Sewing leather by hand?

Hi all,

I have a little leather wallet-on-a-string thingy that I really like.
I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, and carry it every day. Naturally, it's
starting to get old and ratty, and I've started looking for
replacements - and I can't find any. It's amazing, but no one seems
to be making the things anymore. So I decided to try to make one
myself - but I do not have a sewing machine. Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are there
any books that you can recommend on how to make purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

You'll need an awl to punch the stitching holes, a good stout needle and
nylon thread. You'll also need beeswax to wax the thread. Be prepared
because it's time consuming but worth the effort. Forget those sewing awls
that have the spool and bobbin built in. They're only good for larger
projects.

--
it's easier to run away with your kilt up than with your pants down.
Mike in Wisconsin
"Larisa" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I have a little leather wallet-on-a-string thingy that I really like.
I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, and carry it every day. Naturally, it's
starting to get old and ratty, and I've started looking for
replacements - and I can't find any. It's amazing, but no one seems
to be making the things anymore. So I decided to try to make one
myself - but I do not have a sewing machine. Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are there
any books that you can recommend on how to make purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

I have seen the wallets on a string in the trendier stores in
the US, called wristlets. Don't forget glue is used too for hems and
such- the less holes in the leather the better. It's best to keep the
sewing to a minimum. Use a longstitch and heavy thread- upholstery weight,
buttonhole twist will do for lighter/softer leather.


Michelle
Italy

"Larisa" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I have a little leather wallet-on-a-string thingy that I really like.
I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, and carry it every day. Naturally, it's
starting to get old and ratty, and I've started looking for
replacements - and I can't find any. It's amazing, but no one seems
to be making the things anymore. So I decided to try to make one
myself - but I do not have a sewing machine. Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are there
any books that you can recommend on how to make purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

Atom1 wrote:

"Larisa" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I have a little leather wallet-on-a-string thingy that I really like.
I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, and carry it every day. Naturally, it's
starting to get old and ratty, and I've started looking for
replacements - and I can't find any. It's amazing, but no one seems
to be making the things anymore. So I decided to try to make one
myself - but I do not have a sewing machine. Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are there
any books that you can recommend on how to make purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

It's quite possible to sew leather by hand, but it's a bit of an art and you
need to have strong hands and exert a good, even tension on the thread. The best
thread to use is a strong, waxed cotton. (OR you could use one of the nylon ones
often used for canvas stitching? Penny?) You prepare your 'seam' by piercing
holes in the leather with an awl (pointy stiletto-like jobbie on a wooden
handle). At a pinch, you could use a leather sewing machine needle held with
pliers or perhaps tapped with a small mallet to give it that extra bit of push
required to do the piercing. That's the hardest part! You can get a
purpose-built lacing chisel from leathercraft shops, but that's probably
overkill! Just persevere!

Once you've pierced your holes, you cut a length of thread that's roughly double
the distance you want to sew plus about another third. You thread the length
through the first hole to the half-way mark and then thread a needle onto both
ends. You take a stitch into the first hole with one needle, then make a stitch
coming in from the opposite side *into the same hole* with the other needle. The
idea is that you stitch with *two* needles, crossing over each stitch in each
hole. (Does that make sense?) Repeat until the end. This is the saddler's stitch
and it's a very strong one. When you reach the end, you simply retrace your
stitching back a few holes and trim the ends flush with the surface. A dollop of
white PVA glue ought to be enough to secure the thread ends, but a good animal
glue (such as shoemakers use) is better...

Now that I think of it, why don't you assemble your pattern pieces and then whip
down to your local shoe repairman? He'll stitch it on his purpose-built machine
in a trice and may not even charge you if he's as nice as mine (shoe repairman,
that is!)

I have to add that if you're using greater than, say, 2mm calf or goat or
kangaroo (yeah, really!) leather, it's lots easier to 'stitch' items up with
thonging. That's a whole nother set of instructions, though! :-

HTH,
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

PS. Tandy leather has a wealth of books on the various techniques of working
with leather (Google them to find out). Try your local library first, though. Be
careful! Leathercraft is *so* much fun! You run the risk of getting hooked!

One thing to add to Trish's excellent advice is to use a glover's needle
(found in almost any sewing store) as they have the chisel point meant for
working leather. If your leather is soft enough and not too thick, you can
even sew it without pre-piercing if you use this needle. I haven't made any
purses, but find having a bit of leather, sheepskin, and doeskin handy to
have as part of my stash - pierced all around first doeskin makes excellent
bottoms for crocheted slippers!
Cynthia
"Trish Brown" wrote in message
...
Atom1 wrote:

"Larisa" wrote in message
om...
..... Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are
there
any books that you can recommend on how to make
purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

It's quite possible to sew leather by hand, but it's a bit of an art and
you
need to have strong hands and exert a good, even tension on the thread.
The best
thread to use is a strong, waxed cotton. (OR you could use one of the
nylon ones
often used for canvas stitching? Penny?) You prepare your 'seam' by
piercing
holes in the leather with an awl (pointy stiletto-like jobbie on a wooden
handle). At a pinch, you could use a leather sewing machine needle held
with
pliers or perhaps tapped with a small mallet to give it that extra bit of
push
required to do the piercing. That's the hardest part! You can get a
purpose-built lacing chisel from leathercraft shops, but that's probably
overkill! Just persevere!

Once you've pierced your holes, you cut a length of thread that's roughly
double
the distance you want to sew plus about another third. You thread the
length
through the first hole to the half-way mark and then thread a needle onto
both
ends. You take a stitch into the first hole with one needle, then make a
stitch
coming in from the opposite side *into the same hole* with the other
needle. The
idea is that you stitch with *two* needles, crossing over each stitch in
each
hole. (Does that make sense?) Repeat until the end. This is the saddler's
stitch
and it's a very strong one. When you reach the end, you simply retrace
your
stitching back a few holes and trim the ends flush with the surface. A
dollop of
white PVA glue ought to be enough to secure the thread ends, but a good
animal
glue (such as shoemakers use) is better...

Now that I think of it, why don't you assemble your pattern pieces and
then whip
down to your local shoe repairman? He'll stitch it on his purpose-built
machine
in a trice and may not even charge you if he's as nice as mine (shoe
repairman,
that is!)

I have to add that if you're using greater than, say, 2mm calf or goat or
kangaroo (yeah, really!) leather, it's lots easier to 'stitch' items up
with
thonging. That's a whole nother set of instructions, though! :-

HTH,
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

PS. Tandy leather has a wealth of books on the various techniques of
working
with leather (Google them to find out). Try your local library first,
though. Be
careful! Leathercraft is *so* much fun! You run the risk of getting
hooked!

Good directions below but the awl is outdated. I use a small drill bit in a
Dremel to drill the holes. Much easier and faster.

"Trish Brown" wrote in message
It's quite possible to sew leather by hand, but it's a bit of an art and
you
need to have strong hands and exert a good, even tension on the thread.
The best
thread to use is a strong, waxed cotton. (OR you could use one of the
nylon ones
often used for canvas stitching? Penny?) You prepare your 'seam' by
piercing
holes in the leather with an awl (pointy stiletto-like jobbie on a wooden
handle). At a pinch, you could use a leather sewing machine needle held
with
pliers or perhaps tapped with a small mallet to give it that extra bit of
push
required to do the piercing. That's the hardest part! You can get a
purpose-built lacing chisel from leathercraft shops, but that's probably
overkill! Just persevere!

Once you've pierced your holes, you cut a length of thread that's roughly
double
the distance you want to sew plus about another third. You thread the
length
through the first hole to the half-way mark and then thread a needle onto
both
ends. You take a stitch into the first hole with one needle, then make a
stitch
coming in from the opposite side *into the same hole* with the other
needle. The
idea is that you stitch with *two* needles, crossing over each stitch in
each
hole. (Does that make sense?) Repeat until the end. This is the saddler's
stitch
and it's a very strong one. When you reach the end, you simply retrace
your
stitching back a few holes and trim the ends flush with the surface. A
dollop of
white PVA glue ought to be enough to secure the thread ends, but a good
animal
glue (such as shoemakers use) is better...

Now that I think of it, why don't you assemble your pattern pieces and
then whip
down to your local shoe repairman? He'll stitch it on his purpose-built
machine
in a trice and may not even charge you if he's as nice as mine (shoe
repairman,
that is!)

I have to add that if you're using greater than, say, 2mm calf or goat or
kangaroo (yeah, really!) leather, it's lots easier to 'stitch' items up
with
thonging. That's a whole nother set of instructions, though! :-

HTH,
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

PS. Tandy leather has a wealth of books on the various techniques of
working
with leather (Google them to find out). Try your local library first,
though. Be
careful! Leathercraft is *so* much fun! You run the risk of getting
hooked!

"CW" no adddress@spam free.com wrote in message
news
Good directions below but the awl is outdated. I use a small drill bit
in a
Dremel to drill the holes. Much easier and faster.

Genius!


Michelle
Italy

Thanks so much! I might take the shoe-repairman route, though the
idea of sewing it myself does have its appeal. The leather on my
existing purse is very soft, and I'd like to use something similarly
soft - it's almost like glove leather. Does that mean that I won't
have to pre-punch the holes?

Also, some more stupid questions:

a) Where would I get the leather in the first place? I'm in the San
Francisco Bay Area; are there any local leather shops that will sell
me glove leather?

b) How does one deal with linings? Do you just sew it together with
the leather, or are there more complex things to do with it?

c) What should one do with the seams? The purse I've got has this
plasticky thing running throughout the length of the seam - is that
required? Or can I get away with just sewing the thing on the
opposite side and then turning it inside-out?

Thanks again for the advice!

Larisa

Trish Brown wrote in message ...
Atom1 wrote:

"Larisa" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I have a little leather wallet-on-a-string thingy that I really like.
I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, and carry it every day. Naturally, it's
starting to get old and ratty, and I've started looking for
replacements - and I can't find any. It's amazing, but no one seems
to be making the things anymore. So I decided to try to make one
myself - but I do not have a sewing machine. Is it possible to sew
leather by hand and end up with a halfway-decent result? Are there
any books that you can recommend on how to make purses/bags/whatever?

I'm grateful in advance for any advice.

LM

It's quite possible to sew leather by hand, but it's a bit of an art and you
need to have strong hands and exert a good, even tension on the thread. The best
thread to use is a strong, waxed cotton. (OR you could use one of the nylon ones
often used for canvas stitching? Penny?) You prepare your 'seam' by piercing
holes in the leather with an awl (pointy stiletto-like jobbie on a wooden
handle). At a pinch, you could use a leather sewing machine needle held with
pliers or perhaps tapped with a small mallet to give it that extra bit of push
required to do the piercing. That's the hardest part! You can get a
purpose-built lacing chisel from leathercraft shops, but that's probably
overkill! Just persevere!

Once you've pierced your holes, you cut a length of thread that's roughly double
the distance you want to sew plus about another third. You thread the length
through the first hole to the half-way mark and then thread a needle onto both
ends. You take a stitch into the first hole with one needle, then make a stitch
coming in from the opposite side *into the same hole* with the other needle. The
idea is that you stitch with *two* needles, crossing over each stitch in each
hole. (Does that make sense?) Repeat until the end. This is the saddler's stitch
and it's a very strong one. When you reach the end, you simply retrace your
stitching back a few holes and trim the ends flush with the surface. A dollop of
white PVA glue ought to be enough to secure the thread ends, but a good animal
glue (such as shoemakers use) is better...

Now that I think of it, why don't you assemble your pattern pieces and then whip
down to your local shoe repairman? He'll stitch it on his purpose-built machine
in a trice and may not even charge you if he's as nice as mine (shoe repairman,
that is!)

I have to add that if you're using greater than, say, 2mm calf or goat or
kangaroo (yeah, really!) leather, it's lots easier to 'stitch' items up with
thonging. That's a whole nother set of instructions, though! :-

HTH,

Larisa wrote:

Thanks so much! I might take the shoe-repairman route, though the
idea of sewing it myself does have its appeal. The leather on my
existing purse is very soft, and I'd like to use something similarly
soft - it's almost like glove leather. Does that mean that I won't
have to pre-punch the holes?

If the leather is thin and supple enough to run through your sewing machine,
then no, you won't have to pre-punch the holes. The reason for doing that is to
stop the leather from ripping as you sew it. The thicker the leather, the more
force you'll need to use to puncture it and the greater chance of ripping it.
It's best to punch a round hole with an awl or lacing chisel (as saddlers and
shoemakers do) so a long tear can be avoided. HOWEVER, if you use garment
leather (or the soft glove sort), you can use a triangular leather sewing needle
in your own SM!

Test a scrap of the leather you want to use in your SM and see what happens. If
it clags up (ie won't pierce a stitch and the motor won't turn over), then
you'll have to consider the saddlers' method or the shoe repairman.

Also, some more stupid questions:

No such thing! :-D

a) Where would I get the leather in the first place? I'm in the San
Francisco Bay Area; are there any local leather shops that will sell
me glove leather?

I dunno! I'm in Oz! Try garment wholesalers: ask for scraps. There might be a
leather merchant's business in your area (*surely* around SF Bay there'd be a
couple at least?) Give one a call and ask for chamois or goat or kangaroo or a
thing called 'skiver' (that's calf-skin that has been split into two or more
layers - it can be very supple and easy to work with, but it's porous and will
soak up moisture No End... You can 'fix' unsealed leather with special
substances, but I'd think that would cost more than you'd want to pay?)

b) How does one deal with linings? Do you just sew it together with
the leather, or are there more complex things to do with it?

Depends. If I were lining a purse or handbag, I might treat the leather and the
lining as one. Or, I might prefer to turn in the edges of the lining and 'catch'
them in the stitching. In the days of my youth when I made leather handbags for
sale, I just treated the linings the same as the outer leather and then sewed
the bags together with a chunky leather thonging stitch. But it was the 70s and
the handcrafted folksy look was in. Today, it mightn't be what you want? I'm not
100% clear on what the item is you want to make...

Lining-leather doesn't fray in the same way fabric does, so you don't *have* to
turn it under. You can use fixative liquid (getting into $$$$ here, though) to
seal the cut edges. Remember that lining leather will soak up moisture (eg.
perspiration, perfume, makeup, coffee, even rain!). If the leather hasn't been
sealed, *any* moisture will discolour it. Also, if the leather has been tanned
but not dyed (it'll be a very attractive 'flesh' colour), then you'll probably
want to dye it. More $$$$! (Most likely, though, you'll find a source of tanned,
dyed, 'fixed' goat or thin calf. I wouldn't consider using anything else unless
you wanted to devote yourself to the process and spend those $$$$ in
manufacturing...) Garment leather is the best option because it's ready to sew!

c) What should one do with the seams? The purse I've got has this
plasticky thing running throughout the length of the seam - is that
required? Or can I get away with just sewing the thing on the
opposite side and then turning it inside-out?

Sounds like some kind of piping. It's not necessary, but would have been used to
protect the seam edge from wearing and going fuzzy. I know how to insert leather
piping, but it's a fair *bugger* to do, especially if you're sewing by hand! Why
not make an executive decision to leave it out, eh? ;-

If you treat the leather as fabric (ie stitching with right sides facing and
then turning inside out), that should be fine! I *wish* I could get a look and
feel of what it is you're planning to make! I'm thinking it's a soft,
drawstring-type purse that could just as easily have been made from fabric? (I
have such a thing made from sealskin! Urgghhh!!! It was given me by my
globe-trotting cousin about forty years ago and is still as good as new! This is
why it's worth using leather!)

Thanks again for the advice!

Larisa

No probs! I only hope it's been helpful and not confusing! ;-D

--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Trish Brown wrote in message

If you treat the leather as fabric (ie stitching with right sides facing and
then turning inside out), that should be fine! I *wish* I could get a look and
feel of what it is you're planning to make! I'm thinking it's a soft,
drawstring-type purse that could just as easily have been made from fabric?

Hmm. No, not really; it's kind of a rectangular thing, with two
equal-size compartments with zippers on them, and a cellphone pocket
with elastic sides and a velcro fastener. It looks kinda like a
camera case, almost.

Thanks for the advice; I'll take a stab at making the thing, and see
what happens. I'll probably start out with denim or canvas, just to
see what it's like.

Gratefully,

LM