General Tips For Working With Leather

[Twi'lek Pam]

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Here are some things to keep in mind when working with leather:

 

 

Selecting the Right Leather:

 

- Soft hides are best for making clothing. Lambskin, goatskin, calfskin, and other lightweight hides can be sewn by hand or on a home sewing machine with polyester thread. (Cotton thread is not good for this.) These hides typically come already dyed and finished, and the color cannot be changed. Needles designed for sewing leather are available at most stores that sell sewing machine supplies.

 

- Heavier types of leather such as finished cow hides should not be sewn with a standard machine. They can really damage the inner workings of the machine. These should be sewn by hand, or with a sewing machine designed for leatherwork. They are best for leather clothing that looks sturdy but still flexible. Again, these hides are usually sold already dyed and finished, so you have to purchase exactly the color that you want.

 

- Vegetable Tanned or Tooling Hides are best for making costume pieces such as belts, holsters, and armor pieces. This leather tends to be very thick and fairly stiff. It comes unfinished, so it absorbs dyes and stains very well. Belts made of this leather can be purchased pre-cut to various widths and lengths, while other costume pieces can be cut out of large tooling "sides" or "quarters."

 

 

Patterns:

 

- Leather is thick! Why does that matter? Because when you shape it around a three dimensional form, it will take more leather than you probably anticipated. Make sure you take that into account, or you might waste a hide and end up with a bunch of too-small pieces!

 

- It is a good idea to draw and cut out patterns on heavy paper for a test-fitting before you try cutting your leather. The thick paper will help mimic the thickness and stiff qualities of the leather, giving you better results when you transfer the pattern onto the leather.

 

- If you are going to buy leather in person, take your pattern with you. That way you can lay out the pieces and make sure that the hide section you buy will have enough surface to fit all of the pieces. Hides often have holes, brands, or scratches that reduce the amount of leather you can acually use in your project.

 

 

Cutting Leather:

 

- Exacto knives work, but a sturdy utility knife is much better. Cut on the front side of hide. Score once lightly, and then cut deeper following that line. It's best to cut all of the way through the leather so that the 'suede' on the back doesn't tear. It gives everything a more professional look.

 

- Take your time. Once you make a cut on leather, you can't take it back again. Be careful! If you're trying to make a straight line... use a good straitedge and make sure that you hold it down firmly for the whole length of the cut. Don't let the straightedge lift as you cut; that would let your line curve.

 

 

Shaping Leather:

 

- To shape a piece of leather, first soak it in COLD water for a few minutes. It will become very pliable. Leather can be shaped by compacting some areas and stretching others. Place a support such as a rolled hand towel inside the leather to help keep the shape you've given it, and then let it dry completely. (Don't put it too close to a heat source!) The leather will hold its shape well when it dries.

 

- Remember, the leather will swell as it absorbs the water and then will shrink again when it dries, so make sure to allow for that shrinkage when you shape and cut your designs.

 

- If you wish to shape leather in a way that will make it shrink and harden, then soak it in HOT water that is on the verge of boiling. This will quickly condense the leather, making it shrink and harden. The leather can become quite 'brittle' afterwards, so make sure you let it dry in exactly the shape you will need it to hold and don't try to change the shape after it is dry.

 

 

Staining:

 

- Wear latex gloves! Put them on before you even open a bottle of leather dye or stain. Both are notorious for leaking down the sides of the bottle, and you don't want to end up with blotchy brown hands.

 

- Always test the dye or stain that you have chosen on a scrap piece of leather cut from the same hide you are working with, and let it dry. The dye will look considerably lighter when it dries, and may change shades. Testing will assure you that you will be happy with the finished color before you use it on all of your leather pieces!

 

- Always dye the leather BEFORE you glue or sew pieces together. Doing this produces a more even finish. Also, if you were to glue a piece first, anyplace the glue might have run or smeared will interfere with the dye. The dye will not soak in because of the glue, and you will be left with light splotches.

 

- Use a good sized sponge or a piece of wool cloth to spread the dye. (A 3 inch round sponge is what I prefer.) Using the little 'applicators' that often come with dye is an invitation to end up with a splotchy finish on your leather. Use a larger applicator that is well soaked with dye or stain, and then spread the dye in long, sweeping motions and don't let any pools of dye stay on the leather. They will soak in and you'll end up with a darker spot.

 

- Make sure to dye the sides and back of the piece to give it a more finished and professional look. Edge coats are a good way to finish the back and sides of leather pieces, or rubbing them with beeswax and a burnishing tool (like the side of a pen) also produces a finished look.

 

 

Joining Up:

 

- There are a number of glues that are sold specifically for leather, but I have always been happiest with Contact Cement or Barge glue. Spread the cement on both sides where they are going to touch, and then let the cement dry. Repeat the application and let it dry for another 20 minutes, and then press the two pieces together. It is difficult or impossible to make adjustments after the pieces have been pressed together, so make sure you get it right the first time!

 

- Leather can be riveted, but if the piece is going to be under any stress, make sure to place washers under the rivets or the connections can tear free. This is usually best reserved for places where the rivet will not be visible on the finished product, since is isn't a very professional look. If a leather piece is supposed to have metal spots on it, it's better to use the rivets that are specially made for that job.

 

- Hand sewing thick leather is tricky at first, but it's the best way to connect pieces together. It also gives a very finished look and becomes a part of the overall design. It's best to get a combination awl/sewing reel if you're going to do any amount of sewing on thick leather. Be careful with the awl... I have the scars to prove that they are sharp enough to go in the bottom of your finger and come back out of the top! If anyone would like diagrams for the best ways to sew thick leather, let me know and I can draw something up.

 

- It's often a good idea to 'skive' leather when you connect two pieces. This involves shaving away some of the leather so that the joint isn't so thick. The easiest way to do this is with a skiving tool, which is a handle that holds a blade at exactly the right angle.

 

 

Tooling Leather:

 

- Leather 'armor' pieces often have designs embossed on their surface. To create these designs, first draw them on tracing paper. Then place your leather on a firm surface and lay the tracing paper over it. Tape or clip the paper so it cannot shift, and then trace over the design with a sharpened pencil. It will leave an impression on the leather below. (If the leather is too stiff to accept the design, you can dampen it slightly to soften it up.) Once the design has been transferred, lightly moisten the leather with a damp sponge (don't soak it!), and then use tools to firmly press the design into the leather. Special tooling equipment can be purchased, but any modeling tools or household items with the right shape can be used. I've even tooled leather peices with a butter knife and the back of a spoon!

 

- Remember, the leather will shrink as it dries again. This means that the patterns you embossed will shrink as well. If the design fades too much, you can simply re-wet the leather and go over it a second time to make the lines deeper.

 

 

Weathering:

 

- To make leather items look used/weathered instead of looking like they just came off the shelf, you can rub the edges with sandpaper (test the grit on a scrap piece of leather first to make sure it gives the look you want). Making abrasions by rubbing, scratching or even hitting the leather with something also leaves permanent marks, and simply bending and twisting the leather will help it start looking worn.

 

- Another option is to drybrush or lightly swab areas of the leather with a darker shade of dye. This is best done with dye that has been heavily thinned with reducer. Acrylic paint can also be used, but it tends to rub off over time.

 

 

Finishing Touches:

 

- It's a good idea to condition and/or wax your leather pieces after you've finished them. Both will help protect the dye finish, and will give the leather a rich look. If you soaked the leather, conditioning will also help it become supple again.

 

 

Hope that helps!

 

Pam

[Guest bassclarinets]

for machine sewing garment type leather -

 

1 - have a VERY sharp needle

2 - use a GOOD thread

3 - make sure that your stitch length is NOT really short - that will perforate the leather

4 - if you can track down a teflon foot/feeder for your machine - its quite helpful to avoid markings

5 - NO PINS - i have started to use quilt basting clips (look like little silver barettes) - they work great, or paperclips or binder clips - just NO PINS

6 - NO backstitching - it will create perforations.

 

Jen

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

Jen, I'm going to take your post and expand on it...

 

I hope you do not mind.

Machine Sewing Tips for Leather & Vinyl

 

1) Always use a brand new Leather Needle and have several on hand as back up since needles do break after a lot of use.

 

2) Use a Heavy Weight thread such as button hole or top stitch thread. Stick with a polyester thread when possible because it is a stronger thread then cotton or cotton/poly blend threads. A stronger thread means less chance of breakage when sewing and a stronger seam that will not be as likely to suffer a popped seam during usage.

 

3) Use the lightest pressure possible on your pressure foot to sew with, if your machine allows you to adjust the pressure on your pressure foot. Loosen thread and bobbin tensions as well if need be. Always test stitches on a piece of scrap leather, from the leather you will be sewing, to test your stitches.

 

4) If you can't find a teflon coated pressure foot, use the same type you would when sewing demin then. Do make a good search for the teflon coatd foot however.

 

5) If you need to join two pieces of leather before sewing, you can use rubber cement to join sections. Leave glue within the seam allowances so your not sewing through it and gunking up the gears in your machine.

 

For transferring patterns onto the leather, use tracing paper and tracing wheel, both found at fabric/sewing stores.

 

NEVER USE PINS ON LEATHER OR VINYL

 

6) No back stitching or double stitching on leather or vinyl EVER.

 

7) If you experience leather or vinyl sliding around on you while sewing, grab some tissue paper, the same stuff you use when gift wrapping, lay it over top the leather or vinyl and that should stabilize the leather or vinyl. When done sewing, simply rip away the tissue paper.

[Guest Anonymous]

Boiled Leather Tutorial:

 

Ok, the SUBJECT matter of the costume is way off (I was making Frodo's orc armor from Return of the King) but for general information on how to work in boiled leather to make hardened armor pieces in leather, my tutorial might be of at least some use. So, I'll post it here.

 

If it needs its own thread that other people can contribute to (i.e., working in boiled leather), then I can move the link there.

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.scendan.com/frodoarmor.html

 

- Carolyn