#leather tutorial

[anielskaaniela]

learn how to sew leather with regular sewing machine

In this post I show you how to sew leather at home on a normal sewing machine. Are you eager to create beautiful and original accessories from natural leather, but you don’t have access to an expensive specialized sewing machine? you may think can you sew leather with a regular sewing machine? Don’t worry; I’ve got some tips and tricks that will help you sew leather on a regular sewing machine.…

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[acoustic-accompaniment]

Everything is based off of my personal measurements so they'll be rather skinny but I'll explain how to measure for yourself if you need to size up.

Measurements are as follows:

1. Measure shoulder to shoulder for the total width. Mine is 16 inches.

-Measure from one side of your collarbone to the other and that'll be the empty space between your shoulders. Adjust for comfort.

-Either subtract from the center and divide the number by 2 to find your shoulder guard width or measure from your shoulder edge to the collarbone to find the width.

-Measure from where the collarbone is down the center to the end of your chest where the soft part of your torso begins, or measure from your collarbone down to just under your belly button and divide by 2 to find your breastplate.

-Measure horizontally from the widest part of your chest just in front of the armpit to the other. This can be adjusted for arm comfort or subtract an inch from your shoulder measurement and add curve for comfort.

1A. This can vary depending on how you'd like your design to look. This plate is entirely for design in my case but my measurements are based off of the breastplate height with the width based off of the chest width minus 0.5-1.5 inches.

1B. Take the same measurements as the design plate and decrease the height down to 1 to 2 inches. These are also for design but mine will specifically be used to hold objects

2. You can either measure from the center of your torso where the soft of your stomach begins or take your entire torso measurement and divide it by 2 to find this depending on how even your torso is. Divide that number by 3 and add 0.5 inches to their height so the plates can move.

-The width is measured the same way as you measured the largest part of your chest but with the stomach area in 3 different spots. These can be the top of the soft, middle of the soft, and just above the belly button. These may be different as they were for me or they can be consistent. They can be kept the same measurement for ease as the difference shouldn't matter too much.

2A. Subtract the 0.5 inches that you had for the movement plates and that'll be the design plate's height. The width is 1/5th of the movement plate.

3. Measure the side of your body from the beginning of your shoulderblade to the beginning of your pecs. There's purposeful overlap here with the breastplate for movement and to secure with either straps or buttons later.

-The first plates will be larger and height is measured using 1/3rd of the breastplate measurement, allowing arm movement.

-The 2nd-4th plates are using the same height measurements as the movement plates and width is the same as above.

4. Measure from the tops of your pecs to the top of your shoulderblade and use the shoulder width you measured on the breastplate for the strap width. These will also have overlap for adjustment with either straps or buttons.

5. These will be measured using the main breastplate and will only be an inch wide. These will be used for securing the inside of the plates together.

Draw out the simple designs on paper using 1/4th of the regular measurements. These will be cut out and taped onto eachother. Tape each piece together in order to ensure that you can figure out how the pieces work together.

Lay each piece atop eachother and either tape or glue the pieces onto eachotherto test for movement.

In the next post I'll be drawing out the full pieces onto paper and drawing the rivet holes. I'll also be discussing attachment options.

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Here’s how I replicated Jon Snow’s segmented plate and leather armor!

1. Start with a pattern of whatever garment/project you are applying this technique to and use a clear gridded ruler to plan out the size and placement of the segment plates. This is time consuming and annoying since they vary slightly in size/shape on Jon’s costume, but that’s why it’s important to draw it out and see what it looks like before proceeding. I did a mock-up as well and discovered I had to go back and tweak the size/angles of everything 😑. This gave me the assurance I needed to cut vinto the real materials after that, though!

2. Cut out all the segment pieces out of 1/4” EVA foam (or another material if you want to experiment) and use tailor’s chalk to outline the placement of the plates on the backside of your leather. I found the easiest way to do this was to cut the plate sections out of the paper pattern, turning the pattern into a giant stencil that you can lay down on top of your foam or leather and trace inside the holes.

3. Glue the foam plates to the corresponding spot on the leather using Eco-flo leather weld glue. This is a great white glue formula that isn’t toxic and holds a pretty strong bond to leather and other porous materials. I used a paintbrush to quickly apply a medium thickness coat to the face-down side of the foam, then pressed it into the leather. Let the glue dry before proceeding so the plates won’t shift.

4. Next, glue the second layer of leather to the backside of the EVA foam plates so you’ve made a leather and foam sandwich. I found it worked best to work from one end to another in sections of 1-2 square feet at a time, quickly brushing glue over and between the foam plates, lining up and pressing on the second piece of leather, keeping the unglued section folded back and out of the way.

5. Punch holes and set rivets at each corner of the plates! Since everything inside the leather is glued and unmoving, this step becomes a lot easier. I recommend using a drive punch (the kind you hammer) rather than a hand rotary punch since it’s tricky to use it when making a garment as large as Jon’s armor.

Fun fact: There is a total of about 800 rivets on my brother’s Jon Snow costume 😅

[whiskeyteacosplay]

Gyro Hat Sort of Tutorial

Reposting on my new blog and also fixing a bit of my wording/clarifying stuff.

I was asked so here it sort of is! I’m not the best at tutorials so feel free to ask me for clarification.

PLEASE NOTE: Leather work in an expensive hobby, time consuming and dangerous. Please exercise caution when working with these tools. All my supplies are from Tandy Leather unless stated otherwise.

At this point in time for my new hat (all I did was enlargen my pattern a bit so I saved time on that) I’ve invested over 500 minutes and I’m not even ¼th done with the sewing.

Okay so to start you obviously need to get your supplies. For my hat I use 7/8 oz veg tanned hide, a boxcutter with a new blade (or something similar to cut the leather), pens + pencils for marking, a ruler, a 4 in 1 awl, a stitching groover, a spacer set, an edge beveler, an edge slicker, leather stitching needles and waxed nylon thread. Plus whatever dye or paint.

After you’ve gathered your supplies you need to pattern the hat. For me it was literally just grabbing some big paper from an XL Biggie sketchbook I had and messing around until I had a brim shape I liked with a cut out large enough to fit my head in. You can make your own or use a proper pattern whatever works for you! Test the pattern by putting it on sturdy paper or cardstock, assembling with tape and test it to make sure it fits and everything is not too tall/short/big/small. Make adjustments if needed.

Once you’re satisfied with your pattern it’s time to trace it onto the leather. I suggest using a pencil if possible though if you’re careful you can also use a pen since you’ll be edging the leather later on anyways. I use’d scotch tape to hold my pattern in place but something like painter’s tape that wont leave residue or some weights would be better.

When you’ve got it all traced down remove the pattern and CAREFULLY use your box cutter to cut it out of the leather. Work very slowly and make sure you follow the lines. I tend to work in sections and score the line lightly first before pressing harder so I have a grooved path to follow.

Ta-dah! all cut out! Do that for all your pieces and again make sure to be careful.

When all of these are cut out you’re going to want to get a cup of water and a cloth or soft sponge. Wet the edges (best to work one piece at a time and in sections) and use the edge beveler on the outer brim of the hat, top and bottom. I also do just the top side of the top of the hat and nothing to the band, but you’re welcome to do as you see fit. After that’s done you’ll take the groover (i have an adjustable one so i set it to the size of the leather), wet the edges again and do a pass or 3 to get a nice deep groove. You’ll want to do this on the top and bottom of the band, the ends of the band where it’ll be stitched together, the INSIDE edge of the brim and the outer aka only edge of the top. DO NOT groove the outside of the brim, you don’t need stitching lines there. From there you’ll take the spacer and carefully follow the groove, pressing so you get the stitching placement markings. If you love yourself, when that’s done, you can go ahead and use the awl to CAREFULLY poke those stitching indents into holes. I don’t so I do it later which is harder and more work and pain on my part.

With that done you can now map out the slots in the band and brim. I just did a lot of guesstimating on what would look nice and marked it all out with pencil. I put little X’s in the slots so I knew what to actually cut out and to not confuse myself too bad.

Then more careful cutting with your box cutter or blade of choice and some very careful beveling. I only do the topside/outside not the inside. I then use the water to make sure my edges are wet and use the edge slicker for the outside cuts then just the cloth/sponge to wet and press the cut out edges. Leave it to dry COMPLETELY before moving on.

After the pieces have all been set up and readied I go ahead onto the dye step, or in the case of my new hat since I wanted a bone color, the paint step. It’s pretty straight forward, make sure you get the entirely of the top dyed/painted. If you’re doing a dye/stain its a very good idea to have pre poked your holes so the dye can get into them or youll be doing touch ups later.

You can leave the raw side of the leather its regular tan but it does also take dye/paint as well. I painted the underside of the brim since that’s all thats really going to be seen by anyone else.

Paint, edges and groove+indents all there to see! Again let everything FULLY DRY before continuing unless you want to do touchups and be covered in more dye/paint. Time for sewing.

This is by far the most time consuming part and takes ages. Make sure you have the proper leather needles and waxed nylon thread. I’m not too good at explaining how to actually do this so this tutorial here makes it pretty simple! Basically you’ll be using TWO needles and the length of thread. I start by sewing the band into a circle.   When that’s done you can either set the seam to the center back of the brim or the hat top. I did it to the brim for my first hat but to the top for this second one. Since thats a corner edge and not a straight one it’s a bit difficult to make happen but its still a similar stitching style. Take it slow and careful, use the awl again if you need to reopen a stitching hole (wetting the inside of the leather again helps!).

This part is just a looot of time and patience and anime watching. At about 4 episodes into ES21 again I had only completed the back of the band and not even 1/3 of the sewing the band to the top.

When all the sewing is done I err on the side of caution and grab some leather glue and very carefully glue over ALL my stitches, inside and out. If you don’t want to do them all it’s at least a good idea to reinforce the parts where you ran out of thread and had to tie it off and start again. Use a leather seal/finish over the top and you’re done!

[artistic-destiny]

A step by step leather texture Photoshop tutorial. I’m going to show you how to create three different leather textures inside of Photoshop using only filters.

We will begin with the classic pebbled texture, and then I’ll show you how to roughen it up and make it look more like a snakeskin style. The third one is suede or soft grain texture with a nice smooth finish.

[iskafi]

Create A Leather Roper Kind Prolonged Pockets - (Free PDF Template)

Create A Leather Roper Kind Prolonged Pockets – (Free PDF Template)

Here is a make alongside video tutorial for the Roper Prolonged Pockets. This template is a free PDF download on our web self-discipline.

Please notify over with this hyperlink to download the template and ogle the inventory of instruments stale: http://makesupply-leather-based completely mostly.com/templates/beget-roper-style-long-wallet-free-pdf-template-make-alongside-video-tutorial/

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[springfieldleather]

How to Make a Journal Cover

Why not slip your journal into something more durable? Get a leather covered journal, or any book for that matter, by following this simple guide to journal making. If you’re familiar with our YouTube channel, then you’ve likely seen the video we posted a few days ago about making one. Tonya, the star of the video, makes all of the covers for SLC and can make one in as little as 30 minutes. That’s why she is sharing with you the simplest way to make a cover with the most basic supplies. 

Keep reading to check out Tonya’s instructional video and a text version of the instructions below! 

As gift giving season approaches, lots of crafters are looking for good items to sell and journal covers are one of our favorites. These covers are the perfect project for those looking to make something simple, practical and unique. If you have minimal leather crafting supplies, this is the project for you! 

What you’ll need:  Please note that links will be SLC products that are recommended, but that doesn’t mean it’s the one you have to use! For example: if we link to white thread, that doesn’t mean you can’t use thread of another color. Or maybe we linked to a different brand of contact cement than you prefer. Take a look arounf the site, we tend to have more than one variety of each item. Links are meant to be a guide! What your project looks like in the end should always be up to you.  

Journal - whatever style or size you prefer is fine. Just consider the stiffness of the covers when you work on the leather pockets. 

Leather - we recommend light to midweight leather (2.5 - 6 oz.) 

Shears or a utility knife - you want to make sure your scissors will cut through the leather without messing up your edges. If you’re unsure about your scissors, test them out on a scrap piece first. 

Wing Divider 

Contact Cement 

Ruler/Square - a square is optional but will make your job easier

Pen - we used a gel pen, but you can use anything that will show up on leather

Sewing supplies: 

Awl/Waxed thread and needle

Leather sewing machine with nylon thread - you don’t want to use a standard sewing machine on leather. It will not go well. 

Let’s get started: 

Watch the video below for instructions, tips on sewing and to watch Tonya make one herself! Check below the video for written instructions. 

Step One - Laying Out the Leather 

Lay your leather onto a flat surface with the finished side down. Place your journal onto your leather and ensure you have enough material to cover both sides of the book and the spine. If your leather has a pattern or grain, now is the time to consider how you would like it to look on your cover. If you plan to do any decorating on the leather, save that part for later.

Step Two - Create a Pattern

You have your piece and now it’s time to create guides to cut. Use a winged divider or other tool that will create a clear indentation in the leather. A winged divider is ideal as you can trace the shape while creating space between the journal and your markings. You’ll need some extra space around the journal, so if you plan to use something aside from a divider, keep that in mind. Something less than a centimeter will work fine for a journal with thin covers like ours.

Step Three - Cut it Out 

You can use leather shears or a utility knife to cut out the cover. If you decide to use scissors that are not shears, test them by cutting a scrap piece of leather to ensure it won’t fray your edges. An x-acto knife is an acceptable utility knife to use. Just be sure the blades are sharp! You can always clean up your cutting later and you’ll likely have to do a bit of trimming when we get to the pockets so don’t worrying about it too much. Get it as clean as you can in one go and move on.

Step Four - Create Pockets & Strip

After testing the fit of your journal and the leather you’ve just cut out, it’s time to make the pockets that will secure the cover to the journal. Measure the covers of your journal and subtract at least one inch from the width. The amount you will need to take from the width will be dependent upon how stiff your journal covers are. Covers that won’t bend much will likely require more space. Try clamping the leather together to test it out. 

Once you have your dimensions, grab another piece of leather and a ruler. 

Use a pen to mark the dimensions off on your leather. If you have a square, it will help you make sure that all of your lines are straight as they relate to each other. You don’t have to use a square, but it will save you some time. 

Once you have your pockets drawn out, cut them using the same shears or utility knife from step three.  

While you’re in the cutting mood, find a piece of leather that is long enough to wrap around the journal and tie! We used a piece that was six inches longer than the width of our journal. Our strip was one inch wide. You can also skip this step if you don’t want a strip to keep your journal closed. 

Test your pockets out by placing them on your cover. Make sure they’re inside the lines you have marked and that they’re as even as possible. If you have any trimming to do, now is the time. 

Step Five - Secure your pockets 

Use contact cement on three edges of each pocket, leaving one log edge open for the journal to slide in. Apply contact cement to the journal as well for extra hold. This will be especially important for those who are hand-stitching. Try not to go too wild with the glue so that it’s still easy for you to push a needle through. 

Place your pockets on the cover. Be sure to have the finished side of the leather facing you. We used a ruler to make sure that the pockets are resting on the cover evenly.

Step Six - Add your strip 

If you’d like to have a strip of leather secure your journal, it is time to add it to the cover. Apply glue to one end of the strip on both the finished and unfinished sides. Create a small hole between one of your pockets and the cover and place the strip inside. Have the unfinished side facing up. 

Step Seven - Time to sew! 

Now it’s time to put it all together. As we’ve mentioned before, you can do this with a machine or by hand. Please note that using a regular sewing machine on leather will likely cause damage to your needle, if not the entire machine. We do not recommend using standard machines on leather, especially thicker leather. The same goes for hand stitching - using a normal fabric needle and thread are not your best options. 

As far as leather sewing machines, the machine you should use depends on your leather and sewing needs, but just about any leather machine will do as you will not likely be using very heavy weight leather. We used a Cobra Class 20 and #69 nylon thread. 

For additional sewing tips, we recommend checking out the video at this time stamp. Tonya talks you through testing your machine settings, getting around corners and securing your strip. 

For hand-stitching, we recommend waxed thread and leather needles. Sizes to be determined by you! If you’ve never stitched before, we offer detailed hand-stitching instructions for purchase or Denny will show you how for free on our YouTube channel. 

Step Eight - Try it out! 

Your journal cover is complete. Slide your journal in and see how it’s fitting! Make your final snips, burns and adjustments. 

[capslockcosplay]

Leather (gloves) tutorial

While working on Suzaku Kururugi for Anime Boston, Frongi made a boo boo while working on her leather gloves. But anja-chan fixed it. So our leather emergency is about to become YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

Why do we have the authority to talk about working with leather? BECAUSE ANJA-CHAN RIDES HORSES. She knows how to care for tack!

LEATHER NEEDS TO BE CONDITIONED WELL. PERIOD. If it is not, it’ll stiffen and crack. That’s not good.

Frongi decided to submerge a pair of leather gloves in warm water. Good news? They were too small, but while wet and warm, they stretched.

Bad news? DO. NOT. EVER. SOAK. LEATHER. IN. WATER. THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO IT. (Stiff and shriveled!)

The leather shrank as it was drying. (There is a REASON horseback riders clean their tack with special goop and never water.)

So. We have Exhibit 1. Leather gloves that are essentially BEEF JERKY. (They should flop, not stick straight up....)

That leather is VERY THIRSTY. What to do? Exhibit 2. GET YOURSELF SOME GOOD CONDITIONER. 

To condition stiff leather, carefully massage the conditioner/oil into the outside of the leather with WARM HANDS.

Anja-chan says heat will help the leather soak up oil faster, not dry it out more. “Hence the warm hands.” Try sitting in front of a heater!

Exhibit 3, the glove-oiling setup. Towel, heater, leather conditioner. SLATHER THAT LEATHER UP GOOD. 

On conditioning leather, Anja-chan says, “Be able to SEE the oil/wetness on the leather. If you can’t, it means you need to apply more.”

In other words, if the leather doesn’t look wet, it’s absorbed all the oil already. Give it more.

Exhibit 4. Progress. LEATHER FLOPS NOW. Fingers still stiff and we’ve applied oil SIX TIMES, but it’s working .

ROCK ON, CAPS LOCKERS.

- Frongi and anja-chan