Guide | Saddle stitch sewing: how to sew leather by hand?

HOW TO SEW LEATHER BY HAND?
VIDEO: SELLIER STITCH TECHNIQUE

1- Glue the leather pieces to be assembled with water-based leather glue - aquagum (in a net of approximately 4 mm). Put glue on each part: contact glue. Do not stick directly, let dry for 5/10 minutes.

2- After assembling the pieces, trace the seam line with a tree cutter, a shaper or a dry-point compass between 3 and 5 mm from the edge. The stitching should not be too close to the edge of the leather.

3- With a mallet and a hammer: mark the sewing points. The goal is not to pierce the leather entirely but only part of its thickness.

We have chosen to mark the points next to the drawn line in order to keep a decorative net (only possible on vegetable tanned leather) . For beginners, you can mark the points directly on the line.

We advise you to use a plastic or polymer hammer so as not to damage your tools.

4- Cut a linen thread: generally equivalent to 4 or 5 times the length of the sewing line. If you have to do a long seam, take a load = arms length so you don't have to handle meters of thread.

Wax the thread with beeswax: pass it 3 times and dry it. It is important to wax the thread before sewing to bond the fibers of the thread together, protect it and prevent it from tangling.

Thread a needle into each end of the thread:

• Stitch the thread at needle height then stitch it twice.
• Crush the end of the thread and pass it through the eye of the needle.
• Pull on the thread to make the knot (see photo).
• Do the same thing to thread the other end of the thread onto the second needle.

Don't have enough thread to finish your sewing? We invite you to watch our video (from minute 14) where we explain how to make a connection. Purists will tell you that it is forbidden but it can sometimes be useful!

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5- Tighten the leather in the jaws of the saddle pliers / sewing pliers and allow the sewing line to protrude approximately 4 mm above the jaws.

6- Pierce the leather with the awl with pliers (diamond awl): raise your elbow to the height of the sewing line and form a right angle (90°) to the piece. Be careful, respect the drilling angle with the diamond awl or you risk not having a beautiful seam.

7- Start sewing with saddle stitch. You should always sew towards yourself.

For a question of aesthetics, in our video we start our sewing at the 4th point in order to make 3 double stitches and thus have symmetry in relation to our end seam (the 3 stopping points) => to be done only if the seams do not meet.

You can also simply start your sewing from the first stitch by evening out the threads or making a saddle stitch (when you are at the edge of a piece - e.g. card holder) .

• Left hand: pass the needle using the iron of the awl (photo n°1).
• Right hand: form a cross and pull on the needle (photo no. 2).
• Pull the threads towards you so as not to create a marriage* and pass the needle (right hand) in front of the thread you have just passed (photo no. 3).
• Take the thread from the left side and pass it over the needle towards the outside: make a comma (photo n°4).

Our advice for having beautiful sewing: practice ! Gestures must become mechanical.

*Marriage: when one thread fits into the other thread (forms a kind of knot): a mixture of threads.

8- Pull on each needle to tighten the stitch : left hand upwards and right hand towards you - diagonally at approximately 45° to the leather. You must tighten the point well (use your thumbs) and have the same tightening force for each point.

9- Make 3 stopping stitches with a round awl to enlarge the holes: do not make a comma / pass the thread over the needle. Cut the thread flush then put a dot of glue on each side.

10- Hammer the seam with a riveting hammer or a joining hammer: pay attention to the striking angle and do not hit too hard so as not to damage/mark the leather.

All you have to do is work the slices with a trimmer then a slice finisher or a finishing gum (tokonole / tragacanth gum).

WHICH THREAD AND NEEDLE TO CHOOSE FOR SEWING LEATHER?

The most commonly used thread diameter for hand sewing leather is:

For leather goods (handbag, satchel, etc.).

• 632 – Fil Au Chinois
• M50 – Meisi
• Ø 0.55 mm

For small leather goods (card holders, wallets, etc.).

• 832 Fil Au Chinois
• M40 – Meisi
• Ø 0.45 mm

The reference round-tipped needle (L3912) from Deco Cuir is size 002 - Ø1 mm. You can use this needle for all your “standard” leather goods creations. For small leather goods, choose size 004 - Ø0.8 mm.

To find out more about choosing the right needle and thread for sewing leather, we invite you to consult our guide:

THE TOOLS NECESSARY FOR POINT SELLIER SEWING

SELLIER CLAMP
The sewing pliers are essential for sewing leather by hand because they will serve as a third hand to hold the piece of leather. The clamp is positioned between the legs. We advise you to protect the beak of your pliers with self-adhesive leather to prevent the diamond awl from damaging it. We also advise you to have a small 10 cm wedge under your foot in order to have better support for the pliers.

Awls
The round awl allows you to enlarge the holes without breaking/damaging the thread to help the passage of the needles, especially when starting and finishing sewing.

The pliers awl, also called a diamond or diamond awl, allows you to pierce the leather before sewing with saddle stitch (hand sewing the leather).
Tip: remember to sharpen your awl carefully to avoid straining and damaging your leather.

HOW TO SHARPEN AN AAW WITH PLIERS?

To have quality work, you need quality tools. To do this, remember to sharpen and sharpen your tools regularly!

LEARN MORE

TRACE THE SEWING LINE
The shaper, the frog and the dry point compass are 3 tools that allow you to trace the seam line: choose the tool that suits you!
The compass is useful for going to the middle of a room and the tree frog can also dig a furrow to embed the thread and protect the seam.

MARK THE SEWING STITCHES
The striking claw or the stitch marking wheel allows you to have sewing stitches at regular intervals.

Below is a quick summary of our favorite tools:

We have drawn on our experience to offer you the essential tools for sewing leather by hand in a starter kit (3 ranges: Essential, Essential + and Premium).

HOW TO SEW IN ROUNDS?

The technique is the same for rounded sewing! We invite you to mark your points with a marking wheel which will be the easiest tool to use (or a 2-pronged claw). The drilling angle with your awl and pliers must follow the inclination of the points.

HOW TO SEW AT AN ANGLE AND WHAT IS DOUBLE STITCHING?

Learn corner sewing by making a Choupette©. In this guide we will discuss different technical points including double-scratching and missing points!

SEE THE COMPLETE GUIDE >

WHICH LEATHER TO CHOOSE FOR SELLIER STITCH SEWING?

The ideal is to select thick leather (at least 1.2 mm thick) and not too soft. We invite you to read our guide on the different leather finishes.

WHICH LEATHER TO CHOOSE FOR MY CREATION?

HOW TO USE A STRIKE CLAW?

The punching claw will allow you to have a regular seam. Several factors must be taken into account to have a beautiful seam:

• Always keep the claw perpendicular to the leather and stable;
• Always go back 3 points;
• Always claw with the net to your right;
• Always start by working the corners with a 2-tooth claw: the rule is that the point located in the corner must always point towards the center of the part;
• Never use a mallet with a 2-pronged claw as this could pierce the leather and damage it.

There is no direction to hold the claw: the point is the same on both sides.
We advise you to use a plastic or polymer hammer so as not to damage your tools.

The different types of claws to hit:

You can discover 2 types of claws in our store:
1- The pricking point marking claws (straight line also called “comb”) allow you to mark the leather with the right inclination to facilitate “insertion” of the awl.
2- The diamond-tipped striking claws (diamond) allow you to pierce the leather like an awl with pliers. Be careful to keep it perpendicular otherwise your seam will be biased on the wrong side. If your leather is thick, we do not recommend drilling it entirely but only over a large part of its thickness (pre-drilling): otherwise your stitch will not be pretty.

For a question of aesthetics, we prefer the pricking tip.

What is the difference between a standard stitch and a reverse stitch?

The “inverted” claw point is symmetrical to the “standard” point. This stitch is generally used for double-dogging sewing or to make a connection on a creation that has been sewn with a professional sewing machine.

Claws with an "inverted" point are generally called "left-handed claws": this is a misnomer as there are no left-handed or right-handed claws. As a reminder: there is no direction to hold the claw, the point is the same on both sides.

Which center distance (impact claw) to choose?

The center distance is the distance between two points: it must be chosen according to the item you wish to create: aesthetic choice. The "standard" for leather goods creations is the center distance 3.38 mm - n°8 (3 points per centimeter) . To find out which center distance to choose for your creation, we invite you to consult our guide:

How to adjust the spacing/center distance of the last sewing stitches?

When you only have a few points left to score with your punching claw, there may be a slight lag. It is therefore necessary to adjust the spacing of the last points by eye or using our Plexiglas template to avoid these offsets (points too large or too small).

WITH A TEMPLATE

SEE THE TEMPLATE ARTICLE SHEET >

WITH THE NAKED EYE

WHAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HAND SEWING OF LEATHER AND MACHINE SEWING?

Unlike machine sewing, the saddle stitch technique allows each of the two threads to pass above and below the layers of leather. The seam is therefore stronger: if one of the threads breaks, the seam does not come undone and can be repaired.

SEE THE GUIDE >

Sewing the leather with saddle stitch allows you to obtain a beautiful inclined stitch on both sides (right side and wrong side).

WHAT IS SIMPLIFIED LEATHER SEWING?

So-called simplified sewing consists of piercing the sewing points using a round punch cutter. This straight stitch is mainly aimed at beginners.

WHERE TO TRAIN IN POINT SELLIER SEWING?

Come learn saddle stitch sewing during a training day in our premises located in Campbon between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire (44 - Loire Atlantique).