I find I ache too much these days if I sew the *heavy* leathers
but the finer weights make excellent pouches, thongs, straps.
I sew using either a needle specifically intended for leather working , sometimes called a Glover's needle, or use a round tipped carpet needle, and I prefer linen thread.
Stitching can either be simple over stitching (whipstitch), or a running stitch worked first one way and then back through the holes the other direction, or a backstitch. Saddle stitch is usually too heavy for the finer leathers and tears the holes and puckers the seam.
While it's decorative to finish off the edge of the pouch, it's not necessary, the leather won't fray or split.
Lacing holes can be re-inforced with eyelets but I rarely bother, it just doesn't seem necessary. If you don't have punch to make the holes then pinch the leather where you want the hole to be and either snip, using scissors or a sharp knife, a short straight line and then one joining it at an angle. Basically make a triangular hole; we know this works and it's seen in surviving archaeological leather pieces, punches come much more recently in time.
Might I suggest a small amulet pouch, big enough to hold a small firesteel as a starter?
Cut out two rectangles 9cm x 6cm, or 11cm x 8cm. find something like a mug and draw curves on two corners on the shorter side. Cut to this line and repeat on the other side.
Tie a knot in your thread, if you have some beeswax to run it through, so much the better, but a candle will work fine.
Begin at the side of the top edge, about 1.5cm down,and hold the knot inside the pouch; whipstitch upwards to the top and then work back downwards over these first stitches. This will re-inforce the top of the seam.
Stitch the seam about 3mm deep and try to keep your stitches to 5 or 6mm long. Work right round the pouch layers, and work the final stitches back down over the top ones at this side too for about 1.5cm. thread through to the inside and finish off the thread by weaving it through the back of some of the stitches.
If you have a paper punch you can wriggle a single layer of fine leather into the jaws and, with care, neatly punch out single holes. Failing that cut out the triangular ones with scissors or a knife. Try to aim for about 2cm down from the top edge, and on a pouch this size four holes each side is ample.
Simple, no fuss drawcord pouch, and there are as many ways to do it up, or improve it, as there are people
It scales up very well too, and if you make a longer back piece and curve both top and bottom edges it'll become a flap lidded pouch. Make a button hole, sew on a toggle/ button/ bead and a neck cord for that type.
This type of pouch works well when made from scrap leather rescued from clothing, old trousers, jackets, the leg of ladies boots, that kind of thing.
If you find it too hard to pull the needle through the leather cut out a 3cm circle from scrap and use that to grip the needle; it's amazingly effective
Hope this helps, have fun,
Cheers,
Toddy
p.s. If your pieces aren't big enough to cut out a larger size, fine leather patchworks very well.....if you have access to a sewing machine then youmight find it speeds everything up; my old machine will sew leather, the fancy, all singing, all dancing modern one won't.
