How to Make Leather Stitching Look Good on Both Sides of a Project
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- It is easy to make the front side of a leather project have nice stitching but some struggle to the get the back side looking neat and with the stitches slanting.
UPDATE: I have made a new video on Method 2 to address some of the questions that came from the comments. It can be found here: • Leather Stitching Meth...
In this tutorial video I show how to make the back side look as good as the front side. I show and compare two methods using the saddle stitching technique that give you great looking stitching on both sides of a leather project every time.
Materials and Tools Used:
- Red Kangaroo Vegetable Tanned Leather 0.8mm
- Japanese style Crimson Irons 4mm
- Crimson Hides Japanese Polyester Thread 0.5mm
- Poly Mallet
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Thank you for Watching! If you enjoyed the video, please like and subscribe as I have many more videos coming. - Jak na to + styl
Thank you Everyone for Watching!
Make sure to check out my other leather stitching videos:
czcams.com/play/PLcyBfQSJi8Vf1JkzfbjsKhtlTRgsEIAWc.html
Super helpful detailed tutorial. My stitching has been a struggle. Thank you for the important tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Wow thank you for showing us how to sew leather. You explain it well too. Thank you 😊
You’re welcome 😊
Fantastic tutorial! A bit tricky to master but the results will be impeccable. Thank you for sharing your secrets!
Thank you. My pleasure!
Thank you so much another great video explaining where I went wrong ha ha ha
The way you explained the stitching was clear and precise and the side view was spot on. I'm glad I found your channel look forward to watching the rest of your videos take care😎
Thanks! I am glad to hear it helped. I also had some issues with the back side of stitching when I started so I knew it would be an a good topic to cover.
Method 2 is the way to go! Thanks for the video!
You're welcome! It is also my favorite.
Only works if your pieces won't need to be trimmed or sanded down after being glued together, which is often not the case.
Excellent tutorial helped me a lot, I've been looking for this explanation for a while, thank you very much! Congratulations for the beautiful work!
You gained another subscriber to the channel!
Great to hear! Welcome to the channel!
Great tutorial, thank you.
Thank you! I am so glad you are enjoying my videos.
Thanks for being so thorough and clear. Punching twice is an interesting solution, but it seems to work. I'll need to try it.
It does require a bit more time and effort but I do think it gives better results. Give it a try.
Great info, great video !! Thank you for sharing.
Another great video.
Thanks again!
Great video tutorial. I've found that making sure that you make the holes at a perfect 90 degrees is the foundation of great stitching.
Thanks! It can be challenging to keep it 90 degrees when punching through many layers of leather, the second method, punching from both sides can help with this.
Thanks for the first Stich 🤩
I never did see this in full close up. So I always struggled a bit 🤪
You are very welcome! I am glad it helped 👍
incorporating into my stitching... tysvm for sharing...
You are welcome!
Thank you for sharing this. Great help
You're very welcome!
Thank you love it.
Thanks! I looked and tried your way: "In from the right down in from the left pull the thread, twist it around, make the knot in the middle while you pulle up, in a forward angle with both, looks AMAZING!!
You are most welcome!!!
Thank you, this method worked for me. I'm not sure whether it's about punching both sides or rather the way you put and pull the needle, but I had french stitch both sides👍
Glad it helped! it is probably a combination of both of them
Very good job at keeping something simple simple most other videos complicate the matter thank you
Thank you!
Most other videos, even paid tutorials, overlook key subtleties if the stitch.
Very useful, thank you.
You're welcome!
I wish I knew about this way sooner!
Things get harder when chiseling on both sides, to make it line up equally when following a curve or square angle.
It is all about practice. Lining up the inside and outside pieces of a bifold wallet is quite common as it gives the best looking results.
Hello, I am Iranian. Your tutorials are very useful. Thank you for your beautiful tutorials. Please leave more tutorials with the pattern. Thank you.🦋♥️
Thank you! There is many more to come!
Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
Thank you! I sometimes prefer vertical holes (using an awl) on thick leather.
Thank you.
You're welcome!
Thanks!
Thank you again!!
Great video. Thank you for sharing.
I’m curious, what will happen if you use method one ( glue together and punch) but pull the thread with method two ( right hand up / forward, left hand down and back)?
Thanks! If the threads are not angled correctly they will be pulled to the wrong part of the hole and not sit like they are supposed to. In this case the stitches on the back side will not lay correctly while the front side should still be fine.
Another good tutorial for you to do would be dragging and leading stitch lines to preclude the final stitch in a run being disproportionately longer than the others. This would be necessary when the pattern hasn't been customized for the iron in use.
This has made me see the value of having a five-prong iron in the required size.
Thanks for the suggestion. That is an important skill for nice looking stitching.
@@TeranAtelier I've decided I don't want to alter patterns for different iron sizes, so I'm looking to dragging and leading stitch lines as a normal practice.
Here is what I discovered today. With a 9-prong 3.38 iron, it took three punches (using the last two holes of the previous punch and seven new holes) to extend the stitch line 3.38mm, adding one additional hole to the stitch line. An extension or reduction of such a length isn't really necessary. All we're ever looking for is an alteration of 0.25mm to 1.0mm, about one punch with the 9-prong iron.
Yes that works. Matching holes to a pattern is really only important if you are punching holes before gluing or not intending to glue. Most crafters don't really bother matching holes as it doesn't achieve much if you are going to hole through the leather after gluing.
Thank you good vidio😃😃😃
You're Welcome 😊
Perfect
Cheers!
Great video on one of the most important parts of leatherwork - well done!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
I've started using latex finger cots for handstitching. Very good decision.
They are great. I use them for long stitching lines or if the needles keep getting stuck as they really save your fingers.
where do you buy them?
감사합니다.
아니에요
Love it, it's great to see the side by side comparison, and especially for me, I love the very detailed steps of the sewing.
If I'm interested in using method two of your demonstration, using French Style stitching irons, I get the feeling this is where I would need both the Obverse set along with the Reverse set of irons when penetrating each side separately. Is that correct?
Thanks! I made a follow up video on the Method 2: czcams.com/video/GxPb19fvFVU/video.html The method can be done without reverse chisels as you punch the leather from both sides separately before gluing them together.
@@TeranAtelier Ha! Combining the front / slash with the rear \ created the X pattern I was worried about, but the stitches still came out just fine like you said. Interesting!
Thanks for taking the time, beautiful work, Sir!
👍
@@Axel-im6si Thank you! It is a bit tricky to get everything lined up correctly but it gives great looking results.
Can you use method 2 with the French chisel or just the diamond chisel? Thanks for the tutorial! Very helpful!
Glad to hear! Both methods will work with both French and diamond irons.
For method 1, can you re-chisel the back side in the opposite direction to clean up the holes?
Yes this is an option, however you would also need to purchase the reverse chisels of the same brand. The distortion on the back of the holes is minor and only seen under close scrutiny. It is more important to get the stitches laying correcting as they are very visible.
Well done! Also, what size is the thread (the .6mm?) and is it unwaxed as it appears?
Thanks! This is a 0.5mm unwaxed bonded polyester thread which means it should not fray like other unwaxed threads.
Great tutorial. Question, can we use the method 2 stitching in method 1?
Thanks! Yes the stitching sequence is the same for both tests. What is different is the angle in which you pull the threads when you tension them so the thread gets pulled to the correct part of the hole. In this case the back side stitches will be slanted different angle between the two methods so the angle you pull the threads coming out on the back side will be different.
Nice :)
Thank you! Cheers!
I so appreciate this...just one quick question, would stitching be any different, if we use reverse pricking iron on the other side so the slanted piercing on both sides of the leather be fully aligned, or it doesn't matter when the slanted pricks cross each other like what you showed? I have both obverse and reverse pricking irons...
Using reverse irons for the back piece would certainly make the holes look a bit nicer. When stitching you should use the first method similar to if you punched through the leather only from the front side. However, this method would add a lot of time compared to the just punching through the glued pieces from the front side and the asthetic benefits on the back side may only barely be noticeable.
@@TeranAtelier really appreciate your detailed answer 🙏🏼
What about using reverse pricking irons for the back side? Although not many brands make reverse irons...
Yes that would work. I think most good brands have reverse chisels but an extra set of chisels might be a bit expensive.
Hello! For method 2 did you also have the reverse chisel for the holes on the back or was it the same chisel?
Hi! It is the same chisel. In that method I chisel on both pieces of leather separately from the grain (smooth) side. When they are glued together the holes will align to make an 'X'. I am planning a follow up video about this topic soon as this question has come up quite a few times.
Thank you for the informative video
Hi, could you show how to end the stitch? What do you do when you want to seal the end? Do you sew backwards?
Yes I normally back stitch for two stitches and have both thread ends on the back side of the project. If using polyester thread I melt the ends, and if using linen thread I will add white glue to the end to help keep the thread from coming undone.
Which direction and angle should I pull each of the threads if I stitch towards myself and not away from myself and also put the left needle through first?
You should put the needle in through the side that you punched in your holes from. Look closely at the angle of the stitches and pull your threads so that they are pulled into the most forward part of the stitching hole in the direction of your stitch. It should be quite clear if your stitches are laying correctly or not.
Hi, did you think about the reversing punch?
There is a way to use a reverse chisel to punch on the back side for Method 1, however I would not recommend it. Even if the leather is thick, you can use a diamond awl to hole through from the front side of the leather.
I'm still so confused by the back to back stitching punch method. I understand that bith sides are entry holes so there no exit wrinkles. But I dont understand how the threads sit cleanly on both sides. Aren't the holes making an "X" shape since the slants are now mirrored? I don't get how the thread sits correctly on both sides.
Yes the stitches will give the appearance of an 'X' as they are crossing each other in the middle of the hole in the leather as it goes from the front to back of the leather. I recommend trying the method to see how it works in practice.
Mr. Atelier, I see at 2:14/11:19 that you use 3 base surfaces under the leather when you punch holes. The bottom surface looks like a marble square used for leather carving. The top surface appears to be another piece of leather. What is the white square surface, in between, on top of the marble surface?
It is a thick block of plastic used as a punching board. It is so you can completely punch through the leather without damaging your pricking irons.
@@TeranAtelier Thank you!
When it comes to “alignment” of the two pieces of punched leather in sample 2, couldn’t you use a needle going through holes at both ends to align holes before they are pressed together? You only get one chance to do it right.
Adding needles in the corner holes will help align the pieces. I do this in most of my project videos which you should be able to see. The glued pieces can be pulled apart if you make a bit of a mistake, its only when you hammer down the edge and apply pressure that you get a permanent bond.
Is it possible to glue both leather together and then punch holes on both side and get the result of method 2?
You can get nice looking stitches with both methods but they will look a bit different as the stitches on the back side will be slanting in opposite directions. Method 2 is very useful for joining the interior and exterior of a bifold wallet, where it can be difficult to punch holes exactly vertical through many layers of leather. Method 1 is good to use for every other situation.
When working with the slanted "not-diamond" stitching chisels, do you line up the stitching line with the frontside or the with the middle of the tips?
Using the middle of the tips it is hard to line properly to get a straight stitching line. I like to mark the stitching line close to the edge of the leather and line up with the front of the irons.
@@TeranAtelier ah okay, that's what I thought. Do you use the same distance when working with diamond stitching chisels or do you use a bigger one as they line up with the tip better?
@@dukehorndrake5525 I adjust the distance so that the center line of the resulting stitching is consistent. I design all my patterns with the stitching centered 3mm offset from the edge except for special cases.
the reason you like the second way,... is because you glued the backsides together so you dont have the holes looking wonky from the chisle coming thru it. where if you chisled both together where the faces were facing the same way then flipped the other piece you would have the same result. as number 2.
The best part about the method is you can mark in a stitching line and line up your irons perfectly on both sides separately. This means that you get great looking stitches on both sides which is what you want for a wallet. Stacking the leather before punching adds thickness and there will be a higher chance of error.
Why does the thread get wrapped up & over the needle only on the right side, but not the left?
The wrapping of the thread on one side will be pushed to wrap at the center of the hole when you pull tension on the threads. This means only one side needs to be wrapped. Right side or left side just depends on the direction of stitching.
Hello can i use nylon thread for leather?
Hi. Nylon thread is not very UV light resistant and is not normally used for leather work. I recommend using only polyester or linen threads.
Bro it is not waxed parer right thanks a lot for your efforts greetings from Moscow
I'm a bit confused, on the second one did you put the pricking iron in the grain side of one piece of leather and from the flesh side on the other or did you use an inverse iron, it's not that clear
In the second method the two leather sections are both chiseled from the grain side separately. They are then glued together on the flesh sides so finally the chisel holes will make an 'X' at each holes as they are slanted in opposite directions. There are no inverse irons used.
@@TeranAtelier ah right that makes sense, I'll have to try that, thanks for the reply
I curious as well since both grain & flesh sides have the same color.
Anyway, thanks for the vid.
@@pertamaterakhir6193 by the looks of it the leather is “dyed through” so although one side will probably have a better finish they are both the same colour. What I didn’t understand was if you use a pricking iron and it leans like so “/ “and you pierce from the other side your pricking iron will still lean the same way so you end up with an “x” as he states above. The only other way is to buy two sets of irons both going in the opposite direction. Hope that makes it a bit clearer👍
Can you recommend any leather suppliers that I can buy leather from for making ladies hand bags project? Veg tan is preferred
I would recommend Minerva Box or Dollaro leather as they both have an interesting texture on them. For a supplier it really depends where you are based. If you are in the US I would recommend Rocky Mountain Leather Supply as they have a wide selection.
Thank you very much for the information. I'm actually situated in Sydney, Australia. I know a couple in the region, but I thought to ask you anyway.
@@warriorwithin9310 In that case I would recommend using Buttero or Pueblo leather as they are a lot easier to come by. Both of these leathers are carried by Coastal Leather Supply.
Hi.. it looks like you're pulling the tension differently in both methods .. is this why the stitching sits better in the second example?
Yes you need to pull at different angles depending on the method to get the stitches to 'sit' in the correct part of the hole and lay correctly. The stitching on the back side on both methods should be the same, except method one is slanting in a 'reverse' orientation.
@@TeranAtelier So if you used method one for the chisels but used method two for how you tightened the thread, would you get the same on both sides?
@@tjmars37 The front side will look good as normal. However, the stitching on the back side will look strange because the stitches will sit in the wrong part of the hole. The angles at which you pull the thread are so important to getting nice and clean stitching on the back side.
@@TeranAtelier I would still love to see a video of method number one with pulling with thread in opposite directions as opposed to both of them up just to see the comparison :-)
@@tjmars37 I think that is a really good idea. Stay tuned :)
What is the purpose of wrapping the thread around the needle before pulling tight?
The wrapping is called 'casting' and it makes the threads lay over each other is a way that accentuates the slanting of the stitches from which hand stitching is known for. Stitching without casting will still work but will give flatter looking stitches similar to machine stitching.
@Teran Atelier thanks for the input. Most videos show this as a necessary step but I was confused about it's purpose.
I'm trying your method again today. Does it matter which hand pulls up and which down? Could one just as well pull towards and up with the left hand and away and up with the right, as this would match the "X" slanting? Or does the fact that you are casting/looping on the second piercing on the right side necessitate the pull directions you employ?
The casting/looping is the most important part. The angle you pull when tensioning just helps the thread sit in the limits of the hole. If you look at your stitch you should be able to tell in which angle you need to pull the thread to get it to sit in the corner. If you added no angle at all when you tension then the stitches would still look fine but may not sit all the way to the tips of each hole. Hammering does also help the stitches sit properly in the hole but I find the angling makes it even better. You should try tensioning with and without an angle and see how it changes the look of the stitches.
@@TeranAtelier Good advice. Thanks. Another thing I recently started thinking about in troubleshooting my stitching is the idea of punching all the way through a 3mm thickness with obverse irons and then lightly punching the back side with reverse irons. Would this have any benefit?
@@TeranAtelier Some people claim there is no need to cast when X-stitching. I don't believe them, but I should try to experience all the variables.
@@TeranAtelier I think I have solved my problem simply by switching to JJ 004 needles with 0.45 linen and 3.0 irons. For the longest time, I had thought the decision whether to use 002 or 004 was merely a matter of personal preference, and I had been preferring the girth and length of 002 needles, never realizing that a slight difference in needle size makes a tremendous difference when using thinner thread, shorter iron spacing and thinner leather. I'm a bit pissed I did not understand this earlier and had ignored this factor for so long.
@@pequodexpress If you use Japanese style pricking irons then obverse/reverse irons might be ok because it should be easy to line up the reverse punched holes. I still think its too much effort/cost with little gain to justify doing it that way. If you don't cast the stitches, then the stitches will lay flatter and not give that slanted 'hand stitched' look as much.
Hi friend. what kind of thread do you use? what size? please help answer, this is important for me
This thread is Japanese Bonded Polyester Thread 0.5mm from Crimson Hides
@@TeranAtelier Ok, thank you. you are the best
I could not make any sense of the second method.. you did not even explain which side is which and which side we are gluing together.....How are we aligning them?
As a basic summary for method 2, the two sides of leather need to be ready to be glued together and the same length. You punch matching holes from the grain side of each piece. Apply glue to the edge on the flesh side. Stick together using the same edge alignment from when you chiseled the hole. The holes will line up and you will be able to pass your needle through them.
What is the thread you use? Thanks
This thread is Japanese Bonded Polyester Threads 0.5mm from Crimson Hides.
@@TeranAtelier it looks so nice, thank you
Thanks for the tip...i'am in trouble when gluing the two pieces, my holes never matches. What do you think about using both observe and reverse iron ? should it work the same ?
You are welcome! Using obverse and reverse irons for this application is not required and won't help with alignment issues. The stitches need to align based on the corners of the edge. I have revisited this method in a new video: czcams.com/video/GxPb19fvFVU/video.html
easier with reverse and obverse if you buy
Yes it can also be achieved by using reverse chisels however that is a bit of an investment.
Reverse chisels will not give the x-slot. They will just ease punching through in one direction.
Thanx for tutorial.
What type leather ?
You're Welcome! It is a vegetable tanned kangaroo leather.
@@TeranAtelier thank you
@@TeranAtelier where in the US can you get kangaroo leather?
@@Lilgyrlie1 I am not sure. I got my kangaroo when I was in Australia.
I'm still trying to analyze different stitching methods.
I've noticed some variations in stitch orientation: 1. stitching away from the body with the slots slanting up and away from the body; 2. stitching toward the body with the the slots slanting up and away from the body; 3. stitching toward the body with the slots slanting up and toward the body. This last one requires reversing the side of the slot ingress (side where the prick/punch was initiated). Most people seem to place the ingress on the right-hand side, which results in having the slots slant up and away from the body.
With each one of these versions, I think it is important to determine which needle goes in first, which side gets cast and how, and the angles of the left- and right-hand pulls.
Yes each one will need order but I think the side that gets casted shouldn’t matter only the direction of the cast; cast over or under. I think they all should look the same at the end if they sit in the correct part of the hole.
@@TeranAtelier I'll have to experiment a bit more, but I'm under the impression that casting side matters. It seems that every variable matters.
@@pequodexpress Definitely test it out, but I think the 'cast' ends up halfway between both side so it shouldn't matter which side it originated from.
@@TeranAtelier The stitch seems to have better separation into the top and bottom of the slot with backcasting and stitching toward the body. This is what I seemed to have experienced today.
It could be that the holes on the punched side of the leather have a better shape as they are a sunken in a bit and make the stitches look a bit better. After hammering the stitches it should be difficult to tell which side was which.
Question, if you use a stitching chisel that doesn’t have the angles to it, one where the tip is shaped like a circle, would the stitching turn out even on both side using the first method? And could you achieve the same by using a stitching awl to punch though if you were to use the chisel to mark and make the hole with the awl? I assume you’d lose the angle to the stitch. Thank you for the video
Using a stitching awl (flat or diamond) will work to make the angled shaped holes, this is normally done by rolling a stitching wheel first to mark out evenly spaced hole centers. Then you just need to be careful when punching with the awl to get a consistent hole angle. If you used a scratch awl (round) then the round holes will only give a slight angle if you use method 1 with where you wrap the thread over the needle.
I need to experiment later today. It appears that you are using a perpendicular tabletop clam. There must be a different effect when using a French-style clam, which rests at an angle on the inner thigh.
The type of clamp used shouldn't have an impact on the stitching technique or look of stitches.
No wonder my stitching looks like a derailment of a train.👍🏻
😂😂 Good luck with your next project!
I think we all start that way! A few things that have changed my stitches for the better -
A good set of irons: they don’t have to be crazy expensive, but invest in the best you can afford. (Wuta makes some affordable irons) IME, diamond irons make for the most elegant, professional stitching.
Layout: use a wing divider or stitch groover to give yourself a perfect layout and be meticulous about positioning your iron. Plan ahead by just lightly marking your holes first to see how you’ll deal with corners/overlaps etc.
Keep a rhythm: find what works for you, and stick with it - do the same motions and order with every stitch. Building or buying a stitching pony can be very helpful with this.
Hammer your holes and stitching: once you’ve got your holes made, lightly hammer them - this will make the holes appear smaller. Then lightly hammer your finished stitches as well, it seats them and makes them look more finished.
Use good thread: invest in quality thread, it’s relatively cheap anyway and makes a big difference. Use a size that’s appropriate to your holes/project. I like Ritza Tiger or waxed linen
👍👍👍👍👍
How are you stitching now? Are you pulling both threads up, or the right thread up and the left thread down? Experimenting with both methods has improved my stitching. Pulling both up seems to yield better consistency. I do think that pulling both up works better when stitching away from the body. Because of the direction of the slant.
When I initially pull on the threads I pull them horizontally which seems to stop the threads from twisting themselves. Near the end of the loop I angle my threads to get them positioned correctly in the hole. I pull both up when I chisel holes only from one side, and right thread up and left thread down me when I chisel holes from both sides separately.
@@TeranAtelier This is what makes you special. You pay attention to important subtle details that others do not.
@@TeranAtelier This might be what I'm overlooking in my stitching. I slant for the duration of the pull. Horizontal and slant at the end seems like it might be a good method.
@@TeranAtelier Now I am beginning to wonder about the significance of the hole slant in relation to direction of stitching: away from the body or toward the body. One reason I seem to be getting better results with your method might be because I'm stitching away from the body with the slant also rising away from the body. When I employ my previous method, I am backcasting and stitching toward the body with the slant still rising away from the body.
@@pequodexpress I think your previous method of stitching towards yourself should still work as that is a common method of stitching using an awl in your right hand to create the stitching hole that was punched on the right side. The side that you cast should not really matter as the 'knot' gets pushed to center of the leather edge, only the casting direction matters.
First
You should be stitching from the end to yourself, not the other way around.
The direction of stitching is just personal preference. You can achieve the same result either way.
BOYCOTT DIAMOND CHISELS
BOYCOTT SLANTING STITCHING
Hmm, boycott good work.
Hello. In my opinion there are two errors in your methodology. First one is pricking iron are made for marking the stitching and not for going through the leather. Then you can use stiching awl. The second thing is you are stiching in the wrong way, stich toward yourself ;)
Hi, the direction of stitching of forward or backwards is a personal preference. You can achieve the same results going either direction but 'left' and 'right' will be reversed. Traditional pricking iron brands like Dixon and Vergez Blanchard require an awl as the prongs are quite thick and will leave a big hole if you try to punch too deep. Modern pricking iron brands like KS Blade and Sinabroks do not require an awl as the prongs are thin and can easily punch through thick leather without making a big hole. The Crimson Irons which I use are a Japanese style chisel with pointy tipped prongs so it is designed to punch through all the way. I hope this helps.