Needles for stitching leather by hand. How to sew from genuine leather: the necessary tools and equipment. The main types of machine seams for working with genuine leather

Genuine leather products have always been valued very expensively, since their service life is practically unlimited. But not every material can be flashed on a typewriter, and it is not always convenient to use it. Therefore, many craftsmen sew only by hand and the quality of their work remains at its best, and the price significantly exceeds the cost of machine-made products.

We sew from genuine leather with our own hands

You will need special tools - an awl, a punch and a hammer.

There is also a special tool for pricking, or as it is also called a “fork”:

you need to extrude a line on the material being processed, which will take on the role of a guide when making holes. It can also be applied with a compass;
now, using a punch and a hammer, make holes in the workpiece;
pre-place a piece of thick rubber under it;
if you worked with a pricking fork, you will have to additionally open the holes with an awl for stitching;
once the material is placed in the clip, you can start stitching.

What kind of thread should be sewn on leather? When performing a saddle stitch, arm yourself with linen threads. Before use, they are recommended to be waxed so that they repel dirt and easily pass through holes in the material.

What needle should be used to sew leather? You will need a strong, blunt-pointed saddlery needle. Ear size also matters. For example, for making shoes, a needle with a fourth eye size is suitable. Pulling the short end of the thread, it should be twisted into a loop. This is necessary so that the thread does not jump off the needle. Now get to work by choosing a seam "forward needle".

You can sew two parts with two needles at the same time. In this case, one of the needles must be inserted into the extreme hole and dragged through. Pass the second through the second hole and pull it down. Now it needs to be inserted into the hole on the other side a little higher than the first and dragged, pointing the pointed tip up.

Both needles are then inserted into the next hole and pulled through.

How to hand sew leather? You can join the parts with a seam over the edge. With this method, it can be quite difficult to fix them in the clamp, so experienced workers give advice to glue the parts with PVA glue. If, after reaching the end, you make two or three stitches with a needle, moving backwards, you will not have to make knots. It is enough to cut the thread at the very surface.

When working with kapron threads, the tails can be melted and then they definitely will not bloom. We sew a bag made of genuine leather: using this method, you can sew not only shoes, but also a bag that will serve you for more than one year.

How to crochet leather

If you don't have a needle handy, you can learn how to sew with an awl. That is, use it not only for making holes in the material, but also for pushing the thread. Although this is not the best solution, since the thread is easily damaged.

Therefore, the best alternative to a needle is a crochet hook:

hold the prepared overcast in one hand, and the awl in the other;
make a hole on the outside of the workpiece and insert a hook into it: hook the loop of the thread folded in half and pull it to the outside of the product;
after disconnecting the hook, gently pull one end of the thread so that one part of it is from the outer edge of the outsole, and the other from the inner;
make another puncture with a metal tool at the distance you need;
insert the hook into the resulting hole again and hook the loop of the thread on the inside;
pull it so that the tip of this loop rises 10 mm above the outer side of the product;
release the hook, and stretch the tip of the fiber you received earlier into the loop formed;
it remains to tighten the stitch by pulling the thread from the inside;
at the end of the work, as soon as the first stitch you made touches the last one, take 3-4 steps in the opposite direction, and do not thread the new holes, but those that you already have.

Working on a typewriter

How to sew genuine leather on a typewriter? On ordinary household sewing equipment, it is quite possible to sew such material, but not too thick. Of course, she will not be able to process the belt, but she will be able to take the skin, with a thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm. But for this she needs to create certain conditions.

What is needed in this case:

a special needle for the skin, the tip of which has a non-circular section. The end of such a needle has sharp edges that do not push apart the fibers of the material, but cut through them;
if the stitch formation does not occur, you can set the needle thicker and not all the way. But even these measures may not be enough, and if we sew a skirt from genuine leather, then most likely we will have to look for thinner material;
if the upper thread does not tighten, you can try to change the threads and take not flax, but nylon;
if the conveyor does not cope well with the advancement of the material, it is necessary to purchase a special Teflon, roller or fluoroplastic foot. Some try to get out of the situation and sprinkle the pattern with talcum powder, oil it, or simply help it move with their hands. You can try all these methods, and as an option, it is recommended to sew over tracing paper, but this is not very convenient.

Rules for sewing products made of genuine leather

It is very important to properly sew leather, especially suede. If you do not take into account the direction of the pile, the cut parts will vary in color. You need to iron the surface only from the wrong side, and the iron should not be very hot and emit steam. Do not forget to enclose a regular cotton fabric. Remember that when working on a typewriter, the seam is not fixed in reverse, which means that you will have to fix the ends of the threads with several knots.

Leather products are good because they look noble and are durable to wear. These two factors fully justify their high cost. A more accessible and no less interesting thing can be obtained by figuring out how to sew from leather and what is required for this.

"Correct" patterns for leather products

For sewing leather things, you should give preference to patterns that do not require an exact fit. Darts on the skin are difficult to perform, usually they resort to the help of special seams.

Set-in sleeves on leather products are also problematic. For this reason, one-piece sleeves (raglan type) are preferred. If this is not possible and the style requires a set-in, it is most advantageous to perform it in a shirt cut - with a looser armhole.

It is advisable to take proven patterns that you have already used in your work. If the template is new, it is recommended to test its fit on a layout made of any non-woven material.

Since it is not easy to sew from leather, it is advised to learn as many nuances as possible related to the processing and elaboration of the material before starting work.

Due to its specificity, genuine leather is sold in large pieces. Since the material can have a variety of visual defects (roughness, color irregularities, tears), it is important that these defects do not fall on the part of the product that will be in full view all the time. To do this, at the time of choosing the skin for work, you must have a complete set of patterns, which will allow you to correctly calculate the required amount of material, taking into account all its features.

Not every variety is universal and suitable for any product. The thickness of the leather material depends on the quality of the workmanship and the type of raw materials. Finely dressed leather is good for gloves and jewelry - it stretches and is able to emphasize the beauty of small things. For bags, it is more profitable to take dense leather - more durable and wear-resistant. If elastic and thin material is chosen for accessories, it is necessary to use additional pads for strength.

When cutting paired parts, it is important to keep in mind that the skin stretches better in cross section than along the fibers. Thus, the patterns of paired parts must always be laid out in the same direction.

When working with suede, the direction of the pile is taken into account - otherwise the color of the details will vary. The pile always "flows" from top to bottom.

The skin is cut with a special knife (the so-called "shoe" or "shoe") on a plastic coating or plexiglass. A wooden surface is less suitable, since the blade cuts through the wood, and this makes the job noticeably more difficult.

In view of the characteristics of the skin as a material, any punctures - be it with a needle or a pin - leave marks on it. At the same time, it is certainly necessary to sweep the details of the product together before sewing. There are several options for how this can be done.

How to sweep away fragments of a leather product

If pins are used, then they do it only in the area of the allowance for freedom of fit, without affecting that part of the part that will subsequently be visible. Experts advise to stick them perpendicular to the future line. The seam is performed without removing the pins.
In order to completely avoid the appearance of punctures, sometimes parts are fastened with ordinary paper clips.
Often they take for work a special tailor's adhesive tape or a special pencil for fixing the seams of leather products.
It is not forbidden to use PVA glue or Moment (or any rubber glue). To do this, glue with a special brush is applied to the cleaned material. After that, it must be allowed to dry well and connect the parts together. The parts are pressed so tightly against each other that they can "grip" - a press or a hammer often comes to the rescue. This method has its drawbacks: the glue tends to build up in the eye of the sewing machine needle. This may cause skipped stitches and thread breakage.

When sewing, it is important to carefully fasten the threads of the seams. Ideally, it is advised to make several strong knots. First of all, this applies to machine stitches that do not secure the thread, which subsequently leads to its rapid unraveling.

Since leather is a very dense and tight material, sewing it is quite difficult. To facilitate the work process, it is recommended to pre-moisten the cut parts from the wrong side with a special solution of water, salt and glycerin.

Such a product is ironed exclusively from the wrong side, a lining made of dry fabric is required. The iron should not be very hot - this tightens the skin, making it stiff. The steam function is also disabled.

Materials and tools

Punch, hammer, awl. For making holes in fabric.
A special knife (the so-called "shoe" or "shoe").
Plastic surface or plexiglass for cutting.
Universal glue (PVA, "Moment") or rubber.
Strong and elastic threads. Ideally linen, pre-lubricated with wax (waxed). This will make it easier for the needle to pass through the fabric when sewing, and also increase wear resistance.
Strong needle with a special triangular tip.
Thimble.
Buttons for the front side and "sub-buttons" for fastening on the wrong side.

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How to sew from leather

Leather products can be sewn both on a typewriter and manually. The second method is more preferable for many tailors, since not every sewing machine is able to work with this material with high quality.

Hand sewing

Slots are marked on the prepared material for further stitching. For this, a reference line is needed, along which they can be laid at equal intervals. Holes are pre-marked with a sharp needle, then knocked out - using, for example, an awl.

Before starting the work itself, the paired halves of the parts are folded in such a way that all the planned punctures coincide with each other. It is better to sew with a needle with a thread folded in half. The length should be at least a third more than the intended seam.

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Seams “needle forward” or “needle back” are laid along the holes made earlier. Some tailors prefer to work with two needles at the same time. To do this, one needle is inserted into the initial hole and pulled through. The second is threaded through the next slot and stretches down. Then the same needle should pass from the back side just above the first and stretch again. After that, the two needles pass further together and are pulled out in the same way.

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Both at the beginning and at the end of the seam, “fasteners” are made. Four consecutive stitches are sewn, then one more stitch of four is placed over them. Extra threads are tied in a knot, melted with the flame of a candle or lighter. The nodules are immediately pressed against the skin - in this case, they will stick, and the seams will not open.

If it is not possible to use the right needle for the skin, you can work with an awl. In this case, they not only make holes, but also push the thread. It is only worth noting that this is not the most optimal alternative to a needle, since the awl quickly erases the thread and can ruin the skin itself.

If you have a crochet hook in your arsenal, it is preferable to choose it. The hook is pulled through the hole, grabs the loop of the double thread and pulls the thread to the right side. Next, the hook is threaded into the next slot, grabs the loop from the inside and pulls so that it is about 1 cm higher than the front side. After that, the previously formed end of the thread is pulled into the resulting loop to tighten the stitch. So the entire seam is laid using the stitches described above. At the end of the work, four additional ones are made along the already laid ones - for fixing.

How to sew on a machine

Not every sewing machine can sew leather. Before you start working with her, you need to read the manual and make sure that she can perform such a task. Otherwise, there will be a chance to harm not only the needle, but also the sewing machine itself, as well as spoil the details of the future product. Sturdy old sewing equipment is best suited for working leather.

In general, only soft, not too thick leather up to 1.5 mm wide is sewn on a sewing machine. For thin and delicate, they take simple needles No. 80 or No. 90. A special needle with a multi-faceted blade instead of a round tip is necessary for a successful result when working with dense skin. It cuts through the fibers of leather or suede, and not just pushes them apart.

Sets the maximum stitch width. Leather - especially thin - is easily torn, and with frequent stitches there is a chance of tearing the fiber.

It is advisable to stitch the part in one line.

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Subsequently, it will not be possible to iron the seams, therefore it is recommended to make a sewing or stitching seam. They can then be glued with a special glue, which retains its elastic properties even after drying. In the absence of glue, allowances for a loose fit can be sewn in the desired direction.

If, under all conditions, the seam on the skin cannot be performed, the following can be done:

take a thicker needle;
use less dense and rough skin;
when not tightening the upper thread, try instead of linen waxed threads to take nylon threads;
to help move the skin along the conveyor when sewing, experts recommend a special Teflon or roller foot;
sew over tracing paper - this will increase the degree of sliding of the skin under the machine foot;
spray the material in front of the foot with sunflower oil to increase slip.

Or whole. Pressed leather is short-lived, so one-piece leather should be preferred.

Awl. Choose an awl with a diamond-shaped section so that it repeats the section of the sewing needle. The awl should be sharp so that it enters the skin, while the skin fibers should move apart, and not tear. You can make an awl yourself from a thin screwdriver, better than Russian-made. If desired, you can sharpen the awl with a medium-grain file using a vise. It is advisable to complete the sharpening procedure with a small file so that the edges of the sewing are smooth.

It is convenient to cut the skin with a shoe, but you can make neat cuts with a clerical one.

In order to learn how to sew leather correctly, you need to be patient and have a great desire.

Mark the holes on the skin necessary for stitching, you can use metal. Small notches are made on both pieces of skin from the edge at the same distance, an interval of 5 mm. For this you can use . Then the final holes are pierced with an awl. At the same time, they unfold relative to the axis of the future seam at an angle of about 30-45 °. The angles of rotation of these holes should match on both pieces of leather.

Take a needle and thread. Take the prepared pieces of leather and fold them so that the holes match up. It is better to fold the thread in half, and count its length by a third more than the intended seam length.

Sew the seam yourself. If you decide to sew leather on a sewing machine, then do it not with a foot drive, but. If you are worried that the parts will start to spread when sewing, then pre-gluing them, weak and better at the edges of the part, will protect you from this, so that later the gluing places are inside the product.

Begin and finish sewing leather with a bartack stitch. To do this, make 4 stitches, return to and repeat the stitches over the stitched. The seam will not unravel. The threads on both sides of the seam are knotted, cauterized and pressed against the skin, while they stick.

Patience, accuracy - and you will succeed!

Leather things never go out of fashion. Whether it's clothing, accessories or haberdashery - everyone without exception likes this material (well, except that Greenpeace activists object to the use of this material). Working with leather is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to be able to flash it correctly.

You will need

strong threads
Awl with a trihedral or diamond-shaped tip

Instruction

Leather is one of the most loved materials that never goes out of style. Leather clothing is a beautiful, comfortable, and most importantly - a durable piece of clothing. But if you can’t find something in stores that you will like unconditionally, this is no reason to give up your dream. Sewing a leather product is quite simple. The main thing is to make accurate. But most scares and stops another aspect - how to flash skin? But in fact, it is not so difficult.
Having chosen a suitable piece of leather and cutting out the details, you can start stitching. In factories, special sewing machines with reinforced ones are used to work with, capable of punching through material several millimeters thick. But if you are not going to sew at home on an industrial scale, it is not advisable to buy special equipment.

The parts to be sewn must be connected to each other. In order not to leave marks on the skin, it is better to do this with ordinary paper clips. Next, you need to outline future places for stitching. Try to keep them at the same distance from each other and from the edge of the parts. You can mark future holes with the tip of a needle.

After that, you can pierce the holes themselves with an awl. It is better if the punctures are not strictly perpendicular to the surface, but are located at a slight angle (this is done so that the fastening threads are less abraded during operation).
To flash a prepared skin, you need to take a needle with a threaded thread and carefully connect the parts. in this case, you can use the seams "forward with a needle" or "back with a needle".
If there are fears of spoiling skin, you can first practice stitching on ordinary fabric.

Preparation

A line is marked along which the line will pass. Marked by simple punching. If you have a special tool for marking the position of the stitches, then using it, you can give the stitches a neat, professional look. With certain skills, this tool is not needed. Enough sewing. The thread is taken as long as four times the length of the intended connection. Both ends of the thread are threaded into the needles. The parts to be joined are placed in the clamp. Important note. Hands should be washed well. Very easy on the skin leave stains, which are difficult to derive.

What threads to sew leather

The type of seam considered in this material is the simplest. Bears the name of the saddle. A classic thread for making this type of seam will be a thread made from linen. Linen material is durable, but, nevertheless, in need of additional protection. Wax acts as a protection against moisture. If you paid attention, on expensive leather bags, the seams feel slippery to the touch. This is because the thread used in them is impregnated with wax. In Chinese, you can buy ready-made threads. The wise Chinese do not use natural materials in the production of such products.

Begin

First, let's examine the awl. It is better if its working point is in the form of a blade. In this case, the stitches will fit into the grooves left by the side edges of the awl tip. The awl for the skin is characterized by just such a shape of the tip. Round awls are also quite suitable for the job. And to get its grooves, an awl, you can swing it a little after piercing the parts to be fastened. The main thing is not to overdo it. At the first threading of the needle, the awl itself can be conveniently intercepted with the right hand.

We thread the thread finally and align it in length. Now you need to learn how to manage three tools (two needles and one awl). And two hands! The photograph provides an explanation. Needles, when they are not in use, are conveniently grasped with the inside of the index and middle fingers. Resistance to pressing force during piercing is carried out by the index finger and thumb of the left hand. Just not very close to the puncture site. With this operation, a dull tool can play a cruel joke. It just slips off. And to pierce the skin of his hand, his sharpness is enough.

Needles

After the hole is formed, the awl is grasped in the right hand with the little finger. The right needle lies between the middle and index fingers. The left needle, from the wrong side, is passed through the hole that has just appeared with the left hand.

The right needle is held by the thumb and forefinger and placed behind the left needle, forming a cross.

Now the left needle is pulled out completely from the hole. The thumb and forefinger hold the needle. The ring finger, in the area of the eye of the needle, holds the thread, preventing it from falling out. The forefinger and thumb of the left hand straighten the thread, preventing it from tangling as it passes through the hole. When the thread is pulled, the right needle is threaded through the same hole. The thread of the right needle lies behind the thread of the left needle.

The thread threaded with the left needle is slightly taut as the right needle passes.

tightening

After both threads are threaded, the stitch must be tightened. The hole made by the awl should have a diameter that allows the threads to be tightly held. They should not move freely in the hole, at the same time threading through it with some, not very much effort. The seam is pulled tight. Be careful not to damage your fingers with the thread. Of course, there is a fix. The way we are used to it. Only in the case of sewing leather by hand, a couple of reverse stitches are sufficient. Both threads are brought to the wrong side. Cut off without tying. This may spoil the appearance of the product.

For each product, it is necessary to choose a specific material: for example, leather from gloves is suitable for jewelry - it is soft, elastic and able to convey the most subtle nuance; it is better to sew bags from tougher leather, and if soft leather is used for this, it is necessary to make a lining of dense material.

First you need to make a pattern of the product. If it is complex, it is recommended to pre-sew the model from cheap fabric and, after making the necessary changes, use it as a pattern. In order to cut out the details, the patterns are placed on the wrong side of the skin and outlined with a ballpoint pen.

When cutting out paired parts, you need to remember that the skin in the transverse direction stretches more than in the longitudinal direction, so they need to be cut in one direction. It is impossible to chip off the skin with pins: traces remain on it.

Soft skin is sewn on a machine with a regular needle No. 80 or No. 90; thicker leather requires a special triangular needle. The line should be large, as the skin is easily cut through. If the machine does not advance the leather well, you can stitch it through thin paper, which is then removed. Threads need to be taken strong and elastic: cotton, linen or twisted silk. Nylon threads are not suitable for sewing.

When sewing suede, you need to take into account the direction of the pile: it is better if it is directed from top to bottom.

If the product is assembled from separate pieces of leather, they need to be sewn on interlining or thick cotton fabric. For convenience, they should be glued to the base with rubber glue so that the upper pieces are 0.5–1 cm on the lower ones.

The leather should be ironed from the wrong side with a non-hot iron without steam through a dry cloth.

This is a very important process by which the skin is given the necessary thickness. As a rule, it is required to evenly thin the skin only at the joints of the parts, however, if there is no skin of suitable thickness, it is necessary to grind its entire surface.

Scouring needs to be learned on small pieces of leather that you don’t mind spoiling.

For work, a plastic stand (plexiglass) is placed on the table like a school notebook - at an angle of approximately 70 ° to the edge of the tabletop. The height of the table and chair should be chosen so that the elbow of the bent arm does not reach the table 1-2 cm. The skin is placed on the tile with the bakhtarma up, closer to the front and right edges, and pressed against it with the fingers of the left hand. The knife is grasped from below with the little finger, ring and middle fingers, the thumb rests against the end, and the index finger presses the knife from the top in the center. The knife, index finger and forearm should be in line when working.

Scouring begins from the edges in the direction "away from you". The knife is held with a slight tilt to the right. You need to learn not to plan, but to cut off the layers of the skin: for this, the knife must go parallel to the surface of the plate, without crashing into or tearing out of the skin. The fingers of the left hand should not be located in front of the knife - you can forget and cut yourself.

When scraping, first the long edges are cut off, then the short ones, and lastly, if necessary, the middle.

Do you think that this is too complicated manipulation? Do not worry, with a certain skill and a good tool, grinding does not require the application of physical strength.

Finished products are varnished, beeswax, mastic or shoe polish, applied with a soft cloth, then polished with a piece of flannel - this will protect the product from contamination.

To fix the color, it is recommended to coat the dyed product with leather varnish or egg yolk.

Connecting leather products

Skin stitching

You can sew thin leather details in the usual way on a sewing machine, you just need a special leather needle.

Those who have an old-fashioned oscillating hook sewing machine can sew even thick leather - they are lucky. Thanks to its special design, such a sewing machine makes it quite easy. Modern imported sewing machines have a removable foot with wheels to push the fabric. Such a foot can also be installed on a domestic sewing machine by purchasing an adapter-adapter. Another option to facilitate the work of a sewing machine is a Teflon foot for imported machines. It can be installed on any sewing machine with an adapter.

In the event that the skin does not slide well, you can lubricate the seam with machine oil or put thin paper on top and bottom, and then remove it.

The skin cannot be fastened with temporary stitches; for basting you need to use rubber glue.

The most convenient way to sew is to use a needle - an awl. First, the needle is inserted into the skin. When it moves back, a loop is formed on the opposite side, into which the elongated end of the thread or the second strong thread is pulled. To the end of this thread, you can tie an ordinary, preferably blunt, needle of any size: it is more convenient to thread the thread into the resulting loops.

The result is a seam that resembles a regular machine: both threads form stitches, each on its own side, and the interlacing of the threads occurs between the layers of the skin.

Types of seams

Stitch seam- the most common, used to connect parts. To thin the seam, it is necessary to scrape the edges of the parts to the width of the allowance, then fold the parts with the right sides inward and, having made allowances with rubber glue, lay a line. After that, unfold the parts, remove the remaining glue; bend the allowances in different directions, tap them along the entire length with a wooden hammer and, having smeared with Moment glue, press them to the base (glue).

The stitched seam can be decorated with a piping (Fig. 6). The details are folded with a bakhtarma, between them a double-folded, bakhtarma inside, edging is inserted (Fig. 7). Strips of leather 3-4 mm wide are laid along the line of the future seam on one or both sides. Both parts, edging and strips, are sewn together at the same time, and the strips are not stitched through, but are seized with oblique stitches and take the form of a twisted cord.

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This seam can be used in the manufacture of bags, vests, etc. A seam with an overlay of piping on one side will decorate the junction of the sole with the top when sewing slippers.

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Butt seam. It is done in zigzag. It is used to connect parts if it is required to obtain a minimum thickness of the seam (Fig. 8a). It can be reinforced with a braid or leather strip from below or above, as well as on both sides (Fig. 86).

Butt seam is used for set(this is the name of the canvas, assembled from small pieces of leather). The set can be used for sewing bags, vests, cushion covers, etc. The set is available mosaic, from pieces of various shapes and sizes, and regular(geometric), assembled from the correct geometric shapes that make up the rapport of the picture. It can be "parquet", "herringbone" (Fig. 9), "American square" (Fig. 10), "stained glass" (Fig. I).

Adjustment seam. This seam has a closed cut. For its implementation, the parts should be folded with the right sides, the allowances should be smeared with rubber glue, then the upper part should be unscrewed and both parts should be stitched with one seam to the desired edge width.

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This seam can be done in another way: first connect the parts with a stitch, then, having folded the top part, stitch both parts to the desired edge width (in this case, both lines must be done in the same direction).

Overhead seam. It is used when overlapping parts: the cut edge of one part, without bending, is applied to another, also not bent edge, and connected by machine stitching at the same distance from the cuts. The amount of entry of one part onto another is 4–8 mm. For preliminary connection, the allowances can be smeared with rubber glue.

With such a seam, it is convenient to connect parts with a curly cut, made, for example, with zigzag scissors, as well as trimming braid or finishing strips of leather, which can be in the color of the main part or, conversely, contrasting.

This seam is especially good for making mosaic sets. Small pieces of leather should be laid out on a base of material or non-woven fabric so that the upper ones are on the lower ones, match them by color, glue with rubber glue and attach, moving gradually from top to bottom, with a regular stitch or a zigzag stitch.

Pillows made in this way are just a feast for the eyes!

Braid and support

To connect parts, in addition to stitching and gluing, a technique such as braiding is widely used. Pre-perforation is made in the workpiece - holes are punched. It is better to do this with punches of various diameters or a chisel. Since the distances between the holes must be the same, we use a ruler or compass for marking.

When using a punch, you should never pierce the skin by putting one piece on top of another, since the lower one can easily and imperceptibly move. Therefore, we first finish with one part, then we put the braided parts of the parts on top of each other with the front sides inward (there should be a part with holes already punched at the top) and with a round awl we mark the place of the holes on the second part so that the number of holes and the distance between them subsequently coincide.

Various materials can be used for braiding: thin cord, soutache, braid, narrow ribbon, threads, but leather stripes are best suited for this purpose. To get a sufficiently long strip from a relatively small piece of leather, you can use a simple trick - cut it in a spiral (Fig. 12), trying to cut evenly. We need several strips so that their total length is three times the braided edge. After that, the strips are moistened with warm water and wound tightly around the bottle. After drying, the strip will become even; the middle of the skin is not used in the work - the steepness of the spiral is too great.

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To splice our strips, their edges need to be scraped, smeared with glue, folded (Fig. 13) and squeezed tightly. When braiding, you need to try so that the gluing place is on the wrong side of the braided parts or between adjacent holes.

For braiding a part, the width of the strip must be no less than the diameter of the hole. It is important to choose not only the diameter of the hole and the width of the braid, but also the distance between the holes.

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Do not forget that the braid serves not only to connect parts, but is also a decorative element, so you should carefully select its color: it must be in harmony with the color of the base material. The braid can be used when connecting parts in handbags, eyeglass cases, cosmetic bags, sheaths, for finishing the edge in belts, hairpins and vests.

When connecting parts, their allowances should, if necessary, be pre-scraped and glued, and the corners should be rounded with a knife or scissors, since it will not work to braid sharp corners.

Fix the ends of the strips in the following ways:

1. One end of the strip is glued between two parts, and the second is pulled twice into the hole in one of them so that one turn fits on the other (Fig. 14).

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2. The beginning of the leather strip is cut wider, a hole is punched in it. The other end of the strip is pulled into the hole of the part and its own hole, forming a lock (Fig. 15). If two parts are connected, the lock is located between them.

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The braid can be simple, in one or two rows, and complex. Figures 16-20 show a number of simple braids.

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In order to make it easier to thread leather strips into holes, their ends should be pointed; for work, you can use a needle with a large eye.

If there are no punches, then you can punch holes with a chisel.

With the help of a chisel, holes are also punched to perform the so-called “pulling” of pulling through leather strips, braid, cord, soutache, etc. (Fig. 20).

Now let's take a closer look at several options for braids, which will later be useful to us for finishing. The work is very painstaking, but the result is worth it (Fig. 21 a-h). Options b-z can be used for finishing. The technique of execution is slightly reminiscent of cross-stitch. Stitches are obtained by holding two straps. One is threaded from the bottom up (it is convenient to push with an awl), and the other through the same hole - from top to bottom.

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To decorate products, you can use decorative braids that combine the technique of holding and embroidery (Fig. 22-24). Keep in mind, ethnicity is always in fashion!

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Leather is an elastic material that undergoes any deformation, which, when moistened, takes on any shape. These properties are often used to make close-fitting products.

The basis for molding the product can be temporary (for example, when a blank for a bracelet is pulled over a bottle) - in this case, after the skin has completely dried, it is removed; or permanent (if you decide to decorate the bottle itself) - then the base becomes an integral part of the product.

In the first case, the skin should be thick, strong and tough, that is, it should retain its shape well after drying. A blank can be a glass, metal or wooden vase, a jar, a shampoo bottle, a glass or a box of an interesting shape.

An example of making a decorative item based on a small glass vase is shown in Figure 25.

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First, you should make a pattern out of paper: for this, the vase is placed in the center of the sheet and the paper is gathered around it and laid in folds; excess paper on top is cut off, and the pattern straightens out. According to it, taking into account the size and shape of the skin, a blank is cut out.

An interesting effect is obtained when using in this work saddlery yufti, unpainted lining leather, which can be decorated with perforation, burning, embossing, overhead elements in the form of bouquets or ornaments.

On the cut-out workpiece, you should first perform the intended perforation or stamping, and then, after moistening it, pull it onto the base, laying arbitrary assemblies and folds, and wrap it with a wide rubber band in the narrowing points and leave to dry. The product can be dried in the oven or on the radiator: in this case, the skin will become harder and dryer, this will give the structure a more rigid shape.

After the skin dries, the base must be removed and the vase should be finalized. With the help of a burning apparatus, you can make a drawing on it according to your taste and imagination.

At the end of the work, you need to fix the shape of the vase by gluing the folds from the inside or gluing a decorative strap around the bottleneck on top; and the glued leather bottom will increase its stability.

Drapery

In the manufacture of some products, drapery of the skin gives a good effect. This technique can be used both as a decorative and as a masking. If, alas, there are defects on the skin (holes, scratches, colored spots, uneven thickness of the skin), drapery will help hide these imperfections. Drapery is also very convenient in cases where, say, a piece of leather is not enough to tighten the entire surface of the product. In this case, the joints or seams are laid in folds, masking them inside these folds. Skin defects are also removed in folds.

As for uneven coloring, it can just give a special effect to the product. We must remember this when starting to drapery.

To work, you need Moment or 88 glue, tweezers, a knitting needle or an awl. Work is done on a basis. If the drapery is a fragment on a large canvas - for example, on a bag - a piece of leather is draped and glued directly to the canvas. The situation is different if we are not talking about a fragment, but about a separate thing, completely draped. For example, when making a hryvnia (neck decoration), you need to cut out a base from thick leather or cardboard that repeats the silhouette of the product, and when making a hairpin, you can use an old plastic base.

Please also note that the front side of the skin and the front side of the product are not always the same! If the skin has a beautiful bakhtarma, then it can be the front side of the product.

Heat treatment

The skin can be subjected to heat treatment, as a result of which it changes its shape, bends. This property of the skin is successfully used in the manufacture of jewelry, appliqués, and decoration.

The simplest heat treatment option is the "fried button". Several circles of various diameters are cut out of leather (preferably hard). They are placed face up on a heated cast-iron skillet (on an electric stove, you can fry the skin directly on the burner). After a while, the circles will evenly curve upwards (if you remember, the effect is the same when frying sausage circles!), And you will get a convex "button". Such buttons can be used instead of overhead elements, edging them with a leather strip or cord; you can make hearts of fantasy flowers from them or lay out an ornament from “buttons” of different diameters.

Heat treatment can also be used when making flowers. To do this, leaves and flowers are cut out according to patterns and lightly fried; petals should take a natural shape, slightly bent to the edges. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the edges of the skin will char and shrink too much.

If this does happen, the edges can be ground off with a chisel or sandpaper.

Particular care must be taken with light-colored leather: it darkens towards the edges, although sometimes this gives the product a special charm, for example, in flower arrangements.

The same effect can be achieved if you use a candle instead of a frying pan - especially if you need not to bend the whole part, but only part of it, as, for example, in flower petals. The part must be taken with tweezers and held over the candle that part that should be convex. You need to keep it until it changes shape.

Burnout

Burning on the skin is performed by a conventional electric burner. It looks especially beautiful on the skin of light tones: white, creamy, beige and sandy. The best material for work is yuft and thick leather. Dear beginners, you should not take thin skin for burning out - without the necessary skill, you will simply ruin it.

It is necessary to work, easily touching the material, to lead along the lines of the drawing with a hot sting of the burner, as calmly as with a pencil or brush. The main thing to take care of during the process is not to linger the sting in any one place, since, having stopped on the skin, it, of course, will immediately burn it. It is generally not recommended to press hard on the material: even if the sting does not burn through it, it will give a too wide black line. Of course, the lines can be different in width, but this should depend solely on the drawing itself.

In order to gain some skill in handling an electric burner, it is better to take thick skin for work: the sting moves easier in it - this is facilitated by its smoothness. If any line is not burned out enough, then you need to pass it a second time with a slightly hot sting. Each started line should be completed to the end, without jumping to others. In order for the lines to be of the same thickness, the sting must be tried to be carried out evenly and with the same, very light pressure.

With the help of burning, it is easiest to depict contour patterns, without transferring various shades of light and shade.

A drawing made by burning on thick leather can be painted with aniline dyes. They are applied with a brush in several steps with a break of 15-20 minutes. After the paints have dried, the drawing is intensively rubbed with a piece of woolen cloth to give it brightness and shine. The resulting color should be fixed with a fixative.

Stamping (embossing)

This is a embossed leather treatment. This is quite painstaking work, here you need to be attentive to the thickness of the skin. Stamping (embossing) can be hot or cold.

Leather trim hot stamping is based on its properties to take a strong imprint from pressing on it with hot metal stamps. For this embossing, leather from 1.5 to 3 mm is suitable. Hand embossing gives a wide variety of patterns thanks to the combination of available stamps.

Stamps can be made by yourself, using ordinary nails with large hats, sawing them with a file to the shape you need (Fig. 26).

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Usually the drawing is imprinted immediately: it is difficult to get on the previous imprint in order to make it stronger. For complex drawings, a preliminary print is made on thin paper, placed on a blank and printed through the paper on the skin with slightly heated tools. Then, having removed the paper, they go through the drawing again with the same tools.

To make a convex (concave) ornament, you need to gently press the stamp from the side of the bakhtarma (or vice versa) until the desired pattern is obtained. The relief of the wrong side should be lubricated with PVA glue.

For cold stamping suitable for leather with a thickness of 0.8–1.2 mm. It is used when you want to apply a pattern to smooth leather, for example, to draw lines along the edges of the frame. To do this, use a roller or other wooden tool that is driven back and forth along the ruler until the line is deep enough.

To perform cold embossing on smooth surfaces, you can use a cardboard template made to measure. A pattern is applied to the cardboard and then cut through with a sharp knife or scalpel. Rounded contours are cut with nail scissors with rounded ends (some of the elements of the pattern may fall out).

After that, the cut out cardboard (template) is glued onto the product, the dropped elements are glued in the right places. After drying, glue and uneven places are removed.

When the template is completely ready, it is pasted over with thin leather, and first it is wiped with a soft cloth, and then they pass along the contours of the pattern with a bone so as not to damage the skin.

After drying, paint can be poured into the recesses: nitro enamel, pentaphthalic gouache or watercolor, diluted with PVA glue. Acrylic paints are widely used.

With the help of oil and acrylic paints, you can paint album covers, jewelry boxes, jewelry and other products made of leather.

Getting started with paints on the skin, it must be wiped (especially fair skin) with a solution of potash (1 teaspoon of potash per 1 cup of warm water). Cotton wool, wrapped in a clean cloth, is dipped in the solution, squeezed out a little so that it does not flow from it, and the skin is carefully wiped with it. This is done so that the skin perceives the paint better, holds it more firmly and is clean enough: the potash solution destroys dirt and perfectly cleanses the skin.

Paint on the skin can not be applied in a thick layer. When working with oil paints, it is necessary not only to lay them thinly, but also lightly, as it were, rub into the material. It is not necessary to take this literally, but it is necessary to adhere to such a rule so that the paint adheres firmly to the skin. Too thick a smear can break, crack and even fall off. A thin layer, when rubbed into the skin, is absorbed into it and firmly adheres to it.

Automotive dyes in aerosol packages can be used to color leather both smoothly and using the stencil technique. Using a traditional stencil, figures are cut out of cardboard or plastic and the skin is painted through the holes. Or, on the contrary, they impose on a leather part (for example, on a future earring) small objects of a clear shape: circles, rings, sticks. After dyeing, a pattern will appear on the earrings.

The pattern obtained by imposing various plants on the skin, for example, maple leaves or ferns, looks spectacular. The leaves are beautifully placed on a plane and sprayed with dye, trying to alternate places that are more saturated with color and less saturated. Such a pattern can decorate the cover of a book, a bag.

Popular design in the technique of hot batik. In a water bath, a piece of an ordinary stearin candle is melted and a pattern is applied to the skin with a brush. The “dry brush” technique looks spectacular when a trace of individual villi is visible. For this, stearin is not collected on a brush. It is advisable to practice on unnecessary pieces of skin beforehand. After applying the stearin, the skin is coated with an aniline dye (sold in hardware stores for dyeing fabrics). The dye is pre-diluted according to the recipe on the package. You can also use colored ink as a dye.

After applying the dye, the skin is dried. A pattern is obtained on the product - the initial coloring of the skin against the background of the color of the dye.

If a multi-color pattern is conceived, the work is carried out as follows:

1. Apply a pattern with stearin to those areas that should remain the lightest - skin color.

2. Paint the surface with the lightest tone of your choice and dry.

3. Apply stearin to those places that will remain light.

4. Dyed with a darker dye. Do not forget that when you mix paints, you get different colors! For example, if you apply blue dye over yellow, it will turn greenish. Dry again.

5. Now a pattern of several colors is visible on the product - skin colors, yellow, green. Stearin is again applied to those areas that remain green. Now you can cover the product with the darkest color - blue, black, brown.

6. Remove stearin from the surface of the skin. Where it lies in a thick layer, it is carefully scraped off so as not to spoil the surface of the product. Can be quickly ironed with a hot iron over newspaper. This procedure is repeated several times. It is necessary to iron quickly and carefully so that the skin does not tighten. This method is suitable for thick leather and leather of medium thickness.

7. To add shine, the surface of the leather is rubbed with wax pastes or colorless shoe polish.

Application

Applique is one of the types of embroidery: patching or gluing a pattern from pieces of fabric onto the main fabric.

The application can be laid on and cut out.

For execution overhead applications the details of the pattern are applied to the main fabric, glued or sewn on. You can sew by hand or by machine, you can fix the appliqué on the product using a braid. Figure 27 shows an example of an invoice application. On thin skin, beads of different colors or beads can be sewn into the center of the flowers.

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For execution cutout appliqué the pattern is applied to the main fabric (leather) and cut out, then pieces of fabric or leather of a contrasting color are placed on its wrong side. If the holes are large, the details are glued along the contour and sewn on, if the pattern consists of a group of small holes, then it is better to put a common piece under them - the background. It can be “grabbed” in several places with glue and secured with a braid (Fig. 28). The lower part can be a lining, for example for a belt.