Many who are interested in sewing very often have to work with natural and artificial leather. Handmade bags, leather jewelry, various crafts and even leather paintings look very original and stylish. But most often, working with leather involves repairs. leather clothing, replacing zippers, restoring torn areas, etc.
There are many books on teaching sewing techniques. genuine leather manually or on sewing machine, which tell in detail about the purpose of certain tools for working with leather.
I offer only a few basic recommendations that will be useful to anyone who decides to repair a bag, jacket, etc.
In this video you will see how easy it is to sew leather on an industrial sewing machine (or Podolsk type) by installing a Teflon foot on it.
Working with leather has many “secrets” and little details that you need to know and take into account. For example, when cutting out paired parts, you need to remember that leather stretches more in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction, so paired parts need to be cut in any direction, but only in the same direction.
Do not chip the skin with pins. Punctures leave marks on the leather, and if you change the zipper on a leather jacket or bag or jacket, you can easily see this.
Soft leather can be sewn on a sewing machine using a regular #80 or #90 needle. But for sewing rough skin or thickened areas require a special needle to work with the skin. Even for hand sewing leather, the leather needle looks special, instead of a point it has a triangular tip.
When sewing leather, the stitch length of a sewing machine should not be too small, since frequent punctures will cause the leather to tear at the joints.
You need to cut the leather with a special shoe knife on a plastic board or plexiglass. You can also use a wooden surface, but then the tip of the knife will cut into the wood.
A shoe knife, rubber glue, adhesive seam enhancers, a thimble, strong synthetic threads and a small hammer with an awl - this is a mandatory kit for any home “furrier” who decides to replace a zipper in a bag or repair a torn section of a leather jacket.
What kind of sewing machine can you use to sew leather?
Not every sewing machine can sew leather, treat your sewing machine with care and do not try to sew thick and rough fabrics, leather products, especially bags. As a last resort, you can use a Podolsk or Singer manual sewing machine, but not modern “seamstresses”, which cost 5 thousand rubles.
To work with leather, special industrial sewing machines are provided or, as a last resort, the instructions should indicate that this machine can be used to sew leather clothes.
If you sew leather on a household sewing machine, be sure to buy special needles and a foot, with a wheel (as in the photo) or a roller. Then the skin under the foot will not “slip” and the machine will easily advance the product without forming a seat on the top layer of leather.
If you don’t have a foot or it doesn’t fit (Podolsk sewing machine), then in order to make the leather move easier under the foot, you can sew it through thin paper, which can then be easily removed.
Sewing machine threads need to be strong and elastic. But only nylon threads (as in this photo) are not intended for machine sewing. They are only used for manual leather work or industrial sewing machines.
How to sew women's bag made of genuine leather. Bag with lining and zip fastening. You will learn a lot useful tips how to work with genuine leather.
Technology of sewing genuine leather and suede
When sewing suede products, you need to take into account the direction of the pile, otherwise the parts will have a different shade.
The leather is ironed from the wrong side with a low-heat iron without steam through a dry cloth.
To prevent the top part from stretching relative to the other, purchase a special foot with a Teflon-coated sole, as in this photo. Teflon feet cost much less than special leather feet.
The ends of the seam threads must be securely fixed with several knots, since machine stitches on leather products do not secure them and therefore they tend to unravel easily.
Working with leather is impossible without glue. The glue is applied with a brush onto a cleaned and degreased surface. Universal adhesives such as PVA and Moment, as well as rubber glue, are very effective.
Repeat the procedure of applying glue several times to thoroughly saturate the skin. At the same time, make sure in advance that the glue is not too liquid, otherwise the skin will get wet.
Set the parts treated with glue aside until the adhesive has dried “to the point of casting”.
After some time, connect the parts together. Place the glued parts under the press. You can even lightly tap these areas with a hammer.
Using a cotton swab or rag, immediately remove excess adhesive solution so that it does not damage the front surface of the leather.
In this video you will see the technology of sewing a zipper into leather clothing. If you are interested in sewing leather goods, subscribe to our channel and you will learn a lot of useful tips.
How to install fittings on leather products
Any handmade made of leather should be decorated with fittings. Large metal rivets and buttons, buttons, blocks, locks greatly decorate leather goods.
Buttons are sewn to the skin only if there are buttons on the wrong side.
Before punching holes for the buttons, they are strengthened either with pieces of leather or thick adhesive fabric.
Installing buttons requires a special tool. You can get by with homemade devices, but this installation method produces a lot of waste, then purchase more buttons than required.
Before installing a zipper into a leather product, you should secure it. Instead of basting with thread, adhesive tapes or glue are used. Sometimes even ordinary paper clips can “help”.
The edges of the cut skin areas are glued with special skin enhancers (tapes). On one side, a weak adhesive is applied to such a tape.
The puncture with a needle leaves holes, so the seam is done only once. As a last resort, a seam is laid along the old holes.
In this video you will see how to install a denim metal button on leather items.
After finishing working with leather, appearance products can be refreshed.
You can remove marking lines with soap and water and ammonia, then wipe with a cloth moistened with petroleum jelly or glycerin.
Heavily contaminated areas on the skin can be washed with warm, unboiled milk, rubbed with whipped egg white or half an onion.
White skin is cleaned with a mixture of milk and beaten egg white.
Patent leather should be wiped with a cloth soaked in glycerin or cleaned with a swab dipped in milk.
Suede can be cleaned with sawdust soaked in gasoline (the remaining sawdust is cleaned off with a brush), or an ink eraser, as well as fine-grained abrasive paper.
Stains from household grease are removed with gasoline or talc and a solution of oxalic acid. But be careful, you can remove the paint along with the stain.
Leather paint in aerosol packaging is very easy to use: it is sprayed by holding the can at a distance of about 20 cm from the skin and quickly moving it along the surface to be painted. After a ten-minute break, the next layer of paint is applied. This operation continues until the surface of the skin acquires an even and durable color.
How to join layers of leather using a zig-zag stitch.
Some tips on how to sew and cut clothing items made of leather or suede.
1. Select patterns that do not require planting. Complex shapes in this case are easier to create using construction seams than using darts. In the past, tailors tried to use as few stitch lines as possible on leather goods. Nowadays, leather production has become thinner and softer and leather products have more seams; often even leather clothing or accessories are sewn from small scraps of leather.
2. Kimono and raglan sleeves are easier to make when sewing leather clothes than set-in sleeves. If you are making a set-in sleeve, measure the increase in fit. It should be no more than 1.5 cm. It is better to make a shirt-cut sleeve, as it has a looser armhole.
3. You must be sure that your patterns are correct. Therefore, it is good to use the pattern that you have already worked with. Or the prepared pattern should be checked on a mock-up made of non-woven material (non-woven fabric without glue) or inexpensive fabric, and only after that it should be marked on the skin and cut.
4. Before cutting the leather, mark holes and thin places on the wrong side of the leather so that you can avoid them when cutting. Carefully lay out the patterns, make sure that the paired parts (right and left shelves, right and left sleeves, etc.) are cut out in a mirror image. Mark contours, lines and marks on the wrong side of the skin ballpoint pen or a soft pencil, or a special pen for marking. Mark seam and hem allowances. Some marks can be made using notches or adhesive tape. The seam allowances should be the same width, which makes it easier to sew together the cut pieces.
5. Leather stretches in different directions in different ways, so when cutting it is necessary to maintain the same direction of paired and mating parts. When cutting suede, you must follow the direction of the pile. The pile should be directed from top to bottom.
6. The needle leaves puncture marks on the leather, so leather parts are not swept away and stitching seams are not ripped out. To pre-connect the parts, use adhesive tape or paper clips. There is also a special pencil for fixing seams from Guetermann. The pencil does not leave a mark on the sewing machine needle. By the way, glue is a certain problem when sewing. It clogs the eye of the needle, causing gaps in stitches and even thread breaks.
7. Use overstitched, overstitched or covered stitches. You cannot press or press seam allowances like you would on fabric. Instead, they can be glued with rubber glue or another, which remains elastic even after polymerization (drying). There are special adhesives from Rudolfix, as well as NT 2 glue from Gütermann. If you don't have glue, machine stitch the seam allowances in position.
8. It is recommended to use a special interlining for leather LE 420 as a gasket, which is glued with an iron.
9. The fastener is made with a zipper, loops (stitched, overcast and hinged) and buttons. The buttons must be riveted. They are installed in hardware installation workshops.
10. If you do not have such a convenient tool as in this photo, then smooth the seams with the handles of scissors.
First, place the seam allowances from the inside out using short taps and smooth them out. Then do the same on the front side with the seam groove.
11. Working with leather involves ironing the leather with a non-hot iron without steam through a dry cloth from the inside of the product. Before ironing the item, try it on a small piece of leather.
Ironing leather is not recommended because the hot sole of the iron can cause the leather to change its properties, become stiff and shrink in size. But sometimes when working with leather it is necessary to put an adhesive pad. Then you need to iron very carefully and always only on the wrong side, placing an iron pad under the sole of the iron.
Sometimes genuine leather needs to be stitched using a furrier's machine. In this video you will see how the 10B furrier machine works.
Before sewing leather, read our tips. They will help you avoid many mistakes and save time. Indeed, contrary to numerous statements, working with leather, especially natural leather, is quite simple. Leather is very noble natural material, which has a very complex character and at the same time is beautifully cut, looks chic in the products and, most importantly, is worn for a long time without losing its appearance.
Secrets of sewing leather goods
1. Genuine leather is sold in pieces, which, due to the natural origin of the material, may have various color defects, holes and unevenness.
Therefore, when going to the store for leather, take the entire set of patterns with you. This way you can buy exactly the number of pieces you need.
2. Details of the product cannot be basted using a needle and thread, as traces of perforation remain on the skin.
Therefore, before machine stitching, fasten the parts together with the same pins that you use to pin patterns to the fabric, but they must be pinned perpendicular to the seam, along the seam allowance, in no case going beyond the seam line. Sew directly over the pins, removing the pins when the stitch is complete.
Rice. 1. Sewing leather parts
3. The sewn parts of the product cannot be ripped out at the seams for the same reason - needle marks remain.
Therefore, advice: sew leather products only according to proven patterns that you have already sewed with before and which will not require you to make any changes.
Advice: sew the product you planned to make from leather from mock-up fabric. This way you can make all the necessary changes to the pattern and feel free to cut the leather according to the proven pattern.
Rice. 2. Glue, hammer and leather foot
4. After completing the stitching, the seam allowances must be laid out in different directions, tapped with a hammer (you can buy it at a hardware store, in extreme cases, you can use an ordinary iron hammer) so that they are “smoothed out”, the seam allowances are glued to the product using special glue for skin.
If the leather is thin and soft, the allowances can be smoothed using a slightly heated iron through a slightly damp cloth.
Attention! Before ironing the leather, be sure to try it on an unnecessary piece.
5. If the model requires stitching along the seams, do them without any basting with threads, and so that the stitch lies parallel to the seam, guide it, guided by the foot of the sewing machine (it should go along the edge of the seam).
Extra tip: so that the foot moves the skin well and does not stretch it, as you move, lubricate the skin in front of the foot vegetable oil. This will ensure that the skin moves smoothly under the foot, and excess oil remaining on the skin can be easily removed soft cloth. Use a special leather needle.
Skin needle
6. The lining is sewn to leather products in the same way as to products made from ordinary fabric.
7. Leather products are not washed, but sent to dry cleaning.
If the skin becomes rough or loses its original appearance, you can lubricate it with regular glycerin using a sponge and leave it for a day - it will become soft again and acquire its original color.
All tips related to genuine leather apply equally to products made from artificial leather, with the only difference that you can accurately calculate required amount fabrics for the product.
Artificial leather is made on both fabric and knitted bases. If you use knitted leather to sew your products, remember that it can stretch both longitudinally and transversely. When stitching parts under the foot, tension may occur on the upper part, which can lead to its elongation and deformation. To prevent this from happening, the parts are duplicated with a special low-temperature cushioning fabric, which is glued to the parts using an iron at minimum temperatures, without damaging the skin itself.
To prevent the leather from stretching under the foot when making finishing seams, place a strip of tracing paper under the foot. The paper can be easily removed after stitching.
Now you know how to sew leather! Subscribe to free lessons Sewing schools of Anastasia Korfiati!
HOW TO SEW LEATHER BY HAND USING TOOLS AND ON A SEWING MACHINE?Products made from genuine leather have always been highly valued, since their service life is practically unlimited. But not every material can be sewn on a machine, and it is not always convenient to use it. Therefore, many craftsmen sew only by hand and the quality of their work remains high, and the price significantly exceeds the cost of products made by machine.
WE SEW FROM GENUINE LEATHER WITH YOUR OWN HANDS
You will need special tools - an awl, a punch and a hammer.
There is also a special tool for piercing, or as it is also called a “fork”:
- 1.you need to extrude a line on the material being processed, which will act as a guide when making holes. It can also be applied with a compass;
- 2.now, using a punch and a hammer, make holes in the workpiece;
- 3. First place a piece of thick rubber under it;
- 4. if you worked using a piercing fork, you will have to additionally open the holes with an awl for stitching;
- 5. Having placed the material in the clamp, you can begin stitching
What thread should I use to sew leather? When making a saddle stitch, arm yourself with linen threads. Before use, it is recommended to treat them with wax so that they repel dirt and easily pass through holes in the material.
What needle should I use to sew leather? You will need a strong, blunt saddlery needle. The size of the ear also matters. For example, for making shoes, a needle with a fourth eye size is suitable. Pulling the short end of the thread, twist it into a loop. This is necessary so that the thread does not jump off the needle. Now get to work by selecting the seam "forward needle".
You can sew two parts with two needles at the same time. In this case, one of the needles must be inserted into the outer hole and pulled through. Pass the second one through the second hole and pull it down. Now you need to insert it into the hole on the other side a little higher than the first and pull it through, pointing the pointed tip upward.
Both needles are then inserted into the next hole and pulled through.
How to hand sew leather? You can connect the parts with a seam over the edge. With this method, it can be quite difficult to secure them in the clamp, so experienced workers advise gluing the parts together with PVA glue. If, when you reach the end, you make two or three stitches with a needle, moving backwards, you will not have to make knots. It is enough to cut the thread at the very surface.
When working with nylon threads, the tails can be melted and then they will definitely not unravel. We sew a bag from genuine leather: using this method you can sew not only shoes, but also a bag that will serve you for many years.
HOW TO CROCHET LEATHER
If you don't have a needle handy, you can learn to sew with an awl. That is, use it not only to make holes in the material, but also to push the thread. Although this is not the best solution, since the thread is easily damaged.
Therefore, the best alternative to a needle is a crochet hook:
- 1.hold the prepared overstitch in one hand and an awl in the other;
- 2.make a hole on the outside of the workpiece and insert a hook into it: hook the loop of the thread folded in half and pull it to the outside of the product;
- 3. Having disconnected the hook, carefully pull one end of the thread so that one part of it ends up on the outer edge of the sole, and the other on the inner edge;
- 4.Make another puncture with a metal tool at the distance you need;
- 5.Insert the hook into the resulting hole again and hook the thread loop from the inside;
- 6.pull it so that the tip of this loop rises 10 mm above the outside of the product;
- 7.release the hook, and pull the tip of the fiber you obtained earlier into the resulting loop;
- 8. It remains to tighten the stitch by pulling the thread from the inside;
- 9.at the end of the work, as soon as the first stitch you made touches the last one, take 3-4 steps in the opposite direction, and insert the thread not into new holes, but into those that you already have.
OPERATING THE MACHINE
How to sew genuine leather on a machine? It is quite possible to sew such material on ordinary household sewing equipment, but not too thick. She, of course, will not be able to process a belt, but she will be able to take leather with a thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm. But for this she needs to create certain conditions.
What is needed in this case:
- 1. a special needle for skin, the tip of which does not have a round cross-section. The end of such a needle has sharp edges that do not push the fibers of the material apart, but cut through them;
- 2.if stitch formation does not occur, you can install the needle thicker and not all the way. But these measures may not be enough, and if we sew a skirt from genuine leather, then most likely we will have to look for a thinner material;
- 3.if the top thread does not tighten, you can try changing the threads and taking nylon instead of flax;
- 4. if the conveyor does not cope well with moving the material, you need to purchase a special Teflon, roller or fluoroplastic foot. Some try to get out of the situation and sprinkle the pattern with talcum powder, lubricate it with oil, or simply help its advancement with their hands. You can try all these methods, and as an option, it is recommended to sew on top of tracing paper, but this is not very convenient.
RULES FOR SEWING PRODUCTS MADE FROM GENUINE LEATHER
It is very important to sew leather, especially suede, correctly. If you do not take into account the direction of the pile, the cut parts will vary in color. You only need to iron the surface from the wrong side, and the iron should not be very hot and emit steam. Don't forget to put regular cotton fabric. Remember that when working on a machine, the seam is not secured in reverse, which means you will have to secure the ends of the threads with several knots.
Working with leather almost always involves processing with glue. Glue can be applied with a brush only to a cleaned surface that is previously free of grease. The most commonly used glue is "Moment", rubber compound or PVA. The parts treated with glue must be given time to dry, and then connected and be sure to be placed under a press. Remove excess adhesive solution with a cotton swab or rag.
Knowing these rules for working with leather, you will not spoil the material, but only improve its properties and qualities. Good luck!
A short video about creating a new brand leather goods
Hello, dear readers of the cutting and sewing website. The sewing circle continues its work. Today we will talk about skin. Or rather her sewing. We will not consider how to sew leather on a simple machine, at least for now. Usually the phrase “my machine doesn’t take skin” is not true. How to sew leather on a machine is not the topic of today’s material. But first a warning. The hand tools used must be sharp. Oddly enough, the duller the leather awl is, the higher the likelihood of being injured by it. This, in principle, applies to any tool that has a cutting edge. Including ordinary kitchen knives...
Preparation
The line along which the stitching will run is marked. Marked by simple pressing. If you have a special stitch marking tool, you can use it to give your stitches a neat, professional look. For certain skills this tool is not needed. Enough sewing. The thread is taken four times the length of the intended connection. Both ends of the thread are threaded into the needles. The parts to be connected are placed in the clamp. Important note. Hands need to be washed thoroughly. Very easy on the skin leave stains, which are difficult to derive.
What threads to sew leather with
The type of seam discussed in this material is the simplest. It is called saddle. The classic thread for making this type of seam is a thread made from flax. Linen is a durable material, but nevertheless needs additional protection. Wax acts as protection against moisture. If you have noticed, the seams on expensive leather bags are slippery to the touch. This is because the thread used in them is impregnated with wax. You can buy ready-made threads in China. Natural materials Wise Chinese do not cut corners when producing such products.
Begin
First, let's examine the awl. It is better if its working tip has the shape of a blade. In this case, the stitches will fit into the grooves left by the side edges of the awl tip. A leather awl is characterized by precisely this shape of the tip. Round awls also quite suitable for work. And to get grooves, you can swing the awl a little after piercing the parts being fastened. The main thing is not to overdo it. When threading the needle for the first time, the awl itself can be conveniently grabbed with your right hand.
We thread the thread completely and align it along the length. Now you need to learn how to operate three tools (two needles and one awl). And there are two hands! The photograph provides an explanation. Needles are easy to grip when not in use inside index and middle fingers. Resistance to the pressing force during piercing is carried out by the index finger and thumb of the left hand. Just not very close to the piercing site. During this operation, a dull instrument can play a cruel joke. It will just slide off. And his sharpness is quite enough to pierce the skin of his hand.
Needles
After the hole is formed, the awl is grabbed in the right hand with the little finger. The right needle lies between the middle and index fingers. The left needle, from the wrong side, is threaded through the hole that has just appeared with the left hand.
The right needle is held with the thumb and index finger and placed behind the left needle, forming a cross.
The left needle is now pulled completely out of the hole. The thumb and index finger hold the needle. The ring finger, in the area of the eye of the needle, holds the thread, preventing it from falling out. Index and thumb with the left hand they straighten the thread, preventing it from getting tangled as it passes through the hole. When the thread is pulled through, the right needle is threaded through the same hole. The right needle thread lies behind the left needle thread.
The thread threaded with the left needle is slightly stretched as the right needle passes through.
Tightening
After both threads have been threaded, the stitch must be tightened. The hole made by the awl should have a diameter that allows the threads to be held tightly. They should not move freely in the hole, while at the same time being threaded through it with some, not very great, effort. The seam is pulled tight. Be careful not to hurt your fingers with the thread. Of course, the setting is set. In the form in which we are accustomed to it. Only in the case of sewing leather by hand, a couple of reverse stitches are enough. Both threads are brought out inside out. They are cut without tying. This may spoil the appearance of the product.
Using a bone trowel, the seam is rubbed into the product. This operation is carried out on the front side of the product. This will make it look better, giving it a more finished look. And it will last longer, because when the seam is pressed into the material, it wears out less.
This is how they sew leather with their own hands...
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Before the advent of machines, everything that needed to be sewn was sewn by hand. And even now there are still masters who work in this way. In most cases, hand sewing on leather is used in cases where higher quality leather products are required. In English, the name of this seam sounds like “Saddle stitch” and is translated as “Saddle stitch”. Originally used in the manufacture of saddles.
Differences between hand and machine stitching.
Difference between hand stitch and a seam made on a sewing machine, clearly visible in Figure A.
Figure A
If the thread breaks on a machine seam, the few stitches closest to the break will unravel. And gradually it will begin to bloom further. If the thread breaks at the saddle seam, the second thread will remain intact and the seam will not begin to diverge further
How to hold needles and awls.
- Take the needles and hold them as shown in Figure 1. Let the entire length of thread on each side go down.
Picture 1 - Now take the awl in your right hand (Figure 2). Hold with your thumb. Place your little finger on the handle of the awl. Hold the needle between your fingers. While sewing, do not lower the needles or the awl! It will be uncomfortable at first; actions will seem clumsy. It will be tempting to put the awl down after the hole is pierced. Hold it in your hand! Follow the instructions and after a while you will sew by hand correctly, easily and comfortably.
Figure 2 Let's start sewing.
- Hold the needles between your fingers. Turn your hand and use the awl to pierce the second hole as shown in Figure 3. Make sure the hole is pierced at the correct angle with the correct awl blade. Help with your left hand. Don't put down the needles!
Figure 3 - After you have pierced the second hole, take the needle ( left hand) with your thumb and forefinger as shown in Figure 4. Hold the needle (right hand) with your thumb and forefinger as shown. Keep the awl in your hand, don't put it down! Each hand must operate the needle and/or awl without the assistance of the other hand.
Figure 4 - Pass needle "A" through the second hole with rear sides (Figure 5). Always thread the back needle through the hole first.
Figure 5 - Place needle "B" - in your right hand - under needle "A", as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 - Raise your right hand to grasp needle “A” with your fingers (Figure 7). Needle "B" should still remain under needle "A".
Figure 7 - Now move your right hand to the side, holding both needles, until needle “A” passes through the hole. Pull a few inches of thread through the hole (Figure 8).
Figure 8 - Turn your right hand around and insert needle “B” into the hole, next to needle “A”...which is already inserted. With your left hand, grasp the back of the needle (Figure 9). Always pass the right needle through the hole with the same sides of the thread.
Figure 9 - Passing needle “B” through the hole, pull the thread with your left hand (Figure 10). This way, the tip of the needle will not penetrate the thread strands. The needle must be removed if it passes through strands of thread, otherwise the stitch will be uneven.
Figure 10 - When your right hand has almost pushed the needle through, release the thread with your left hand and pick up needle “B” as shown in Figure 11. Needle “A” still remains in your right hand.
Figure 11 - Now continue to pull needle “B” and pull a few inches of thread out of the hole (Figure 12).
Figure 12 - Grab the needle again with your fingers. Use your ring and little fingers to press the thread (Figure 13), pull and loosen the thread. Simultaneously with the previous step, take the right needle again with your fingers. Press the thread with your little finger and pull lightly.
Figure 13 - Now extend your arms to their full length to stretch the loose thread. Spread your hands as shown in Figure 14. This method makes sewing easier, and the thread pulled through the holes wears out and rubs less.
Figure 14 - After tightening the threads, return your hands to the product again. Let the threads fall under your little fingers. Intercept the threads closer to the skin (Figure 15). Take the threads that you pulled before.
Figure 15 - Pull the threads while at the same time turning your hands away from the skin. Extend your little fingers so that the thread passes before them. Threads (under thumbs) should pass over the tips of the index and middle fingers. Figure 16.
Figure 16 - Place your little fingers over the thread as shown in Figure 17. Press firmly. This action will secure the threads between your fingers. This way, the force of pulling the thread will be on the bottom of the little fingers, and not on the eyes of the needle.
Figure 17 - Pull to pull through the remaining loose threads (Figure 18). If your outstretched arms will not allow you to pull through the loose threads, loosen the threads again and repeat steps 15-16-17. Hold the needles between your fingers, the awl remains in your right hand.
Figure 18 - When tightening the threads, apply equal force with both hands. To tighten the stitch, grasp the threads firmly and pull until they fall into the cut groove (Figure 19). You have completed the first stitch! Lower the threads, return the awl to the position in your right hand as indicated in step 2. Punch the 3rd hole. For proper placement of hands and needles, see Figure 3. Continue sewing according to instructions, steps 3 - 19.
Figure 19 - Always thread the needle through the hole from the back first. Always try to pierce the holes at the correct angle so that the pierce comes out in the recess on the back side (Figure 20).
Figure 20 - Special note. When threading needle “B” through the hole, always hold it on the same side as the thread of needle “A”. This way the stitches will appear the same. Always thread the needle through the hole from the back first. Figure 21.
Figure 21 - Continue sewing, following the instructions in steps 3 - 19.
- When you reach the opposite side of the sewing vice (saddler), move the product (Figure 22). Clamp again so that the stitches pass over the vise. Thanks to this support, it is more convenient to pierce holes. Do not use the top of the saddler as a “guide” for punching holes. Pierce one hole at a time. Place the vise as shown - next to the cut recess.
Figure 22 - Continue sewing until the corner. Turn the piece to sew the edge. If the length of the work does not allow it to fit in the vise, turn the work at an angle as shown in Figure 23 and clamp the vise next to the cut recess. You may need to re-clamp the piece a few times to ensure the vise is positioned close to the indentation as you stitch around the edge.
Figure 23 - Continue sewing the entire length of the product in a circle. Until there is one stitch left to the hole where you started. Clamp the product in the vice again so that the seam is located above the vice (Figure 24).
Figure 24 - Carefully insert the awl into the first hole so as not to cut the thread. With practice, you will learn to “feel” the awl and not cut the thread. Figure 25.
Figure 25 - Thread the needles as shown in Figure 26 and pull the stitch tight.
Figure 26 - To complete the stitching, make two double stitches (small arrows). Use an awl to widen the double stitch holes and thread the needles through. Pull the threads of each stitch tightly. Figure 27.
Figure 27 - Remove the product from the vice. Cut the threads on both sides in the seam groove. Use only sharp knife(Figure 28). Sewing is complete.
Figure 28 - Place the product on a flat, hard surface and “tap” the seam with a smooth hammer. Figure 29.
Figure 29 - Go over the entire surface of the seam with a stitch marker. This adds a final touch of professionalism - it really helps improve the appearance of any slightly uneven stitches. Figure 30.
Figure 30