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KINGSMERE CRAFTS
HAND-CRAFTED LEATHER GOODS
Hand-crafted, and decorative leatherwork. How is it done?
Should you have perhaps read some of my other pages you've probably got an inkling already of what is involved. On the other hand if you've never seen a piece of hand-tooled, hand-crafted leatherwork, you could be in for a surprise. Tooling leather is not like garment leather. This is because it is split from the whole hide so that it can be cut into, and shaped, by the appropriate hand-tools. Its extra thickness ensures it is longer lasting and durable than the thin, machine-sewn leathers used to make modern, chain-store or holiday-abroad-souvenir bought wallets and purses etc. Most of these purchases are articles made from what is in many respects "man-made leather". Manufacturers use leather fibres compacted under high pressure with adhesives to make sheets of "leather", rather in the manner of the timber industry making particle boards.
Having an article made for you by a leather craftsman is an entirely different experience. Tooling leather, of some thickness, say ¹/8", would be used as the outer part of an article like a purse or a wallet, and would have a thinner leather for the inside parts. Though even these thinner leathers are more substantial and durable than the average shop-bought items in their entirety.
Any article, like a wallet, that has multiple parts, needs to be stitched together, and it's done using one or more of three methods. The thinner inner pieces are sewn either by hand, which is my preference, or with a household sewing machine, though a different type of needle is required, and is only possible with the thinnest of leathers. Next would be the saddle stitch. For this a waxed thread is used, with two needles and an awl, alternating through the seam to be stitched. This ensures a strong, tight stitch, between two or more pieces of leather, irrespective of the thickness of the leather.
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Thread formation using single hand sewing |
Thread formation using double hand sewing |
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Hand-stitching |
Machine stitching |
Sewing, in general, can be accomplished with either one needle, and is known as single hand sewing, or two needles, which not unsurprisingly, is called double hand sewing, and I've endeavoured with the diagrams above to illustrate the difference. The benefit of hand-stitching can clearly be seen in the diagrams above. When the machine stitched thread is broken, the stitch will undo itself for several stitches. The thread on both sides will be loosened. When the hand-stitched thread is broken, the stitch loosens on one side only with the other thread still firmly holding the leather together.
The Single-loop Stitch
The single-loop stitch is mainly for use on lightweight leathers or single thickness projects where only a small amount of ³/32" lace going through ³/32" slits is required to cover the edge. The amount of lace required for single-loop lacing is 6½ times the length of your project. So, if, for example the part to be laced comes to 18" then it will need 9' 9" of lace.
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Starting with Fig 1 begin at the top pushing your lace through the front side and leaving a tail piece some ¾" long. As illustrated in Fig 2 fold the end up and loop the lace around continuing to hold until the first stitch has been tightened. Figure 3 shows the lace going through the second slit and at the same time you must ensure the smooth side of it is facing you. Pull up snugly.
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Following on from the preceding figure in Fig 4 thread the needle and lace under the lace as shown keeping it flesh side up without twisting. Tighten slightly as before. The first two stitches as seen in Fig 5 should not be too tight as they will need to be adjusted in the latter part of the proceedings. Carry on lacing like this until reaching a corner slit. Observe now in Fig 6 that having continued lacing as before you now need to lace through the three corner slits twice each as indicated. Meanwhile as in Fig 7 you must go under each loop on the corner. Carry on lacing to the beginning.
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In Fig 8 you'll see the lace has gone through the last slit and under the last loop. Now you must the stylus end of a modelling tool under the end of the lace. Figure 9 shows how the end of the lace has been pulled out of the loop. Keep the loose loop. Next in Fig 10 put the stylus between the leathers hooking over the end of the lace as depicted. In Fig 11 we carefully pull up the stylus and slowly pull the end of the lace out of its slit and up between the leathers.
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Observe in Fig 12 how to push the needle, very carefully, down through the loop. Continue through the slit as shown in Fig 13 and bring it up between the leathers without twisting. Next, in Fig 14, the stitches have to be adjusted by working and pushing the stitches together using your fingers. In Fig 15 the stitches are shown as having been pulled up snugly and adjusted so that they give an overall appearance of evenness.
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The illustration in Fig 16 is of the ends being neatly trimmed off from the flesh side. The lacing caaan now be gently tapped flat using a wooden mallet or similar device. Further to the previous Figs 17 to 19 illustrate the procedures followed when not lacing all the way round a project, starting for example with Fig 9 of the Whipstitch on page 39 (Here) then coming under the first stitch as shown here. Whe it comes to the ending go through the last slit, under the loop, then hrough the last slit in the front only emerging between the leather and back a few stitches. Finally (Fig 19) for single-loop lacing on a single thickness of leather, make sure you capture the beginning tail of the lace under the first few stitches on the back, ending by running the needle back under the last few stitches on the back of the leather.
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