How to stitch the skin manually?

Unfortunately, there is an erroneous opinion that such a material as leather is extremely complex, not every experienced master will be able to work with it, not to mention beginners. This is a rather serious mistake, since even with basic cutting and sewing skills, you can make original and rather non-standard things from such difficult material at first glance. The most important thing is to know how to sew the skin by hand, taking into account its specific structure and features. We will tell you about this in this article.

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Material preparation

Before proceeding directly to stitching the product, such material must first be prepared. To do this, you will need special tools, namely: a hammer, punch and awl.

Important! In addition, you can still use additional tools for working with leather products, such as a “fork”. The only drawback is that after its application, the holes have to be opened with an awl.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. On the material you are processing, draw a line with a compass, which in the future will serve as a guide.
2. Using a punch and a hammer, make small holes on the skin surface with an interval of 3-5 millimeters according to the previously drawn reference point.

Important! Punctures are best done at an angle. Thus, you will save the fastening threads from further erasing them during the operation of the finished product.

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Sew the skin on our own - the main ways

When the preparatory work has been completed, you should proceed to the direct stitching of parts. You can do this:

• manually;
• with a crochet hook;
• stitching on a sewing machine.

Next, we will consider in more detail each of these options.

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Sew the skin by hand

In order to sew skin with your hands, you need to choose a special needle:

• It must be strong and blunt.
• As for the size of the eyelet, then in this case it does not matter, since the work will already take place with the finished holes.

Operating procedure:

• Pull the short end of the thread and twist into a loop. This should be done so that the thread does not slip during operation.

Important! Pay attention to the fact that when working with skin, you should use flaxen threads, which must be pre-treated with special wax.

• Next, lay the two previously prepared product elements on top of each other so that the holes coincide.
• Now you can safely flash the workpiece. For work with this material it is necessary to use a seam “forward a needle” or “back a needle”.
• At the end, the seam should be fixed with a knot.

Important! You can sew both parts together with two needles. To do this, insert one of the needles into the outer hole and drag. Pass the second needle through the second hole on the opposite side and pull it up. After - insert both needles into the next hole and pull them through it.

In addition, so that the finished seam is stronger, and the work process is easier, you can pre-glue the parts with PVA glue.

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Sew leather with a crochet hook

If you do not have a special needle, you can use the hook or awl for sewing with which you previously made holes.

Important! Work with the hook should be very careful, as it is quite easy for them to damage the material you process.

In order to sew the skin manually with a crochet hook, it is necessary to adhere to the following sequence of actions:

• In one hand, hold the already prepared overcast, and in the other - a hook or awl.
• Make a hole on the outside of the workpiece.
• Insert the hook into the hole and hook the thread on it. Pull it on the front of the workpiece.

Important! It will be easier to hook and pull the thread if you fold it first and make a loop out of it.

• Disconnect the hook, gently pull the end of the thread so that one part is on the outside and the other on the inside of the workpiece.
• Using an awl, pierce another hole at the desired distance.
• Insert the crochet hook into the second hole and grab the thread from the inside.
• Pull the thread so that its tip rises above the product at a height of about 10 millimeters.
• Release the hook.
• In the loop formed, extend the tip of the thread that you obtained earlier.
• Once you have finished and stitched the last hole, the seam must be fixed. To do this, before trimming the thread, it is necessary, in the same way, to flash several holes in the reverse order.

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Sew leather on a sewing machine

Before you start, you should take into account the fact that on a standard household sewing machine you can flash extremely thin skin. As for the denser material, then in this case special units will already be needed.

Before starting work, it is necessary to properly prepare the workplace:

• First you need to purchase a special machine needle with a round tip for working with the skin. Due to the rounded end, during the darning, the needle cuts through the fibers of the material, while not pushing them apart.

Important! If the stitch does not go, you need to pick up the needle thicker or the material is thinner.

• If the thread does not stretch, you can replace flaxseed with kapron.
• If the conveyor does not cope with the advancement of the material, in this case you will need to purchase a teflon, fluoroplastic or roller foot.

Important! Experienced craftsmen for easier promotion of the material, while working, lubricate the pattern with oil or sprinkle with talcum powder.

Unlike sewing leather manually with a needle or a crochet hook, the sewing machine allows you to sew this material with different options for seams.

The main types of machine seams for working with genuine leather:

• Stock in the nailing pin. Fold the parts with their faces inward, align the slices and connect them with the machine line. After that, trim the allowances and coat with glue, then hammer in.
• Sewer into the “chopping”. Fold the finished parts of the product with their faces inward and connect them with the machine line. Coat the stocks with glue and chop on both sides.
• Sew seam to rib. Fold the blanks with the wrong side inwards and grind them with the specified width of the seam. Trim the allowances and iron them from the wrong side to the rib.
• Stitch seam. Fold the elements with their faces inward and align the slices. Connect them with machine stitch. Cut allowances, coat with PVA glue and chop on both sides of the stitched seam. Sew finishing stitches at equal distances on both sides of the seam.

Important! If the finished seam will be subjected to a load, you can strengthen it by gluing a strip of durable material from the wrong side of the stitch.

• Adjustment seam. It can be of two types:
  1. With an open cut. To do this, fold the parts face down and align the slices. Connect them with the usual line. Seam allowance of the upper part, glue with glue and and hammer a seam on it. On the front side of the product, lay an additional finishing stitch.
  2. With a closed cut.Fold the finished parts with the front sides inward, connect the slices with the machine line. Trim the stocks of the upper part and hammer them, laying the finishing stitch along the previously stitched seam.
• The laid-on seam, like the welded one, can be of two types:
  1. With a closed cut. On both workpieces, outline the future seam line, and then hammer an allowance for the upper part along this line. Coat the wrong side with glue. Glue a narrow transfer ribbon on the front side to the seam allowance of the bottom part so that it reaches the seam line. Apply the boarded-up edge over the upper part, going to the bottom seam allowance. Combining the edges with the line, glue them with PVA glue. On the front side, lay an additional finishing stitch.
  2. With open slices. Mark the future seam line on the bottom part. Glue the transfer tape onto the stock. Glue the top part and sew with an additional finishing stitch.

Important! Machine stitching is not secured with a back seam. In order to fix the ends of the threads, you need to tie them with several knots.

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Some helpful suggestions

We bring to your attention a few additional recommendations so that you can sew the skin by hand correctly, without damaging it, and the finished product was of high quality:

• If you work with suede, when cutting parts, pay your attention to the direction of the pile, otherwise, the finished elements of the future product will differ in color.
• Ironing this material is necessary only from the wrong side through a cotton cloth or gauze. The temperature regime of the iron should be low, without vaporization.
• Before gluing blanks, the skin must first be degreased, and the glue applied with a clean brush.
• The glued parts must be put under the press and kept there until they dry completely, after which the remaining glue should be erased with a swab and alcohol.
• At the end of the work, all the markings can be removed with soap or ammonia.
• In order to return the material shine, it must be treated with petroleum jelly or glycerin.

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Stock footage

As you can see, even a beginner can sew a product from genuine leather. The most important thing is to adhere to the above tips of our experts, thanks to which you can correctly process such complex and finicky material, turning it into an original and high-quality thing.