Leather stitching question

[Mirius]

Having experimented last night, I have a question. If you've glued two pieces of leather together, how do you start and end the stitching? Do you just start back say three stitches from the end, go to the end and come back, overstitching? Do you just cut off the spare thread then and won't it come loose? Do you tie a knot like normal sewing, and in which case where do you hide it?

 

[jojo]

When I hand sew a sheath, I normally start at the top, I put a needle at both ends of the thread, pass one through the first hole until both ends of the thread are equal in length, then pass a needle through the second hole, then back through the first hole, then through the second hole again, which means the top of the sheath had a double loop of thread through it, I normally do that again through hole 2 and 3. Hope that make sense

Then I continue down the sheath, saddle stitch fashion. When I get to the end,I back track through 2 or 3 holes with both ends of the thread.
Of course you should wax the thread before you start sewing, as this strenghtens it and locks it into the holes in the leather.

 

[Buckshot]

As Jojo says backstitching is normally the accepted method I think.
Don't just cut the thread and hope it wont come undone - it will!

Have fun

Mark

 

[Mirius]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense, thanks! Same thread to start is now you've reminded me the obvious thing Forgot the wax duh! Trying to remember too much at once.

But at the end, once you've backstitched those few times, you just cut the thread off? Or am I missing something in how you backstitch? Does the amount of thread just hold it in the holes?

 

[rancid badger]

Having experimented last night, I have a question. If you've glued two pieces of leather together, how do you start and end the stitching? Do you just start back say three stitches from the end, go to the end and come back, overstitching? Do you just cut off the spare thread then and won't it come loose? Do you tie a knot like normal sewing, and in which case where do you hide it?

Hello there, I've only been messing about with leather for a couple of years now and when I kicked off had only a vague idea of what was what.
Since starting, I have been building up a small collection of leather and other craft books-most notably; "hand sewing leather" by Al & Ann Stohlman. (£10 from Le Prevo)
However,all you need to do, assuming you don't wish to spend any extra cash on "how to" books, is check out Le Prevo leathers website-they have a rather good little "how to" section which will keep you right and open your eye's to any number of simple 'tricks of the trade' -free!

hope this is of help
regards R.B.

 

[Mirius]

Thanks I do have a couple of leather books. Trouble is trying to keep everying I need to know in my mind. I tend to be a bit impatient and only realise later that I've forgotten something