Need advice on sewing across transitions

[KennethM]

Hey everyone!I need advice on how to handle transitions and keep the stitch spacing consistent on those transitions..I sewed up a roper wallet.The wallet back is 5oz and the card pocket panels are 4oz.

[Danne]

You have to make your templates to match up with the stitching lengths (Here you have an example from one of my drawings.

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Danne

[KennethM]

1 hour ago, Danne said:

You have to make your templates to match up with the stitching lengths (Here you have an example from one of my drawings.

 

Thank you for the reply.I understand what you are saying.However I think its more a issuie with different leather thickness.Its the "step down" 

[heydox]

Depending on your sewing machine there may be adjustments that can be made to the presser foot’s amount of pressure and it’s handling of an angled transition. But the manual way to handle a transition is to place a jig under the presser foot so that it travels over a level surface. In an instance like this wallet I would personally cut a piece of leather that is the width of the gap between your card holders. Temporarily place this jig piece adjacent to the stitch line as your machine crosses these two transitions. This will ensure the presser foot is not forced to climb or descend a transition and can travel across a level surface without affecting stitch spacing. 

[Danne]

7 minutes ago, KennethM said:

Thank you for the reply.I understand what you are saying.However I think its more a issuie with different leather thickness.Its the "step down" 

Do you mean the stitch that goes over the edge straightens? I shouldn't say I do this perfect. (Keep in mind I do my holes from the outside, and go through with an awl. 

But you see the stitch on the right pocket is longer where it goes over the edge. Now the leather I use have high tensile strength so I could adjust my holes a little. But on veg-tan you don't wan't to go to close to the edge.

edit: Your wallet is machine stitched? (Going away to hide in the corner)

Edited April 8, 2019 by Danne

[Matt S]

@KennethM I take it that is machine stitched? I have much better luck sewing this style of wallet "pockets up" than "pockets down". The machine feeds the leather up and down the transitions much better.

However there is a drawback: With a closed-eye needle machine (99% of leather sewing machines) the front and back of the stitch will always be different so the "outside" and "inside" stitches won't look exactly the same. There are some tricks to to reducing this difference (making sure your tensions are perfectly balanced, hammering and/or rubbing the backside stitches, tweaking the needle size, using thread lube) but there's almost always going to be a noticeable difference between front and back if you really study the piece.

[Northmount]

Wizcrafts has explained why stitch length changes with the thickness of the leather.  https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/74979-stitch-length-changing/

@KennethM Moved your post to leather sewing machines.

Tom

[nylonRigging]

3 hours ago, heydox said:

Depending on your sewing machine there may be adjustments that can be made to the presser foot’s amount of pressure and it’s handling of an angled transition. But the manual way to handle a transition is to place a jig under the presser foot so that it travels over a level surface. In an instance like this wallet I would personally cut a piece of leather that is the width of the gap between your card holders. Temporarily place this jig piece adjacent to the stitch line as your machine crosses these two transitions. This will ensure the presser foot is not forced to climb or descend a transition and can travel across a level surface without affecting stitch spacing. 

Sounds about same thing I do also .

Transitioning Up/Down/ gaps ...etc. This is what I do . I use different nylon webbing's as spacers/jigs . For stepping Up and Down and Across, to keep the dogs in contact for good continued thread tension and consistent stitch lengths .
I always just have a handful of these assorted webbing pieces laying by machines .  I will use different Widths and lengths webbing's of 3/4", 1" , 1 1/2" , 2" ...etc .
Then, I will also stack (sew together) in different height choices . 1, 2 ,3  stacked together ...etc.
.
 

[heydox]

Nice catch @Matt S , my reply was geared toward stitching with the transition pieces like the card holders on the top side. 

@KennethM , seeing you want your best looking stitch on the exterior of the wallet, I understand why you want to stitch this section with the card holders face-down.

In this case I would suggest stitching past these transition using the hand-wheel. The feed dog is much harder to jig, but in this case a piece of leather wedged between the card holders would likely work.

If you cut the jig piece to fit 1/16” off your stitch line to the top edge, you can ensure the piece is aligned with the top edge so it doesn’t get sewn to your wallet and it doesn’t slip away causing the feed dog to miss it. 

Or skip a jig altogether and handwheel over the section. You can match you stitch length to, let’s say, an 8 SPI overstitch wheel spacing and use that overstitch wheel to give you some guide marks as you handwheel that section. A little extra insurance that you’re not getting short stitches as the feed dog works to jump the transition.

And an added bonus is that overstitch wheel can also be used over your finished stitches on the bobbin side, so the deformed leather from the needle puncture hole is inverted giving you a better looking underside stitch line as Matt S suggested.