How to Sew Leather on a Home Sewing Machine?

Searching about how to sew leather? You are here at the correct place. Even if you have not done it before. Adding stitches to your leather handbag, torn children’s school bags, customization to the leather jackets, or any other leather garments, is not a problem at all as we will teach you how to sew leather even at home, on a regular home sewing machine.

Following the tips we are going to share in this article will completely help you to solve your problem. All that you need is a sewing machine, not even the industrial one, you can make it done simply on the home sewing machine. As it is tall enough for the thickness of the leather.

All that you need to do is to make some alterations. Here we are for you to guide you step by step in making your home sewing machine altered to the leather sewing machine version. Just follow some of these easy steps and here you go.

1. Change the sewing needle of the sewing machine:

The very first step you need to follow is the changing of the needle. You need to have a leather sewing needle. This needle is comparatively thick than ordinary sewing needles. This type of needle is designed, basically for the needle to get penetrated into the thick layer of the needle with great ease.

More than it, the leather sewing needle has a shape a bit different. It is something like a spear shape. This shape of the needle helps it deep penetrate completely across both sides of leather without any unwanted pierce action.

The leather sewing needle is easily available across the nearby general stores, haberdashery, crafts shops, or sewing stores. Also, you can get it available in various sizes depending upon the thickness of the leather you want to sew.

2. Change the foot of the sewing machine:

On a frank note, an expert does not really mind the sewing foot when it comes to leather or any other cloth stuff. However, if you are a beginner or you want the work to get done in a sophisticated manner you will need to replace the simple presser foot with some other feet that will be described below.

Complication:

1. Using a simple presser foot when you are sewing leather can cause the foot to stick to the leather. Or it may cause some improper feeding.
2. Adjusting and changing the foot is a quite skillful act. You will need to handle it properly. If not adjusted properly, there are higher chances of needle break and leather tearing.
3. Sometimes, the customers complain about the in-availability of sewing feet.

So, you will need to go for multiple options then. Try the following feet:

• Teflon Foot:

The first option you may try after you are not going with the simple presser foot is the Teflon foot. It is somewhat like the presser sewing foot but it is coated with Teflon. Teflon is a non stick material.

That is the reason Teflon foot is also commercially called a Nonstick foot or gliding foot. This makes it non-stick to the leather and makes sure the best sewing experience.

• Even Feed Foot:

For the smoothest experience, the leather, or whatever the stuff is, should be constantly moving with a synchronized speed of the needle to attain the maximum stitching speed.

Even feed food also called feed foot is structurally different from the ordinary presser foot as it has its own feed dog that words synchronized in combination with the machine’s feed dog. It grips the leather from both sides, upside down, propelling the leather and ensuring the best experience.

• The Rolling Foot:

The rolling foot has the same function as that of the Even Feed Foot. It glides the leather in a proper manner.
But it is structurally different from Even Feed Foot as it does not have a feed dog of its own. Rather, it is made of plastic or some kind of steel, (or both). Which is responsible for the movement of cloth stuff.

3. Widen the length of the Stitch:

Unlike other fabric or clothing, a needle, while penetrating the leather makes a permanent hole. So, once the stitch is made, it can not be compensated. Plus, the stitch, short in length and width is not so holding in the case of leather. So, you will need to increase the length and width of the stitch.

Complication:

1. Some of the sewers get irritated while constantly changing the size of the stitches. While sewing fabrics and leather at a time.
2. Some sewing machines cannot work smoothly while changing the stitch size again and again.

4. Use strong heavy-duty thread:

If you are trying to sew the leather with ordinary thread, in spite of changing all these stitch sizes, sewing foot, and the needle, you can not work in a smooth experience. You need to have a strong and a bit flexible thread to have fixed and strong stitches.

5. Never use the holding pins:

Most commonly, you use holding pins to hold the fabric and keep it fixed. But! You can not hold it with the pins when you are sewing leather, as it leaves a permanent hole in the leather, unlike other fabrics which are fabricated and there is no chance of any permanent hole whatever you do with them.

6. Use the tape to hold the leather:

Instead of binding the leather with the pins, use a tap. This will prevent unwanted holes.

7. Do not sew multi-layers of leather:

Most of the needles can not easily penetrate into the multiple layers of leather due to their thickness. Similarly, many machines can not handle multiple layers of leather. Even, though it gets tackled at the bulk. So, most likely multiple layers are not advised while stitching.

8. Always test just after you take a start:

Always test after you are done with some of the stitches. Give them a look, and check the length and width of the stitch. Especially when you are sewing leather, you need to get more conscious, as the hole gets permanent.