How To Thread The Needles

[singteck]

When I first started out with leather work, I was taught to thread the needles like this photo below.



It's the same method taught by Al Stohlman in his book "The ART of HAND SEWING Leather"

It was the only method I knew so it was the only method I used. It gave me endless grief! It just doesn't hold the thread to the needle securely. If you pulled hard enough, you can and will pull the thread off the needle. In fact that is how I remove the thread from the needle after I am done.

But thanks to Ron Edward in his "HOMEMADE LEATHERWORKING TOOLS", I have found a better way to do it. It's a little more complicated but it works.



Now, I never have any problem with the thread pulling away from the needle. You can try pulling as hard as you possibly can, but you will not get the thread off short of cutting it.

singteck

 

[Toddy]

Singteck your work is beautiful, and the following reply is not in any way a criticism, it was just a total surprise to me that anyone did this sort of thing.

I know I'm the wrong person to reply to this one, I don't very often sew leather, but I have sewn by hand since I was three years old, and I've *never* knotted the needle onto the thread, ever
We are taught that sewing is as much control of the thread as it is use of the needle and thimble.
I have on occasion spun (plied) the thread so that it creates one thread with the needle as a focus, especially for leatherwork and if using a bristle, but that's really it.
I will double thread a needle for leather too and use the centre loop as my starting stitch to give a neat finish

Interesting to see Singteck, thanks for posting and the information.


cheers,
Toddy................off to play

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I've *never* knotted the needle onto the thread, ever

Me neither, but then again, I've never tried hand-sewing leather, which is an altogether different beast from cotton!

I was taught two methods. One is to take a length of thread and fold it in half, and thread the closed (loop) end through the eye of the needle, and then when you make the first stitch, run the open ends of the thread through the loop so that the first stitch is like a cow hitch. Therefore, all subsequent stitches will use two pieces of thread, rather than one.

The other is the good, old-fashioned 'thread one end through the needle' technique, and pull enough thread through so it doesn't come out of the eye.

I am possibly about to have my first go at sewing leather, so I'll definitely have a look at your pictures again, Singteck, given that you know what you're doing with it, and I don't

 

[Wayland]

I use a method I've never seen anywhere else and I'll mention it here for interest.

First of all I use thread that is half the thickness needed and the finest needles I can thread it through.

I cut a length, twice as long as required and then wax it.

Thread a needle at both ends and then join the ends using a fishermans knot.

Hold the knot and stretch the loop to find the halfway point round the loop and pinch these points together.

Now move the needles to the furthest points of the loops formed by doing this.

Twist the loops to form the threads behind the needles.

This gives a fine doubled thread on an even finer needle without the normal bulky "lump" behind the eye of the needle.

 

[Toddy]

That's one of the ways I use for threading for saddle stitch Wayland , and the "Cow hitch" (I didn't know that term ) is the loop method to start a single needle, or two of them interlooped to start saddle stitch.

Interesting thread sorry about the pun !

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Womble_Lancs]

Hmm, so you use two needles for sewing leather? I think I need to learn more before starting out on this one.

I was wondering where to buy off-cuts of leather to practice on, and a friend suggested I trawl the charity shops for old handbags, etc. I picked up a pale tan jacket for £3.20 the other day, which has a single backpiece, rather than one sewn down the middle, so I'm going to use the jacket sleeves to practice on before getting going on the good bit.

 

[Toddy]

Sometimes, especially if a really strong seam is needed or a particular finish is wanted.
The saddle stitch effectively 'locks' each stitch in place too.

I'm going to shoosh now and hope some of the major leatherworkers come along to read and post

cheers,
Toddy

p.s. I've got a bag of scrap leather offcuts, a real mixed bag, I'll happily put some in the post if you want any; pm me ?
M

 

[clcuckow]

I have also neaver tied my needles on when leather working. I will have to give it a go though.

Womble_Lancs.

I found a supprisingly useful source for some quite useful leather and mesh for bags, small camera slip cases etc.

http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/stock.php?page=bigpic&item=6009

When I got mine they still had the XL (which is very large) but it looks like the largest they have now is M.

 

[g4ghb]

I don't tend to lock my threads either (but am happy to bow at the leather alter of sing, as he knows more than I am likely to ever know! )

My reasoning though is that I have found that if I'm sewing a long seam the thread can often break just before the end :aargh4: - with the thread loose I can move it occasionally so it doesn't get weakened at the point where it goes through the needle.

To be fair this is probably more to do with my bad technique than anything else...... I use 18/3 thread a size 4 needle and drill 1mm (or it may be 1.5mm) holes - hence once you have the first thread through the hole the second has to be worked through with pliers - works for me and makes for a nice neat finish.

What I would really like to see is someone sewing saddle stitch properly as you can only glean so much from books and I'm not happy with my 'proper' technique so use one that works for me.

 

[singteck]

Interesting to see what others are doing

Why lock the thread to the needle? Well if you have to stitch fast and pull the thread almost to breaking point, it helps.

singteck

 

[Toddy]

I normally use my fingers to stop the thread pulling free, but I find I have to plaster my little finger to tension the thread if it's something 'really' strong otherwise I end up sllicing through my skin.............bit like plaiting a pony's main, that'll shred skin if it's done tight enough too.

cheers.
Toddy

 

[Wayland]

Having the needles locked in means I can move about without having to worry about dropping a needle.

When I'm making something out of doors as I often do, that is very useful.