Seam on Will James too high?

[OldRedMule]

Hi, I looked and couldn't find and if this is redundant I am sorry. A link would be fine or anyone wanting to offer help that would be great. I am working on a Will James, my second saddle, and cutting the side seam. I am trying to keep the top point slightly below the top crest of the swell. But there is so much poking up I am afraid it will not be able to get it to lay nice if I leave too much leather up there. Is there a trick? Cut wider at the top? Give up and go higher? Help please? Thanks in advance. 

Ollie

[Rahere]

6 hours ago, OldRedMule said:

Hi, I looked and couldn't find and if this is redundant I am sorry. A link would be fine or anyone wanting to offer help that would be great. I am working on a Will James, my second saddle, and cutting the side seam. I am trying to keep the top point slightly below the top crest of the swell. But there is so much poking up I am afraid it will not be able to get it to lay nice if I leave too much leather up there. Is there a trick? Cut wider at the top? Give up and go higher? Help please? Thanks in advance. 

Ollie

Thin it and notch it to within about 2mm of the stitching.

[OldRedMule]

Thank you, I am not sure what you mean by notching it? Can you elaborate just a little? Still have it wet on the stand, working on it now.....

[Rahere]

Many hidden seams are turned work, sewn back to front, which creates a problem with seam allowances going from the outside of the curve to the inside. The answer's to reduce the volume, both  along the seam by notching, and perpendicularly, by thinning it. Imagine you've a sewn curve with a 5cm radius and a 1cm seam allowance. That 6cm line sewn flat has to become 4cm when inverted/reversed. That means it'll either crumple or have to be notched. The strain's transverse to the line of stitching, so if you reduce that waste material to a row of tabs, no mechanical harm's done.

 

[OldRedMule]

Ok, I understand now. Notches, removing material in the form of a notch. Probably a V shape. Got it. Makes sense too! Plus thinner too to reduce the bulk. I can do that! I do that when I sew fabric, why didn’t I know that would work? And leather does not unravel….

Thanks.

[Rahere]

Yup. What you'r doing is reducing it to tabs, but if the material's good to hold at 1-1.5mm intervals alomg the stitching line, it's good to hold to within that transversally, too.