Re: New to sewing leather- looking for info about Singer 211 G166, or general advice

glittertrash wrote:
Hi all, I found this forum while searching the web for tips about using
leather sewing machines and thought I would see if anyone on here has some
good tips for a beginner just getting started.

I've just purchased a 2nd hand Singer 211 G611 leather sewing machine
(walking foot), and have arranged to have it serviced. I'm interested in
any advice or information people have about this machine, or any Singer
leather sewing machines.

I do a lot of leatherwork of the non-sewing variety, and don't have much
experience of sewing at all (I typically join using metal rivets- I've
always enjoyed hammering my clothes together!). Does anyone have any
suggestions about what a beginner should be on the look-out for? For
instance, what sorts of needles & threads I should be using, and any
beginner leather sewing techniques. Any pitfalls? If I do something wrong
am I likely to completely destroy my machine, or is it reasonably safe to
experiment my way around?

Also most of the leather I have is scrap from bootmakers and similar, so
it's of quite differing thickness- some very thin (glove thin) and some
quite thick. How much difference does the thickness of the leather make
with what sort of needle I should be using?

Thanks all for your time!

I sew leather all the time using a used Consew 226R - an industrial machine with a walking foot. I use a #20 or #22 needle with 69# nylon thread.

Let's see, beginning leather tips...

1) Don't use so called "leather needles". They've got a sharp edge as well as a point and IME do more harm than good. I've used #18 needles to sew leather on my home machine (an old kenmore) with good results.

2) You may not be able to use the heavy upholstery nylon thread specified above but your machine should do just fine with double strength Gutterman polyester.

3) Set your stitch length to no more than 6 to 8 stitches per inch.

4) Leather is described in terms of weight. If a leather is described as 3 oz, a piece measuring 1 foot by 1 foot will weigh 3 ounces.

5) Temper is how flexible the leather. Firm (or boney), regular, mellow, soft. For garments you'll mostly want soft leather, although you may be able to make use of mellow, depending on the project. Anything stiffer than that would only be useful for shoes or armor.

6) For most garments you'll want to avoid leather with surface finishes described as oily, waxy or pull-up. Soft tumbled leather has a pebbly surface finish that is very good for disguising minor stitching irregularities when sewn with matching thread.

7) Leather suppliers for the small-time operator:

Ebay - Search Crafts, leather hides

Brettuns Village - www.brettunsvillage.com Very nice very helpful, free shipping. They also stock some unusual items. Need a fox face, or a raccoon tail? This is the place to get it. If you don't see exactly what you want, or if you're not sure what's right for your project, e-mail them. They are very good about digging around in their stock for exactly what you need.

Just Leather - www.justleather.com Again, very helpful people, free shipping. You can sign up for e-mails alerts when something matching your search terms is in stock.

.

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