I just finished this bag and will list it for sale tonight. Apart from the rivets, I used my sewing machine for everything, both leather bag and cotton fabric lining.
I will post about my beloved sewing machines separately, they are sturdy but not specialist leather sewing machines.
ALWAYS use a sewing machine carefully and according to all safety guidelines. I do not recommend sewing leather if you are not an experienced sewing machine user.
There are several things to take into account when using a domestic sewing machine to sew leather: the needle, the thread, the sewing machine and the leather thickness and suppleness.
The leather needle is on the left, and the “normal” (“sharp) needle is on the right. The tip of the leather needle is much stronger and thicker (and will make a bigger hole too!!)
Can you tell the difference? I always use leather needles when sewing leather, typically size 80(11), 90(14) or 100(16). For fabric linings I use standard needles.
Then there is the thread. Thick cotton thread which needs needle sizes of 18 or bigger is available.
For my needle sizes, nylon thread is very useful.
When the leather is thicker, I can stitch the whole bag by hand!
Then there is the sewing machine. It needs to be strong enough to push the needle through the leather, and have a good enough grip to feed it through. It is easier to sew leather slowly (as I learned at my expense). You make fewer mistakes – and if the sewing machine is struggling, you can very gently turn the sewing machine wheel by hand and control the pressure. Also make sure the pedal is sensitive enough to allow steady, low-speed sewing!
Finally, of course, the leather quality. Let’s face it, several layers of thick leather require either an industrial sewing machine or punching holes by hand. I often combine machine sewing with hand sewing in some parts of the bag. Always try sewing a small leather sample first, that way you can adjust the tension too, if necessary!
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