Success in sewing leather depends on needles, tension, thread and stitch width. Australian fashion designer and bag-maker Nicole Mallalieu says leather is unforgiving if you make a mistake. After all, leather was once animal skin so it's tough material. But the right tools and techniques will make the job easier.
Buy several leather sewing needles in sizes 11 to 16. If you have problems with skipped stitches or thread breaking on you, try the next size needle.
Sew test stitches on leather scraps to see what widest stitch width your machine will handle on leather. Most of my leather sewing will handle a stitch width of 3 1/2 to 5 1/2.
Do not pin leather together or you will leave permanent and visible needle holes in the finished product. Instead, use binder or alligator clips to hold leather pieces together as you sew them.
Thin leather projects may not require an adjustment of thread tension, but the thicker the leather the more you should decrease the thread tension. If thread breaks often or you are missing stitches, adjust the tension before making any other changes.
Thread your sewing machine with a synthetic, not cotton, durable thread, such as nylon, upholstery weight polyester or rayon. Before threading your machine, take the thread and unwind a 12-inch piece from the spool; stretch it tautly between your hands. If it breaks on you, it will break when sewing leather.
Sprinkle a little baby powder on the work surface when a piece of leather will not slide easily. Either hand pat some powder on the area or dab the leather piece but knock off the excess. Baby powder will act as a Teflon foot to slide the leather across the machine. Blow out excess powder from the bobbin area of your machine once you've completed the project.
To make a leather appliqué, you need Scotch tape and double-sided tape. Tear off several small pieces of scotch tape, and use them to situate an appliqué piece prior to sewing. While sewing on the leather piece, remove one small piece of tape at a time as you work your way around the applique. Use double-sided tape to place small pieces together and hold them securely while sewing.
For patterns, trace them directly onto the wrong side of the leather with a black or silver marker. Then cut out the pattern.
Start a 1/4 inch from the edge and end when sewing leather so you have some room to hold each side of the leather and manipulate it under the foot. Once you have completed the seam, come back to sew from the other direction. Always reverse forward at the end of a seam to reinforce the edges.
