Many people who are fond of tailoring 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 is associated with repairing leather clothing, replacing a zipper, restoring torn areas, etc.
There are many books on teaching the technique of sewing genuine leather by hand or on a sewing machine, which describe in detail the purpose of certain tools for working with leather.
I offer just a few basic guidelines that will come in handy for 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 of its own "secrets" and little things, which must be known and taken into account. For example, when cutting out paired parts, you need to remember that the skin stretches more in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction, so paired parts need to be cut in any, but only in the same direction.
Do not split the skin with pins. Punctures leave marks on the skin, and if you change the zipper in a leather jacket or bag or jacket, you can easily make sure of this.
Soft leather can be sewn on a sewing machine with a regular # 80 or # 90 needle. But for sewing rough leather or thickened areas, you need a special needle for working with leather. Even for manual sewing of leather, a leather needle looks special, instead of a point it has a triangular tip.
The stitch length of the sewing machine when sewing leather should not be too small, since with frequent punctures the leather will break at the joints.
You need to cut the skin with a special boot knife on a plastic board or plexiglass. You can also use a wooden surface, but then the edge of the knife will cut into the wood.
A boot knife, rubber glue, glue reinforcements for seams, a thimble, strong synthetic threads and a small hammer with an awl are a must-have for any home "furrier" who decides to replace the zipper in a bag or repair a torn section of a leather jacket.
What sewing machine can sew leather
Not every sewing machine can sew leather, take care of your sewing machine and do not try to sew thick and rough fabrics, leather products, especially bags on it. In extreme cases, you can use a manual sewing machine Podolsk or Singer, but not modern "seamstresses" at the price of 5 thousand rubles.
For working with leather, special sewing machines of an industrial design are provided or, in extreme cases, the instructions should indicate that this machine can be used to sew leather clothing.
If you are going to 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 leather under the foot will not "slip" and the machine will easily advance the product without forming a landing of the upper layer of the leather.
If you do not have a foot or it does not fit (Podolsk sewing machine), then in order to make the skin easier to advance under the foot, you can sew it through thin paper, which can then be easily removed.
The threads for the sewing machine must be strong and elastic. But only nylon threads (as in this photo) are not intended for sewing on a typewriter. They are only used for handicraft leather or industrial sewing machines.
How to sew a handbag made of genuine leather. Bag with lining and zip closure. You will learn many useful tips on how to work with natural leather.
Sewing technology of genuine leather and suede
When sewing suede products, you need to take into account the direction of the pile, otherwise the details will have a different shade.
The leather is ironed from the seamy side with a non-hot iron without steam through a dry cloth.
To prevent the upper part from stretching relative to the other, purchase a special foot with a Teflon-coated sole as in this photo. Teflon feet cost a lot less than custom leather feet.
The ends of the threads of the seams must be securely fixed with several knots, since machine stitches on leather products do not bartack and therefore they tend to unravel easily.
Working with leather is impossible without glue. The glue is applied with a brush to a cleaned and degreased surface. Universal adhesives such as PVA and Moment, as well as rubber glue, are very effective.
Repeat the procedure with the application of glue several times in order to thoroughly impregnate the leather. At the same time, take care in advance that the glue is not too liquid, otherwise the skin will get wet.
Set the glue-treated parts aside until the glue dries "to the touch."
After some time, connect the parts together. Place the glued parts under the press. You can even tap these areas lightly with a hammer.
Use a cotton swab or rag to immediately remove excess adhesive to prevent ruining the front of your skin.
In this video, you will see the technology of sewing zippers into leather clothing. If you are fond of sewing leather goods, subscribe to our channel and you will find out a lot of useful tips.
How to install fittings on leather goods
Any handicraft made of leather should be decorated with fittings. Large metal rivets and buttons, buttons, locks, locks are very decorating leather products.
Buttons are sewn to the skin only if there are buttons on the seamy side.
Before punching the holes for the buttons, they are strengthened, either with pieces of leather or with a dense adhesive cloth.
Installing buttons requires a special tool. You can get by with home-made devices, but this installation method gives a lot of scrap, then get more buttons than required.
Fasten the zipper before attaching it to the leather product. Instead of threading, glue tapes or glue are used. Sometimes ordinary paper clips can even "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.
From a puncture with a needle, holes remain, so the seam is made once. As a last resort, a seam is laid over the old holes.
In this video, you will see how to install a denim metal button on leather goods.
After finishing working with leather, the appearance of the product can be freshened up.
You can remove the marking lines with soap and water and ammonia, then wipe with a cloth moistened with petroleum jelly or glycerin.
Heavily soiled 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 moistened with glycerin, or cleaned with a swab dipped in milk.
Suede can be cleaned with sawdust soaked in gasoline (the remaining sawdust is brushed off), or an ink eraser, as well as a fine-grained abrasive cloth.
Household grease stains are removed with gasoline or talc and oxalic acid solution. But be careful, paint can be removed along with the stain.
Very easy to use paint for leather in aerosol packaging: it is sprayed, holding the can at a distance of about 20 cm from the skin and quickly moving it along the painted surface. After a ten minute break, the next coat of paint is applied. This operation continues until the surface of the skin acquires an even and lasting color.
How to join layers of leather with a zig-zag stitch.
A few tips on how to sew and cut leather or suede garments.
1. Pick up patterns that do not require planting. In this case, complex shapes are easier to accomplish with structural seams than with darts. In the past, tailors tried to use as few seam lines as possible on leather products. Currently, leather dressing has become thinner and softer and leather products have more seams, often even leather clothing or accessories are sewn from small pieces of leather.
2. Kimono and raglan sleeves are easier to make when sewing leather clothing than set-in sleeves. If you are making a set-in sleeve, measure its 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 confident in the correctness of your sewing patterns. Therefore, it is good to use the pattern with which you have already worked. Or, the prepared pattern should be checked on a mock-up made of non-woven material (non-woven without glue) or inexpensive fabric, and only then mark it on the skin and cut it.
4. Before cutting the leather, mark holes and fine spots on the seamy side of the hide to work around them. 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. Contours, lines and marks are marked on the seamy side of the skin with a ballpoint pen or soft pencil, or a special marking pen. Mark the seam and hem allowances. Some marks can be made with notches or duct tape. The seam allowances should be the same width, which makes it easier to grind the cut.
5. Leather stretches in different directions in different ways, therefore, when cutting, it is necessary to observe the same direction of paired and mating parts. When cutting suede, the direction of the pile must be observed. The pile should be directed from top to bottom.
6. The needle leaves puncture marks on the skin, so leather parts are not swept away, and the seams are not ripped apart. Use duct tape or paper clips to pre-join parts. There is also a special pencil for fixing seams from the firm "Guterman". The pencil does not leave marks on the sewing machine needle. By the way, glue is a certain problem when sewing. It clogs the eye of the needle, causing skipped stitches and even thread breakage.
7. Use a stitching, topstitching or seam stitching. The seam allowances cannot be ironed or ironed out as on fabric. Instead, they can be glued with a rubber glue or other adhesive that remains elastic after polymerization (drying). There are special adhesives of the "Rudolfix" company, as well as the NT 2 glue of the "Guterman" company. If you do not have glue, machine stitch the seam allowances in position.
8. It is recommended to use a special non-woven for leather LE 420, which is glued with an iron, as a gasket.
9. The fastener is carried out with a "zipper", on the hinges (overturned, overcast and hinged) and on buttons. The buttons must be riveted. They are installed in fittings installation workshops.
10. If you do not have such a convenient tool as in this photo, then smooth the seams with the handles of the scissors.
First, put the allowances on the inside out with short taps, smooth them out. Then do the same from 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 on a piece, try on a small piece of leather.
Ironing the leather is not recommended because the hot sole of the iron can change its properties, become tough and shrink. But sometimes it is required to put an adhesive pad when working with leather. Then you need to iron very carefully and be sure only on the seamy side, laying an iron under the sole of the iron.
Sometimes natural leather needs to be sewn on a furrier. In this video you will see how the 10B furrier machine works.
Read our tips before sewing leather. They will help you avoid many mistakes and save time. Indeed, contrary to numerous claims, working with leather, especially natural leather, is quite simple. Leather is a very noble natural material that has a very complex character and at the same time perfectly fits, looks gorgeous in products and, which is important, it 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 irregularities.
Therefore, when going to the store for leather, take with you the entire set of patterns. This way you can buy exactly the number of pieces that you need.
2. The details of the product must not be swept with a needle and thread, as traces of perforation remain on the skin.
Therefore, before performing the machine stitch, fasten the parts together with the same pins with which you pin the patterns to the fabric, but they must be injected perpendicular to the seam, according to the seam allowance, in no case going beyond the seam line. Sew directly over the pins, remove pins after sewing.
Rice. 1. Stitching leather parts
3. The sewn parts of the product must not be ripped apart at the seams for the same reason - there are traces of a needle.
Therefore, a tip: sew leather goods only according to proven patterns, according to which you have already sewed before and which will not require you to make any changes.
Advice: sew the product that you intend to sew from leather from mock fabric. So you can make all the necessary changes to the pattern and safely cut the leather according to the proven pattern.
Rice. 2. Glue, hammer and leather foot
4. After stitching, the seam allowances must be spread out in different directions, tapped off with a hammer (you can buy it in the hardware store, in extreme cases, you can use a regular iron hammer) so that they "smooth out", the seam allowances are glued to the product using special glue for the skin.
In the event that the skin is thin and soft, the allowances can be smoothed out with a lightly heated iron through a slightly damp cloth.
Attention! Before you iron the skin, be sure to try it on an unnecessary piece.
5. If the pattern requires stitching along the seams, sew them without any basting with threads, and to keep the stitch parallel to the seam, guide it using the sewing machine foot (it should go along the edge of the seam).
Extra tip: so that the foot advances the skin well and does not stretch it, as you move, lubricate the skin in front of the foot with vegetable oil. This will ensure the smooth advance of the leather under the foot, and excess oil remaining on the leather can be easily removed with a soft cloth. Use a dedicated leather needle.
Leather needle
6. The lining is sewn to leather products in the same way as to ordinary fabrics.
7. Leather goods are not washed, but dry-cleaned.
If the skin becomes coarse or loses its original appearance, it can be lubricated with a sponge with ordinary glycerin and left for a day - it will become soft again and acquire its original color.
All tips related to natural leather apply equally to artificial leather products, the only difference is that you can accurately calculate the required amount of fabric per product.
Artificial leather is made both on a fabric and on a knitted basis. If you use knitted leather to sew your garments, remember that it can stretch in both the lobe and the cross direction. When sewing parts under the foot, tension on the upper part can occur, which can cause it to elongate and deform. To prevent this from happening, the parts are duplicated with a special low-temperature cushioning fabric, which is glued to the parts with an iron at minimum temperatures without damaging the skin itself.
To prevent the leather from stretching under the foot when sewing seams, place a strip of tracing paper under the foot. It is easy to remove the paper after sewing.
Now you know how to sew leather! Subscribe to free lessons of the Sewing School of Anastasia Korfiati!
HOW TO SEW LEATHER BY HAND WITH THE USE OF TOOLS AND ON A SEWING MACHINE?Products made of genuine leather have been valued very dearly at all times, since their service life is practically unlimited. But not every material can be stitched on a typewriter, 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 NATURAL LEATHER OWN HANDS
You will need special tools - an awl, punch and hammer.
There is also a special tool for pricking, or as it is also called a "fork":
- 1.You need to squeeze out a line on the material being processed, which will act as a guide when making holes. It can be applied with a compass;
- 2. Now, using a punch and a hammer, make holes in the workpiece;
- 3.Previously place a piece of thick rubber under it;
- 4. if you worked with a prong plug, you will have to additionally open the holes with an awl for stitching;
- 5.Place the material in the clamp and you can start stitching
What thread should be used to sew leather? When sewing a saddle stitch, arm yourself with linen thread. Before use, it is recommended to wax them so that they repel dirt and easily pass through holes in the material.
What needle should be used to sew leather? You will need a sturdy blunt saddle needle. The size of the ear also matters. For example, a needle with a fourth eye size is suitable for making shoes. Pulling the short end of the thread, it should be twisted into a loop. This is to prevent the thread from slipping off the needle. Now get to work by selecting a seam "Forward needle".
You can sew two pieces with two needles at the same time. In this case, one of the needles must be inserted into the outermost hole and pulled through. Pass the second through the second hole and pull it down. Now you need to insert it into the hole on the other side slightly higher than the first and drag it, directing the pointed tip up.
Then both needles are inserted into the next hole and pulled through.
How to sew leather by hand? You can join parts with a seam over the edge. With this method, it can be quite difficult to fix them in the clamp, so experienced workers give advice to glue the parts with PVA glue. If, after reaching the end, you sew two or three stitches with a needle, moving backward, 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 bloom. We sew a bag made of genuine leather: this method can be used to sew not only shoes, but also a bag that will serve you for more than one year.
HOW TO SEW LEATHER WITH A HOOK
If you don't have a needle on hand, 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, as the thread is easily damaged.
Therefore, the best alternative to a needle is a crochet hook:
- 1.In one hand, hold the prepared overedge, and in the other an awl;
- 2. make a hole on the outside of the workpiece and insert a hook into it: hook the loop of the doubled thread and pull it out to the outside of the product;
- 3. Having detached the hook, gently pull one end of the thread so that one part is on the outer edge of the outsole, and the other on the inner edge;
- 4. make another puncture with a metal tool at the distance you need;
- 5. Reinsert the hook into the hole and hook the loop of the thread from the inside;
- 6.pull it so that the tip of this loop is 10 mm above the outer side of the product;
- 7.release the hook, and in the formed loop, pull the tip of the fiber you received earlier;
- 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 those that you already have.
MACHINE OPERATION
How to sew natural leather on a typewriter? It is quite possible to sew such material on ordinary household sewing equipment, but not too thick. Of course, she will not be able to process the 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.Special skin needle, the tip of which has a non-circular cross-section. The end of such a needle has sharp edges that do not push apart the fibers of the material, but cut them;
- 2.If no stitch formation occurs, you can set the needle thicker and not all the way. But even 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 upper thread does not tighten, you can try to change the threads and take not flax, but nylon;
- 4. If the conveyor does not cope well with the advancement of the material, you must purchase a special teflon, roller or fluoroplastic foot. Some people try to get out of the situation and sprinkle the pattern with talcum powder, grease with oil, or simply help to move it with their hands. You can try all these methods, and alternatively, it is recommended to sew over tracing paper, but this is not very convenient.
RULES FOR SEWING PRODUCTS FROM NATURAL LEATHER
It is very important to sew leather correctly, especially suede. If you do not take into account the direction of the pile, the cut parts will differ in color. You need to iron the surface only from the seamy side, and the iron should not be very hot and emit steam. Be sure to back up with a regular cotton cloth. Remember that when working on a typewriter, the seam is not secured with a reverse motion, which means that you will have to fix the ends of the threads with several knots.
Working with leather is almost always associated with glue treatment. The glue can be applied with a brush only on a cleaned surface and previously freed from grease. The most commonly used glue "Moment", rubber compound or PVA. The parts treated with glue must be allowed time to dry, and then they must be connected and must be put 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 quality. Good luck!
A short video about the creation of a new brand of leather goods
Hello, dear readers of the cutting and sewing site - site. The sewing circle continues its work. Today we will focus on the 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 does not take the skin" does not correspond to reality. How to sew leather on a typewriter is not the topic of today's material. But first a warning. The hand tool used must be sharp. Oddly enough, the dumber the awl for the skin, the higher the likelihood of getting hurt by it. This, in principle, applies to any tool with a cutting edge. Including ordinary kitchen knives ...
Preparation
A line is marked along which the line will pass. It is marked by simple punching. If there is a special tool for marking the position of the stitches, then using it, you can give the stitches a neat, professional look. With certain skills, this tool is not needed. I sewed enough. 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. Wash your hands thoroughly. Very light on the skin leave stains that are difficult to deduce.
What thread to sew leather
The type of seam considered in this material is the simplest. Bears the name of the saddle. The classic thread for performing this type of seam will be a thread made of flax. Linen is a durable material, but, nevertheless, in need of additional protection. Wax acts as a protection against moisture. If you paid attention, on expensive leather bags the seams are slippery to the touch. This is because the thread used in them is impregnated with wax. In Chinese you can buy ready-made threads. The wise Chinese do not do with natural materials in the production of such products.
Begin
First, let's examine the awl. It is better if its working edge is in the shape of a blade. In this case, the stitches will fit into the grooves left by the side edges of the tip of the awl. The awl for the skin is characterized by precisely this shape of the point. Round awls are also fine for the job. And to get grooves, you can swing it a little after piercing the parts to be fastened. The main thing is not to overdo it. When the needle is threaded for the first time, the awl itself can be conveniently grasped with the right hand.
We thread the thread finally and align it along the length. Now you need to learn how to handle three tools (two needles and one awl). And there are two hands! The photo provides an explanation. When not in use, it is convenient to grip the needles with the inside of the index and middle fingers. Resistance to pressing force when piercing is carried out by the index and thumb of the left hand. Just not very close to the piercing site. During this operation, a blunt instrument can play a cruel joke. It will just slide off. And to pierce the skin of his hand, sharpness is enough for him.
Needles
After the hole is formed, the awl is gripped in the right hand with the little finger. The right needle lies between the middle and forefinger. 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 by the thumb, forefinger and placed behind the left needle, forming a cross.
The left needle is now fully pulled out of the hole. The thumb and forefinger are holding the needle. The ring finger, in the area of the eye of the needle, holds the thread, preventing it from falling out. The index and thumb of the left hand straighten the thread without letting it get tangled as it passes through the hole. When the thread is pulled, the right needle is threaded through the same hole. The right needle thread falls behind the left needle thread.
The thread passed through with the left needle tightens slightly as it passes through the right needle.
Tightening
After both threads have been threaded, the stitch must be tightened. The hole made with the awl must have a diameter that allows the threads to be held tightly. They should not move freely in the hole, while simultaneously passing through it with some, not very great effort. The seam is tightened strongly. Be careful not to damage your fingers with the thread. Of course, a bartack is set. In the form in which we are accustomed to it. Only in the case of hand sewing leather, a couple of reverse stitches are sufficient. Both threads are brought out to the wrong side. Cropped without tying up. This can spoil the appearance of the product.
The seam is rubbed into the product with a bone smoother. This operation is carried out on the front side of the product. This will make it look better and take on a more finished look. And it will last longer, because when the seam is pressed into the material, it wears out less.
So they sew from leather with their own hands ...
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Before the advent of machine tools, 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 stitch sounds like "Saddle stitch" and is translated as "Saddle stitch". Originally used in saddle making.
Differences between hand and machine stitch.
The difference between a hand stitch and a sewing machine stitch is clearly visible in Figure A.
Figure A
If the thread breaks at the machine seam, several stitches closest to the break will loosen. 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 start to diverge further.
How to hold needles and an awl.
- Take the needles and hold them as shown in Figure 1. Let the entire length of the thread fall down on each side.
Picture 1 - Now take the awl in your right hand (Figure 2). Hold with your thumb. Place your little finger on the awl handle. Hold the needle between your fingers. Do not lower the needles or awl while sewing! It will be uncomfortable at first; actions will seem awkward. It will be tempting to put in an awl after the hole is punctured. Hold it in your hand! Follow the instructions and after a while you will be sewing by hand correctly, easily and conveniently.
Picture 2 We start sewing.
- Hold the needles between your toes. Turn your hand and pierce the second hole with the awl, as shown in figure 3. Make sure the hole is punched at the correct angle with the correct awl blade. Help with your left hand. Do not put needles!
Figure 3 - After piercing the second hole, grasp the needle (left hand) with your thumb and forefinger as shown in Figure 4. Take 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 aid of the other hand.
Figure 4 - Pass needle "A" through the second hole with back sides (Figure 5). Always pass the rear 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 take needle “A” with your fingers (Figure 7). The “B” needle should still remain under the “A” needle.
Figure 7 - Now swing your right hand aside while holding both needles until needle “A” goes through the hole. Draw a few inches of thread through the hole (Figure 8).
Figure 8 - Unfold your right hand and insert the “B” needle into the hole, next to the “A” needle ... 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 will prevent the tip of the needle from penetrating the strands of the thread. The needle must be removed if it passes through the 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 grasp needle “B” as shown in Figure 11. Needle “A” is still in your right hand.
Figure 11 - Now continue to draw out needle “B” and draw a few inches of thread from the hole (Figure 12).
Figure 12 - Pick up the needle again with your fingers. With your ring and little fingers, press down on the thread (Figure 13), pull and loosen the thread. Simultaneously with the previous step, grasp the right needle again with your fingers. Press down on the thread with your little finger, pull lightly.
Figure 13 - Now extend your arms all the way to stretch the loosened thread. Spread your arms as shown in figure 14. This method makes sewing easier, and the thread pulled through the holes will wear less and rub less.
Figure 14 - After tightening the threads, bring your hands back to the garment. Let the threads fall under the little fingers. Intercept the threads closer to the skin (Figure 15). Take the threads that you pulled before.
Figure 15 - Pull on the threads, at the same time, pulling your arms away from the skin. Pull the pinky fingers out so that the thread will pass front them. The threads (under the thumbs) should run over the tips of the index and middle fingers. Figure 16.
Figure 16 - Place your pinky fingers over the thread as shown in Figure 17. Press firmly. This action will secure the threads between your fingers. This way, the pulling force on the thread will be on the bottom of the little fingers and not on the eyelets of the needle.
Figure 17 - Pull to draw the remaining loose threads (Figure 18). If your arms outstretched will not allow the loose threads to pull, 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 the same amount of force with both hands. To tighten the stitch, grasp the threads firmly and pull until they fall into the notch (Figure 19). You have completed the first stitch! Lower the threads, return the awl to the right hand position as indicated in step 2. Puncture the 3rd hole. For the correct positioning of the hands and needles, see figure 3. Continue sewing according to the instructions in steps 3 - 19.
Figure 19 - Always pass the needle through the hole from the back first. Always try to pierce the holes at the correct angle so that the puncture protrudes into the groove from the back (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 to be the same. Always pass the needle through the hole from the back first. Figure 21.
Figure 21 - Continue sewing following steps 3 - 19.
- When you have reached the opposite side of the sewing vise (saddle maker), move the product (Figure 22). Clamp again so that the stitches go over the vise. This support makes it easier to pierce holes. Do not use the top of the saddle rider as a "guide" for punching holes. Pierce one hole at a time. Install the vise as shown - next to the slotted groove.
Figure 22 - Continue sewing to the corner. Turn the garment over to sew the edge. If the length of the product does not allow it to fit in a vise, turn the product at an angle as shown in Figure 23, and clamp the vise next to the slotted recess. You may need to re-grip the product several times to get the vise close to the recess as you stitch the edge.
Figure 23 - Continue sewing the entire length of the garment in a circle. Until there is one stitch left to the hole where you started. Clamp the product again in a vise so that the seam is above the vise (Figure 24).
Figure 24 - Carefully thread the awl through 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 - Pass the needles as shown in Figure 26 and tighten the stitch firmly.
Figure 26 - To finish sewing, sew two double stitches (small arrows). Expand the double stitch holes with an awl and thread the needles. Pull the threads of each stitch firmly. Figure 27.
Figure 27 - Remove the product from the vise. Cut off the threads on both sides in the seam groove. Use only a sharp knife (Figure 28). Sewing is complete.
Figure 28 - Place the garment on a flat, hard surface and tap the seam with a smooth hammer. Figure 29.
Figure 29 - Work over the entire seam with a stitch marker. This adds a finishing touch of professionalism - it really helps to enhance the look of any slightly uneven stitches. Figure 30.
Figure 30