Trimming and stitching leather

[Wildgoose]

Good morning all,

question for all the talented crafters and stitchers our there.

I have a pair of leather pilots gloves that I would like to alter. They have a long cuff and I’d like to shorten it to make them more civilian friendly .

I’m ok cutting but to hem the edge would I need to punch the leather first or straight stitch?Any common mistakes to avoid?
I have limited tools.
Thanks

 

[MrEd]

I have dabbled in leatherwork and it would be best to p.rick the leather first with a something to mark where to stitch - a sharp awl or a compass point would work (drawing compass)

How heavy is the leather? And is it lined? If it’s not to heavy you could probably sew it direct or on a sewing machine with a leather needle - can you share photos of the item in question?

 

[Wildgoose]

Thank you for the reply
It’s unlined but decent quality nappa leather.
I can find something to pr.ick it.
I don’t have a machine so it’ll be by hand.
I’ll get some photos up shortly.
these are the gloves though

 

[Broch]

Glover's needles are sharp, unlike leather stitching needles which are blunt, so they will sew through glove leather without a hole being punched - you may want to mark out your stitching as MrEd suggested however.

I am no expert, but I think I would glue down the hem neatly first; it makes stitching much easier. Wilko's leather glue is great but any contact adhesive should work.

 

[Wildgoose]

Thank you
I did wonder about glueing or similar to hold it whilst I stitch. I need some bits from Wilko so will look at leather glue.

 

[Tengu]

Bear in mind that with sewing leather once you make a hole then its there permenently, not like many types of cloth.

So, if you remove the pucker you will still have the holes.

Glovers needles are best, Broch beat me to it. But any sturdy sharp needles will do at a pinch.

(I left mine back in Cornwall with most of my kit; I went through my workbox; sorry).

 

[Wildgoose]

I have a couple of needles I think will do it.
it doesn’t have to be perfect but I do want to be able to use them without it bothering me!
They are good gloves, well fitting but the extended cuff puts me off wearing them which is a shame

 

[MrEd]

Yep that will be fine to sew by hand and you may find that it sees fairly easily.

I would trim, glue (you could use baking parchment or similar inside to stop bits sticking that you don’t want stuck) then mark out your stitching - p.rick where you want the holes to be, then sew. Will be okay, just take your time and concentrate on getting the external stitches neat

 

[Mesquite]

If you want to have even stitching use an old fork to mark the spacing for your stitches. You can sharpen up the prongs and adjust the spacing to what you want fairly easily.

 

[Wildgoose]

Leather cut and glued, happy so far.
I’ll mark and stitch when I’ve got a little more time tomorrow.

despite measuring several times and marking it was still an unnerving experience cutting the leather, something you get used to?

 

[Robbi]

No ... Never, but well done for having a go

 

[MrEd]

Leather cut and glued, happy so far.
I’ll mark and stitch when I’ve got a little more time tomorrow.

despite measuring several times and marking it was still an unnerving experience cutting the leather, something you get used to?

No not really, I obsessively measure all material lol and still feel that way!!

 

[birchwood]

Further to the suggestion about using a fork , you might find the resulting holes a bit large. Useful for the spacing measurement though. Probably a bit far apart on soft leather.You can make an awl by fixing a nail into a wooden dowel. Sharpen the nail into a diamond shape . Saddle stitching spacing is usually 8 to the inch.

 

[Broch]

Mmm... but the whole idea of glover's needles is you don't use an awl on soft glove leather; it has a habit of tearing - if you use something like a fork or a stitching wheel just use it to mark where the stitches are going; the needles should easily go through without needing a hole first.

Traditionally you would use 'glove stitch' which is a kind of zig-zag stitch but a straight running stitch would do.

 

[Tengu]

Yes, I had issues cutting leather at first.

it eases with time...until you buy a very fancy piece!

 

[MrEd]

Yes, I had issues cutting leather at first.

it eases with time...until you buy a very fancy piece!

yes, cost of leather is directly proportional to how often cuts are messed up :/

 

[Tengu]

But, of course, there is plenty of things you can do with an old sofa...

Perhaps the OP will take up leathercraft now?

 

[Broch]

It's not just a problem with leather craft - it's known as blank canvas syndrome in art; you're facing a brand new virgin blank canvas and daren't make a mark on it in case you make a mistake!

 

[The puffin squire]

Just started dabbling with leather, and enjoying the journey so far, way to go yet but practise makes perfect as the saying goes

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[Wildgoose]

Gloves cut and stitched. Happy with the result.
thanks all for the advice.