How To Sew Leather - Sewing Leather on Your Domestic Sewing Machine

Are you eager to sew with leather at home? 

With over 20 years of leather craft experience I've got lots of tips and tricks for sewing leather handbags and I want to share them with you.

In this video I will introduce you to all the essentials that you will need to sew leather at home on your domestic sewing machine.

This 'How To' video will show you the tools and equipment needed to assist you on your leather journey.

Below are all the essentials that you will need and some recommended places to source them.

1. Sewing machine- The machine needs to be heavy duty to plough through thicker materials. If you are looking to buy a new sewing machine I highly recommend the heavy duty Janome 2200 from Tysew Ltd. The machine has a sufficient weight which is great when working with leather and upholstery materials. Additionally you can adjust the pressure gage, helping you to avoid any skipped stitches when sewing through thick layers. I have a discount code for this machine, please send me an email and I'll send it over.

If you happen to have an old sewing machine in the attic they also work very well on leather.  I used to use a Bernina record which worked brilliantly with leather. The old machines were build with metal components so work well with heavy duty work.

2. Leather point needle- A leather point needle differs from your standard domestic machine needle due to its knife edge, which slashes through the leather and creates a regular stitch. I recommend using a Schmetz leather point needle size 100.

3. Teflon foot- The teflon allows the foot to glide over the leather unlike a metal sewing machine foot which can create resistance. Alternatively you could use a walking foot.

4. Quilting clips- Pins leave holes behind and require a lot of force when using them for leather. I highly recommend quilting clips as they are quick and easy to use and work perfectly to hold the leather together in preparation for sewing. https://bit.ly/3lLN40N

5. Silicone spray- I use silicone spray on the surface of leather to help the leather glide under the machine foot. You would only use this on leather and not suede, always test the spray on your leather first to check it does not permanently mark it. Its not an essential but it can really help. https://bit.ly/3CsWKUl

6. Magnetic seam adjuster- Allows you to create an even seam allowance of any measurement. The magnet is placed on the metal plate of the machine and the raw edge of your fabric/leather runs along the magnets edge.

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Happy Sewing and thanks for watching!

Bex xx 

Share you creations on social with #rjleatherstudio