Sewing leather at home. How to sew from genuine leather

Modern stores offer a wide variety of artificial leather. With all the advantages of this material - ease of care and sewing, beautiful appearance, very similar to natural leather - it continues to attract lovers of needlework with its relatively low price.

However, in order for faux leather products to please the eye, you need to become familiar with some of the nuances of sewing this material. There are not very many of them - much less than when it comes to real leather. Still, knowing these rules will make your work much easier.

There are only three problems:

1. The skin sticks to the foot, slowing down the sewing machine. The machine seems to be “stomping around” in one place.
2. Punctures from a sewing needle are clearly visible on the surface of the material.
3. The skin often tears under the stitches.

In accordance with these features, we can give some tips for working with artificial leather.

At the stage of cutting out, fitting and preliminary basting, you should remember that the use of pins and a hand needle is strictly prohibited, since punctures in this case cannot be avoided. Instead, you can, for example, put some kind of weight on the pattern, which should be traced onto the fabric.

It is advisable to cut out the cut details not with scissors, but with a special circular knife. In this case, you need to place a flat board or glass underneath, which you won’t mind cutting. If you need an even cut, you can use a plastic ruler.

For use with a sewing machine you need to purchase a special foot made of Teflon or equipped with rollers. This ensures that the artificial leather does not slow down and moves freely. If you couldn’t find such a foot, you can place a strip of wax paper on top of the leather while sewing - this will make it easier to move a regular foot. When the stitching is done, you need to carefully tear off the paper on the sides of the seam, and then remove the remainder.

Another way is to simply lubricate the skin with oil (machine or vegetable).

The sharpest needles should be chosen, as this will make the puncture less noticeable. For example, needles for jeans are suitable. There are, of course, special needles for sewing natural leather, but they are not very suitable for artificial leather. You also need to remember that leatherette dulls them much faster than other fabrics, so the needle needs to be changed as often as possible.

The stitches should be quite long. If the stitch is short, the thread is very tight and can damage the material. That is why skin tears can often be observed between needle punctures. To avoid this, you can use a zigzag stitch instead of a simple straight stitch.

When sewing, it is convenient to use small hair clips or even bobby pins to pre-connect parts. In this way, you can align the edges of the parts being sewn, and when the foot approaches the clamping point, you simply need to remove the invisible one.

To prevent the stitching from wobbling and to look neat, it is better not to set the speed too fast. The slower you are sew, the better the result will be.
Especially for the site Handicraft Lessons sabbinochka.

Or whole. Pressed leather is short-lived, so you should prefer whole leather.

Awl. Choose an awl with a diamond-shaped cross-section so that it follows the cross-section of the sewing needle. The awl must be sharp so that it penetrates the skin, while the leather fibers must move apart and not tear. You can make an awl yourself from a thin screwdriver, better than a Russian one. If desired, you can sharpen the awl with a medium-grain file using a vice. It is advisable to complete the sharpening procedure with a fine file so that the edges are smooth.

It is convenient to cut leather with a shoe tool, but you can make neat cuts with a stationery tool.

In order to learn how to sew leather correctly, you need to be patient and have great desire.

Mark the holes on the leather necessary for stitching; you can use metal. On both pieces of leather, small notches are made from the edge at the same distance, an interval of 5 mm. For this you can use. Then the final holes are pierced with an awl. At the same time, they rotate relative to the axis of the future seam at an angle of about 30-45°. The angles of rotation of these holes must coincide on one and the other piece of leather.

Take a needle and thread. Take the prepared pieces of leather and fold them so that the holes match. It is better to fold the thread in half, and calculate its length to be a third longer than the intended length of the seam.

Sew the seam itself. If you decide to sew leather on a sewing machine, then do it not with a foot drive, but with a sewing machine. If you are worried that the parts will begin to unravel when sewing, then pre-gluing them, lightly and preferably along the edges of the part, will protect you from this, so that later the gluing points are inside the product.

You need to start and finish sewing leather with a locking stitch. To do this, make 4 stitches, return to and repeat the stitches along the stitched line. The seam will not unravel. The threads on both sides of the seam are tied in a knot, burned and pressed against the skin, and they will stick.

Patience, accuracy - and you will succeed!

Leather items never go out of fashion. Whether it's clothing, accessories or haberdashery - this material is liked by everyone without exception (well, unless Greenpeace activists object to the use of this material). Working with leather is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to be able to flash it correctly.

You will need

• Strong threads
• Awl with triangular or diamond-shaped point

Instructions

Leather is one of the most favorite materials that never goes out of fashion. Leather clothing is a beautiful, comfortable, and most importantly, durable item of clothing. But if you can’t find something in stores that you like unconditionally, this is not a reason to give up your dream. Sewing a leather product is quite simple. The main thing is to make it accurate. But most are scared and stopped by another aspect - how to flash skin? But in reality it is not so difficult.
Having selected a suitable piece of leather and cut out the parts, you can begin stitching. In factories, special reinforced sewing machines are used to work with them, capable of punching material several millimeters thick. But if you are not going to sew at home on an industrial scale, it is not advisable to buy special equipment.

The parts to be sewn must be connected to each other. In order not to leave marks on the skin, it is better to do this using ordinary paper clips. Next you will need to outline future places for stitching. Try to ensure that they are located at equal distances from each other and from the edges of the parts. You can mark future holes with the tip of a needle.

After this, you can use an awl to pierce the holes themselves. It is better if the punctures are not strictly perpendicular to the surface, but located at a slight angle (this is done so that the fastening threads wear out less during use).
To flash the prepared skin, you need to take a needle and thread and carefully connect the parts. In this case, you can use “forward needle” or “back needle” seams.
If you are afraid of spoiling skin, you can first practice stitching on regular fabric.

Video on the topic

note

For stitching leather, it is best to use strong waxed linen thread.

Helpful advice

To make it easier to sew a leather product, it must first be softened by moistening the inside with a solution of table salt, glycerin and water.

Sources:

• skin firmware

Working on leather goods and fur requires certain practical skills and knowledge. You can make keychains, straps, bracelets, bookmarks and key holders at home, and you don’t need to have special knowledge to do this. It is enough to know the basics of working with leather and fur.

You will need

• - raw material;
• - pattern;
• - scissors;
• - knife;
• - a thread;
• - needle;
• - sewing machine;
• - glue for leather.

Instructions

Work on any product, even the simplest one, can be divided into several stages. First of all, you should think about the shape, color scheme and method of connecting the parts of the future product. Then make a pattern and cut it out skin or fur, and only then proceed to connecting the parts and decorating the finished product.

2015-09-17 Maria Novikova

Choosing skins for a leather jacket

Before you start sewing a jacket made of genuine leather, you need to decide on the choice of material. There are a lot of varieties of leather, it all depends on the manufacture and processing. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain high quality natural leather, elastic and in a variety of colors. In my case, these are kid skins, they are very soft and thin in thickness.
After selecting the skins, you should decide on their quantity. To do this, you need to prepare a pattern in advance, taking into account the style, all decorative details and the size of the figure. Then lay out the pattern (in the store) on the skins. This way you will understand how much bottom material it takes to make a jacket. Don’t forget also about the lower parts: hem, lower collar, facings, etc.

Cut the jackets

After purchasing the material, we move on to cutting the jacket. Before cutting, outline with chalk areas of holes, unpainted areas, defects, etc. If the skins are in limited quantities, then the places with the least expressive defects can be used for the lower parts where they are not noticeable. The details of the pattern are cut out on the skins in the longitudinal direction, along the ridge. At this point the skins are less extensible than in the transverse direction. It is better to outline the patterns with chalk or a special pencil for leather. The handle leaves marks on the front side. You should cut from the front side, so defects on the skins are immediately visible and you can work around them.
The strongest part of the skin is the area along the ridge, so try to cut out parts that are subject to the greatest stress in these places. The abdominal area of ​​the skin, i.e. on the sides, more delicate, it can be used for small finishing parts and in places where the load is less great. If you have a large amount of material, then this area can be completely excluded.

Preparing for the first fitting

After all the details are cut out, it is necessary to try on. Some sources write that before cutting, you should make a mock-up of the product from simple fabric and only then transfer the finished template to the material. This is done for high-quality tailoring, since the leather cannot be basted; punctures from the needle remain on it. Therefore, all changes are made to the layout and the product is cut out from the finished parts, which is sewn directly under the machine. But if you are confident in your experience and the accuracy of the pattern, then making a mock-up can be avoided. In addition, there are very soft and thin skins on which punctures from needles do not remain at all. Test this on a small piece of paper in advance.

You can prepare the product for fitting without removing the details, for example, by joining it with a stapler, tape or a special adhesive pencil for leather that does not leave marks.

Read how to properly try on a product.

After fitting, the seams are sewn down using a Teflon foot; a regular foot does not fit; it does not slide on the skin.
Then the seams are pressed or ironed, depending on the model, and the allowances are fixed with glue. The glue for such cases is only suitable for leather; other glues roughen the seams when they dry. If necessary, the glue can be easily removed with acetone. To reduce the thickness of the seam, the seams are carefully pounded with a hammer.
If you need to add finishing stitches along the seams, also use a Teflon foot. Choose threads and needles depending on the type of leather, as well as the processing and model of the product. The finishing stitch width is recommended from 4.0 mm., it depends on the model and your wishes. Do not use machine fastenings on leather to prevent the stitching from unraveling; cut the threads, leaving 0.5 cm and singe the ends.

The main feature of leather jackets is a lot of decorative finishing, for example, small details, figured seams, metal rivets and zippers. Genuine leather can be combined with various fabrics: knitwear, guipure, chiffon, drape, etc.

How to iron natural leather?!

Iron natural leather very carefully at low temperatures without steam using a dry iron, both on the front and back sides. Excessive moisture and heat will lead to deformation of skin areas. On a separate patch, check the skin for sensitivity to heat treatment.

• After finishing the work, all chalk lines can be easily removed with a damp cloth, and the appearance is created using a can of leather paint.
• When cutting a men's leather jacket, you need to take into account the activity in the shoulder girdle. Therefore, larger increases are made in the chest and back width than in the waist and hips. Also, the amount of increase depends on the thickness of the lining and the clothing worn under the jacket.
• Lining for leather jackets, choose from natural fabrics or containing natural fibers. Since it is synthetic, it does not allow air to pass through well, which increases sweating.
• Sewing genuine leather should be done on a production machine; household machines have a weak motor, which will lead to breakage or poor quality sewing of the product.
• Nonwoven or knitted adhesive can be used as cushioning and adhesive materials.
• Additional slip on the skin will be provided by lubricating the stitching area with vegetable oil.

For more information about the properties of genuine leather, watch the video:

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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. 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. 2.now, using a punch and a hammer, make holes in the workpiece;
3. 3. First place a piece of thick rubber under it;
4. 4. if you worked using a piercing fork, you will have to additionally open the holes with an awl for stitching;
5. 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. 1.hold the prepared overstitch in one hand and an awl in the other;
2. 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. 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. 4.Make another puncture with a metal tool at the distance you need;
5. 5.Insert the hook into the resulting hole again and hook the thread loop from the inside;
6. 6.pull it so that the tip of this loop rises 10 mm above the outside of the product;
7. 7.release the hook, and pull the tip of the fiber you obtained earlier into the resulting loop;
8. 8. It remains to tighten the stitch by pulling the thread from the inside;
9. 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 use regular cotton cloth. 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 the creation of a new leather goods brand

Having thought through the design of the future product, made a layout from paper and drawn out the necessary patterns, we begin cutting. Leather does not have a fractional direction, which we are used to taking into account when cutting fabrics. Therefore, the patterns are positioned however you like, just to make fuller use of the usable area of ​​the skin.. Suede must be cut taking into account the direction of the pile. Depending on this, the light is reflected differently from the surface, and two adjacent parts with different pile directions will look darker, the other lighter. It is better if the pile is directed from top to bottom.

The cutting lines are drawn from the bakhtarma side with a regular ballpoint pen. They cut it from the same side, placing it on the cutting board with the side up.

Basting stitches are not recommended when working with leather., since stitch marks remain forever. It is better to attach the parts with rubber glue before final sewing. An unsuccessfully laid seam cannot be undone; rows of holes from the needle will remain on the skin. So just write for sure.

Leather that is not too thick will be easier to stitch with a needle by hand and even sew on a machine if its edges are first beveled at an angle or, as experts say, “lowered.” This is done with a sharp shoe knife or razor (Fig. XII.6). The skin should lie horizontally, and the blade should move only “from itself”.

Turn seam it will work if the edges of the parts to be sewn are lowered from the side of the bakhtarma. Apply a thin layer of glue to the edges of the parts along the face, let it dry a little and then connect the parts (this is instead of basting) (Fig. XII.7 a).

Unfold the stitched seam, clean off traces of glue before it sets, and lightly tap it from the inside with a hammer so that it is finally straightened and leveled (Fig. XII.7 b).

Now apply more durable “Moment” or “Mars” glue to the lowered edges from the bakhtarma side. It would be good to reinforce the seam with fabric tape, gluing it from the inside out and stitching along the edges(Fig. XII. 7c).

Butt seam often used for leather sets - like mosaics from small pieces of leather of medium thickness. Precisely fitted parts with evenly cut edges are glued onto a fabric lining, immediately removing any excess glue with a rag and, without waiting for it to dry, a large piece of glue is laid on the machine. zigzag seam(Fig. XII.7 d).

Lapped seam often used to make mosaics from small pieces of thin leather. This is how you can assemble a bag, a belt, and even a vest or miniskirt from seemingly useless small scraps. There is no need to lower their edges.

On a fabric lining cut out according to a pattern, lay out the prepared scraps of leather so that the lower scraps overlap the upper ones by 4-5 mm with their edges. Start attaching them to the lining, moving from bottom to top. This connection, unlike a reverse seam, is smoother and softer.

Butt stitch for thick leather(Fig. XII.8) allows you to avoid rough thickenings, but requires careful adjustment of the parts. In fact, it is done as if overlapping.

The edge of one part goes down the face, and the other goes down the bakhtarma. They are glued together, and the connection is strengthened from the inside with braid, which is attached with two seams.

It is unlikely that you will be able to get a fairly even edge running down the bakhtarma, so it is better to first bend its narrow edge inward and glue it, and only then connect the two parts.

It is impossible not to mention the traditional seam, which the peoples of the North have long used to connect the parts of their clothes, shoes, bags, and mittens. They always emphasize the cut lines with piping made of light, most often white leather (Fig. XII.9).

To do this, two finishing strips are cut out of soft and thin leather: one 1-1.3 cm wide, the other 3-4 mm wide and slightly longer. The parts to be sewn are folded together with the side facing inward. A wide finishing strip is folded in half and inserted between the main parts. Its fold should protrude 2-3 mm above the edges of the parts. A narrow strip is applied along the stitched edge of one of the parts on the front side (Fig. XII.9 a).

And now a seam is laid that holds all these four parts together at once. Using a needle and thread, pierce both main parts and the wide finishing strip folded in half. In this case, the thread also grabs a narrow strip with an oblique decorative stitch (Fig. XII.9 b). The result is a beautiful colored edging, framed by a raised border like a twisted cord. If desired and skillful, you can lay the same narrow border on the other side (Fig. XIII.9 c). Do not forget that you need to cut out a narrow strip for the border a little longer, since it forms a series of small tubercles in the seam.

Now about the intricacies of working on a sewing machine. The leather under the machine foot behaves differently than the fabric.

Watch our video lessons on the topic of stitches on the skin: “ “, “ “, “ “.

Firstly, it stretches quite noticeably, and you will soon find that the upper part under the presser foot is pulled out, but the lower part is seated by the rack of the fabric motor. The seam “leads”, especially if the pieces of leather differ slightly in thickness. The situation will improve if before work you wipe the area of ​​the future seam with a cloth soaked in machine oil. And the line will lie smoother. Preliminary gluing (basting) of the seam with rubber glue also helps, which does not allow the parts to noticeably move relative to each other.

In any case, the stitching on parallel edges must be laid in the same direction each time. For example, when sewing in a zipper, you cannot do it in one pass, turning the work at the end of the zipper and attaching its other edge in the opposite direction. Both seams must be laid separately and in the same direction. It is better to stitch thin soft leather by placing a strip of tracing paper, which can then be easily torn off. Tracing paper will add additional rigidity, and the stitching will lie smoother and will not tighten the skin.

Tough leather, which is difficult to pierce with a needle or awl, is easier to sew if it is slightly moistened.

Despite the apparent strength, machine stitches on the leather unravel easily. The fact is that threads experience less friction in the skin than in fabric. Therefore, the ends of the threads must be pulled inside out and securely tied there with several knots.

Thick, tough leather cannot be sewn by machine. You have to do this manually, marking the seams with a knurl or a jagged marking ruler, as discussed above. By puncturing a series of holes with an awl along the basting, it will be easier to lay the seam using one of the methods described in the article “”. To this it remains to add the method of working with two needles, each with its own thread (Fig. HILO). Note that it is better not to sew by eye without markings by hand: the seam will look sloppy.

For bags, wallets, key holders and other crafts from thick leather, decorative braiding of the edges with a thin cord or a narrow strip of leather is often used (Fig. XII. 11). In this case, fairly large holes are needed, and it is better to make them with punches (Fig. XII.3).

You don't need to have a long piece of leather to get a strip of leather long enough to braid together. This strip can be cut from a small piece of paper.

Soak the resulting leather strip in warm water and wrap it tightly around the bottle. Wet skin stretches well and should lie flat. When it dries, you will have a long and straight leather braid. For example, from a piece of leather measuring 100x60 mm, about 2 m of a strap with a width of 3 mm is obtained.

For decorative braiding of parts, strips of artificial leather without a backing (such as polyvinyl chloride) are also used.

In Fig. KhP.13 shows different types of decorative braids. A needle made of an elastic steel strip (Fig. XII. 14), in which the tip of the braid is pinched, will allow you to speed up the work. Otherwise, it takes a lot of time to thread the soft tip of the ribbon into the next hole.

The article uses materials from the book: Kachanauskaite Laima. " ". To fully familiarize yourself with the materials in the book, we recommend purchasing it from distributors or the publisher.