Absolute Beginner - Sewing Leather?

Tandy Leather and Leather Factory have lots of nice kits with hand done leather projects that might be quite suitable.

The main problem with leather, as I see it, is that it is fairly unforgiving of mistakes. With most fabrics you can rip out a botched seam (carefully) and re-do it. With leather, if your seam goes astray, you're left with a line of very obvious holes. However, scrap leather and quarters are not terribly expensive and you can make and, if necessary, discard, a whole bunch of dog collars and wristbands out of a $30 or $40 piece of leather.

You could do your stitching by hand, but your projects are going to look more professional if you can use a machine. Fair warning, however... If you get into it in a big way eventually you will wind up trashing a regular sewing machine. I make skid boots for dogs. Leather reinforced neoprene with velcro closures. My mid-eighties Kenmore held up fine initially, but eventually I could no longer keep it in proper adjustment. When I complained to the repair guy he asked me what I was doing with it, and when I explained he just laughed at me. So I bit the bullet and invested in a commercial machine that will sew anything I chose to throw at it.

Having said all that, though, if you can pick up a cheap used machine at a garage sale or thrift store it may do for the occasional leather project. Just remember to take a piece of your leather along to try it out on before you buy. A teflon presser foot will make your life much easier, as leather tends to be kind of sticky, and a walking foot is even better, although unlikely to be found on a cheap home machine.

Let's see... Leather comes in a variety of weights and tempers. The weight is given in ounces per square foot. The higher the number the thicker the leather. The temper is how flexible the leather is. Soft, mellow, medium, firm. For watch bands you'd probably want soft leather, probably 3.5 - 4.5 ounce, or maybe even lighter depending on how small and delicate you're trying to go. For larger items, like a collar for a big dog, you'd probably want to go heavier and firmer. Or double up the same stuff you get for your watch bands.

My two favorite leather suppliers are:

Brettun's Village:

Leather: Both have people who can make recommendations if you tell them what you're trying to do, both have free shipping within the continental US and both have very reasonable prices and a wide variety of products.

The first one, though (Brettun's Village), has the really odd stuff. Tails (raccoon, coyote, fox). Coyote faces (egads!). Cheap white rabbit skins that I couldn't resist (10 for $25). Brettun's Village also sells leather scrap *cheap* and if you tell them what you're up to, they'll make an effort to choose appropriate types.

When you're sewing leather with a sewing machine you'll want to use a large stitch (maybe 6 or 8 to the inch) and you'll have to fiddle with the tension - it needs to be fairly loose. Use a heavy needle - #18 if you can find them, #16 if not - and be prepared to change it often. There are special leather needles but I'm not fond of them myself. A regular sharp heavy needle seems to work better for me.

Use the heaviest thread your machine can handle. My Kenmore did fine with double strength polyester Gutterman's, but balked at nylon upholstery thread. The Consew will sew with rope if needed (happy sigh!).

Kathleen Hansen Z-Control Skid Boots Leg armor for gonzo dogs!

Also, you might can find a few things at Wal Mart or K Mart in the children's craft area. The leather might not be what you want, but it might be a good first inexpensive project. This is what my son did when he was in Scouts. As an adult, he ordered moose hides for soft foot wear. No I don't know from what company. He was making Cherokee Indian items for a local store that is no longer in business. My Great grandmother was Cherokee. HTH Barbara in SC