen tend to fray and pick up more color near the needles.  Synthetics such as polyester also fray and pick up color, but FAR less than do natural threads.  Dye pick-up and fraying tend to occur most in the last few inches near the needles, so allow a good amount of extra thread for that.  Lighter colors will show dye-pick up more than darker.  

As @Matt Smentions above, shorter lengths are easier to work with, but you can't totally hide the splices.  Longer lengths are harder to work because they can get tangled, but there's nothing to hide other than the overlap where stitches begin and end:  you just have to work a little differently to prevent tangling and a bit more work pulling thread but note, as you move along you're dealing with less thread after each stitch and it becomes easier.

There's pretty much no choice with natural thread than to go with shorter lengths and splice.   Synthetics give you the option to go either way as find comfortable to you.  My personal preference is to go with synthetic and no splices.

- Bill

[JazzBass]

Thanks @Matt S and @billybopp 

I hadn't heard about dye pickup before, but it makes sense. I will be using synthetic, but it's still a tough choice, as I've never tried to work with that much thread at one time. I guess that with splices, part of it is strategically planning the placement. I was thinking of a double stitch of fairly fine (0.6) thread at about 7spi, for the extra "practice". I'll give it some thought. Thanks again, guys!

[Sheilajeanne]

For a project like this, I imagine a stitching pony would be a real help, too. Some ponies have magnets on them, so you can put your needle there and not get things tangled up when you need a break, or if you need both hands to help sort out a problem!

[chrisash]

1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said:

For a project like this, I imagine a stitching pony would be a real help, too. Some ponies have magnets on them, so you can put your needle there and not get things tangled up when you need a break, or if you need both hands to help sort out a problem!

Now thats a great idea, many many many thanks

[JazzBass]

Ditto, @Sheilajeanne- I do have a stitching pony, but hadn't thought of affixing magnets to a convenient spot to hold needles. Excellent!

Wow...been here 2 days, and I've been soaking in the knowledge of all you good folks. Gee, I must be in the right place! Lots of serious pros, and just plain nice people. Gotta love it! Again, thanks to all.

Chris

[Handstitched]

@JazzBass

MattS pretty much nailed it.  I measure <--------------> this much thread, from one hand to the other   I have three  hand made ponies of different size openings . The other is an antique  saddlers stitching clamp . 

And remember,  its hand made , so don't worry if the overlap is visible or  if a stitch or two  is a bit off. 

They're  called humanity stitches, as I  was once told by a quilt maker. It lets us know that we're humans...not machines    

Good luck & Enjoy your hand stitching JB   

HS 

 

 

[Clintonville Leather]

If I hand sew a belt I start at dead center of the tip and work toward the billet on one side.  Then with a second thread start at the same place and do the other side.  This makes it more manageable for me and looks clean.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Welcome aboard first of all.

You want to work with shorter lengths for sure as it is much easier to handle the thread.  I break my thread down into 3 equal lengths once I have my total pulled and it makes it easier to work with on so many levels.  I typically use the calculation factor of the length to be stitched times 5 so that I can ensure that there is enough thread to cover the project (especially with belts as the leather is considerably thicker).  When starting a new section of thread I do my overlap stitching the same as if I were ending the run on a back-stitch: 5 stitches; this ensures that the end of a run will be properly secured by the start of the new run.  As a former saddle maker and having been hand-stitching since I started working with leather, I stick to the tried and true origin of the process to ensure that what I put out to a customer is the best that it can be.

My threads of choice are always 1.0 for all main assembly lines (belt edges, wallets, etc.) and .08 for interior assembly areas so as to ensure that the stitches will hold over the years of use and wear; thinner threads and natural materials have a lower wear/fray threshold and can wear out faster on items that are typically everyday use.  My preferred threads are of course Ritza 25 Tiger Thread but everyone has a different opinion of threads so you want to select your supplies based on your own personal experience with anything that you try/test out; don't hesitate to sample though as you might find something that works better for you.

As mentioned here as well, your skills and knowledge will get better over time as you continue to make things and refine your stitching so don't hesitate to just grab some scrap leather once in awhile and practice with it to get there.  I have been a leather craftsman for over 40 years and there is always something new to learn or a way to improve what you do and how you go about doing it.  That is the beauty of this profession.

Good luck and keep asking and learning.

[alpha2]

One more thing about longer thread lengths, something that drives me nuts, is the long loops of thread hanging up on shoes, knees, chair casters, the dog, etc. And pulling every stitch all the way out to a 6' spread of your arms can cause some serious pain in my shoulders and back. That's just me, though, others are younger with less miles!

Jeff

[JazzBass]

@NVLeatherWorx Thanks for the great advice. I have and do practice, having found "my" preferred method from studying both Nigel and Ian's videos. Funny - I initially thought that hand stitching would be a real chore, being a slow, repetitive process, yet I find it quite relaxing. I put the radio on, and before I know it, several hours flip by.

I intend to use Tiger thread, but haven't decided on the thickness. I've ordered several small spools in .6, .8, and 1.0, and will try each with the double stitched border that I'm planning. I'll experiment with SPI as well, as it seems that stitch length really effects which thickness looks best. In any case, I'm just going to "go for it", try to chuckle at my mistakes, and carry on. I also have some JJ needles on order, as I realized from other posts that my difficulty (need for pliers) is probably because of what folks call "big eye" needles from Tandy. Little by little, I'm learning from all of you nice folks.

Thanks also to @alpha2  - hey, I'm no spring chicken either ! LOL.

[LetterT]

Speaking of stitching ponies, if you use anything to hold it shut you might consider making a leather flat that would cover whatever is holding the pony. I got the idea watching someone on YouTube, forgot by now who exactly.

For example, I made my pony myself with bits and bobs I already had. To secure the pony shut I used an ordinary bolt and a wing nut. This is a setup that is just inviting the tread to tangle and snag - just be a nuisance. So I made a simple flat to cover the wing nut and protruding bolt. As the tread falls and moves up and down I made the flap vertical.

[Tony0778]

Wow, great idea....will make a flap tomorrow!