Advice on leather

By slinky. 25/04/10, 01:27 pm

Hey guys, was wondering if any of you have some tips on handling leather like materials.

I’ve brought a couple of metres of black faux leather for my Mello jacket, and the material is simply gorgeous and the last thing I want to do is serious damage to it when sewing it up. Especially when I brought it in Palmy and I live in Napier x3; I’ve already been told I need to buy a specific needle- something called a ball point?- and would really appreciate any other advice I should know before I start.

By neimhaille. 26/04/10, 03:07 am

You will need a leather needle :) It's the opposite of a ball point ;) Ball points are used on stretchy fabric which may be why it was recommended, but you need soemthing to punch through the PVC/PU coating.
If you can find them in a range of sizes then get the smallest so it makes the smallest holes :)
I have also used the smallest sized sharps on PVC. And Jeans needles i think. But they tend to be heavier.

You will also need a good quality thread, splash out for Metrosene, it is the only thread I'll use on these kinds of fabrics as it will not shred or twist. I stick with Guetermann for their cottons :)

Get yourself some test fabric with the same stretch to test your pattern. I use a cheap mechanical stretch (it's woven not knitted but has lycra in it) for all my patterning with vinyls. It has a similar weight as well.

This is so that you will be able to cut your fabric and sew it and not have to resew parts ;) The coating will show up any and all holes made by pins and needles. When pinning I tend to pin through the seam (so the points of the needle follow the seam) rather than perpendicular. Or I pin only through the seam allowance.

And make sure to test your needle and thread and stutches on scrap fabric before sewing the pieces. it's a lesson many of us forget as we get in a rush...

By slinky. 26/04/10, 01:08 pm

Thankyou <3 that's a big help, I'll see how I go c:

By flash. 28/07/10, 07:04 am

Make sure when you're picking out those needles they have a tri type point, they should be more flat than what you see on regular needles.
Also, if you can, pick up a vinyl or leather foot for your machine, if you can't get anything that'll fit, use tissue paper on the top of you leather so it doesn't slip.

Ah and also make sure your stitch is the longest it can go, 4-5 is the best length for leathers/vinyls other wise the stress can make it tear.

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Can I be creepy and ask if you got the faux leather from spotlight?

By Kitten Slave. 28/07/10, 07:58 am

Shes from Canada... Not in NZ yet... You gaiz will have to teach here where to shop down here!

whee

By slinky. 10/08/10, 01:17 pm

Raven- Not at all, hahaaa. And nup, got the leather from Arthur Toye ( in palmy ) c; you'd be pretty lucky to get faux leather at a Spotlight, unless you know of one o:

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