Practice stitching

[toxo]

7 minutes ago, Riem said:

Wow @toxo, that pincushion looks so cool! Industrial? It doesn't look like that, not to me, not at all. I like it - will most likely make one for myself... And for my happily married wife, who looked over my shoulder as I opened this post, and was "favourably impressed" to the point of asking when hers will be ready. Maybe I'll even add the missed stitch, in honour of the fine example! :-)

@67flh, apologies for hijacking your thread! To mitigate that, all I can add is that the learning curve to become proficient in stitching might seem steep, but if you heed the excellent advice given here already you'll be close to mastering the skill set needed to produce a consistent and eye pleasing stitch line. I hand sew everything I make, since I'm a hobbyist and don't want to scale up to a machine. For me, the investment will be too big, and I might end up havingto  start a business, which I don't want to do at this point...

 

https://www.leather-patterns.com/product/pin-cushion-pattern-leather-diy-pdf-download-instructional-file/129?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=5

[Hardrada]

Get a diamond awl. Yes, thicker or layered leather can be too much for the chisels to handle, and either the chisel doesn't go completely through or the holes come off the line on the other side. Use the chisels to mark or make the beginnings of a hole, then use a sharp diamond awl to finish piercing the leather. Yea, it can be tedious when you have plenty to stitch, but it's about the only way to get consistent, uncrooked, good-looking stiches.

A 24- or 32-ounce Barry King mallet should be your next best friend too. If you're using the puny yellow poly mallets you'll have a hard time, as they bounce like heck and their paltry weight requires you to hit harder and more times—all of these factors net you crooked stitches. A heavy mallet has negligible bounce, and because it hits harder you need less hits and less effort to punch through thick leather with your chisels; you make less noise too.

[Tugadude]

20 hours ago, toxo said:

I have to pick up slightly on the slanted Vs straight thing. I think it comes down to purist versus practical. I haven't got the slanted regime down yet and I will use it where it's needed but the punched hole is much quicker because it does away with the need for an awl. The OP alluded to the fact that he prefers a straight stitch But a slanted stitch is easily accomplished by altering the hole/thread ratio. If you have a large hole and a thin thread then you'll get a straight stitch but if you have a smaller hole and a larger thread then the thread has to lie side by side which creates a slanted stitch provided that you adhere to the needle priority you mention.

If you look at the Dieselpunk patterns that I pointed the OP at earlier, every single pattern/design uses a round hole punch.

Toxo, you are correct that you can still get a slant with a round hole.  Nigel Armitage demonstrates this in one of his videos.  The most important thing is to have a presentable stitch.  Whether that is flat or slanted is then secondary.  Funny you mention purist.  On another forum unrelated to leatherwork, I've had discussions of my tendency towards tradition.  For example, I still believe there is value in learning how to write in cursive.  Many schools aren't teaching it anymore.  Whether you use it or not, I still would teach it.  Do you need it?  Obviously not.  So how is that related to stitching?  Only in that if you accept that slanted is traditional (and perhaps there is argument there) then some will want to strive to achieve it.  Are they right?  Not any more than those who espouse we  write out things in cursive.  To each his or her own as they say.

[toxo]

15 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Toxo, you are correct that you can still get a slant with a round hole.  Nigel Armitage demonstrates this in one of his videos.  The most important thing is to have a presentable stitch.  Whether that is flat or slanted is then secondary.  Funny you mention purist.  On another forum unrelated to leatherwork, I've had discussions of my tendency towards tradition.  For example, I still believe there is value in learning how to write in cursive.  Many schools aren't teaching it anymore.  Whether you use it or not, I still would teach it.  Do you need it?  Obviously not.  So how is that related to stitching?  Only in that if you accept that slanted is traditional (and perhaps there is argument there) then some will want to strive to achieve it.  Are they right?  Not any more than those who espouse we  write out things in cursive.  To each his or her own as they say.

Tug, I agree with everything you say but that's because I'm cursed with being able to see all sides to a story. I'd agree with anyone else with different views if they had a legitimate reason. Tradition can be all things to all men but progress dictates when tradition changes.  I listened to Armitage extolling the virtues of the stitching chisel over the pricking iron and awl. There are many ways to fasten two pieces of leather and they've morphed over the years into what we use now. I'm a practical man I believe a car is for getting from A to B not looking pretty and it's the same with leather. If someone  has a mind to use a stitch or a lace or a rivet  etc who are we to judge? certainly not me. As for cursive writing, I like it and don't think there are many that don't and I don't see a reason not to teach it but it's a bit like morse code, if you don't use it you lose it.

[Tugadude]

3 minutes ago, toxo said:

Tug, I agree with everything you say but that's because I'm cursed with being able to see all sides to a story. I'd agree with anyone else with different views if they had a legitimate reason. Tradition can be all things to all men but progress dictates when tradition changes.  I listened to Armitage extolling the virtues of the stitching chisel over the pricking iron and awl. There are many ways to fasten two pieces of leather and they've morphed over the years into what we use now. I'm a practical man I believe a car is for getting from A to B not looking pretty and it's the same with leather. If someone  has a mind to use a stitch or a lace or a rivet  etc who are we to judge? certainly not me. As for cursive writing, I like it and don't think there are many that don't and I don't see a reason not to teach it but it's a bit like morse code, if you don't use it you lose it.

There's a lot of truth in what you said there.  Even Mr. Armitage's stance on chisels has softened.  I think he learned that they have value.  The new styles of stitching chisels make decent stitching attainable to beginners.  So that is progress!

[chuck123wapati]

32 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Many schools aren't teaching it anymore.  Whether you use it or not, I still would teach it.  Do you need it?  Obviously not.  So how is that related to stitching?  Only in that if you accept that slanted is traditional (and perhaps there is argument there) then some will want to strive to achieve it.  Are they right?  Not any more than those who espouse we  write out things in cursive.  To each his or her own as they say.

Traditional? How about time proven, like in thousands of years of actual testing! The leather helps hold the lockstitch in place and is a much stronger stitch because of that  also that the loss of the leather weakens the leather.

 Your example is awesome, try and read our nations constitution without knowing cursive then ask yourself if your children need the ability to understand it themselves or have it read to them by an "expert".

[toxo]

58 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

There's a lot of truth in what you said there.  Even Mr. Armitage's stance on chisels has softened.  I think he learned that they have value.  The new styles of stitching chisels make decent stitching attainable to beginners.  So that is progress!

And that's another side to this stitching thing. I believe the reason that Dieselpunk.ro is so popular is because of his round holes. The Motoko3 I posted above was my first leather project and that was just a few months ago. That encouraged me to do many more including The Large Weekender. Would I have had the confidence to get so into it if I had to do things the "right way"? And Chuck, before we start talking about weakening the leather (and there's no doubt that it does) let's just remind ourselves how much weight a supermarket plastic bag can take.

 

[Hardrada]

Heh, cursive. I had to learn that in elementary. They taught nothing else. All assignments had to be handed in in cursive or they were not accepted. My cursive was ugly as heck, in spite of all of those caligraphy (cloud and rain) exercises. In high school the stance softened, you could use cursive or block, teachers didn't care as long as it was legible. I wanted to change but had the hardest time getting up to speed with block; I flew in cursive. I eventually managed to become efficient and proficient in block.

Funny thing is, nowadays I write in Sütterlin; and I'm glad that one isn't taught anymore: my writings remain private.

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, toxo said:

And that's another side to this stitching thing. I believe the reason that Dieselpunk.ro is so popular is because of his round holes. The Motoko3 I posted above was my first leather project and that was just a few months ago. That encouraged me to do many more including The Large Weekender. Would I have had the confidence to get so into it if I had to do things the "right way"? And Chuck, before we start talking about weakening the leather (and there's no doubt that it does) let's just remind ourselves how much weight a supermarket plastic bag can take.

 

yup it depends if your stitches are needed for looks or work! Punch 4 I/8 th inch holes in a one inch strap and you have  a I/2 inch strap. cut 4 slots with a chisel and you still have a one inch strap. To each his own.  Remember those plastic bags are one use bag, and no they don't work well, is that what you make leather products for? Don't get me wrong I don't care how anyone else does it and if dumbing it down makes dieselpunk a profit then good for him, doesn't mean its the tried and true way to do it all or the correct way, it is the easiest way and why people go for it.  Your bag is beautiful stitching and all! I was just saying there is a reason why the methods used for stitching came to be, a lock stich is more than just the thread it is the combination of the leather and the thread and how they work together. There is also a reason why holes came to be, ease of sewing and or used for decorative stitching etc. I use both but depending on the job.

[toxo]

6 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

Your bag is beautiful stitching and all

Ha Ha! Chuck you should be a politician. As you can see the hole/thread/needle size can be improved on but it is all saddle stitched and it took forever. If I'd had to prick and awl I'd still be doing it now.