Working with suede

[Margaret]

I am hoping to make a hat out of suede, but I have never worked with it before.

I know I need to pick up a specific needle for the machine - but are there any other tips, tricks and Things I Should Know (tm) before I head out there?

[lady serena]

If you are working with true suede make sure its pig skin suede (1-2oz. in weight) that can be sewn on a home machine, some of the suede's are not sewing machine nice. Tandy Leather has some sewing leather books that may help but I'm not positive.

[LadyElizabeth]

I always hand sew my leather stuff because like mentioned, most suedes are not normal sewing machine sewable.  The leatherworkers at fair have very heavy duty machines they use and even at that, a good portion still do things by hand...  But as for needles, the bigger and heavier duty the better!! 

[DragonWing]

  Yes as mentioned, suede is not machine friendly.  You will need a leather needle. At the moment I can not remember the number of the needles. But yes the heavier the better.

[isabelladangelo]

Are you working with suede cloth or actual animal skin?  The two have different properties and need to be worked with differently.  I'd hand sew any actual animal skin.  If you are doing a hat, it won't take too long and will actually look better hand sewn (it's easier to do curves handsewing than machine sewing).

[Randal]

Hand sewing leather is typically done by pre-punching the holes and then sewing using two blunt needles in a saddle stitch. One needle on each end of a piece of thread, and the needles cross at every hole. Like this: =x=x=x=x= (Hope that makes sense)

For very fine work, such as gloves, you can use a Glovers needle, which has a triangular point in order to cut it's own hole.

Randal

[jcbanner]

for handstitching, theres also sawing awls that the end stitch is basically the same as a sewing machine stitch, but they are slow and a pain to use.

with the sewing machine,  I'll second the notion of using pig skin. anything heavier, and I *might* be able to stitch through it, but it normally becomes a giant mess.  even though its suede, its still leather and very dense. thing trying to sew through several layers of duck cloth at one time, only, thats per piece of leather.

I hope thats not discouraging at all, even regular suedes Can be sewn through, I've done it, it just takes patience. 
also, I've noticed that with regular suede, some threads aren't strong enough so I'll have to use heavy craft thread. it will go through a sewing machine, but it tends to gum up if I try and rush things

[renfairpirate]

Schmetz  leather Needles you can get them at joanne's or walmart

[Adriana Rose]

Tandy Leather has the needles that you would need....

they have hand needles that get the job done

[Margaret]

Thanks for all the information everyone.

I actually got the suede from an old coat I ripped up (gotta love Sal Army for costuming sources).  The coat itself was sewn on a machine, and the suede it thin, so I think I am going to give it the old college try and attempt to machine sew it.

If I muck it all up, it's only about  a $10 loss.

Thanks again for the help!   

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

When I have leather or suede work that needs to be done, I take it to my local Shoe Repair. They have the Industrial machines as well as the needles. I do that when I have to replace zippers in leather jacketes.

[Adriana Rose]

Than your machine should be able to handle it... just make sure to get a leather needle other wise you will be cursing your machine!

[Margaret]

Than your machine should be able to handle it... just make sure to get a leather needle other wise you will be cursing your machine!

I curse it on every project I work on, so it's used to it by now.      


However, I will go and get a leather needle.

[Mythrin]

My Singer machine can easily handle thin to medium leather if I go slow with long stitches using a leather needle AND putting a waxed paper between the leather and presser foot to prevent drag.  After it is sewn up you just carefully pull the waxed paper out - sometimes I have to work the little pieces that get stuck under the stitches out.

[RumbaRue]

I made a bodice out of good cowhide - like the kind used for cowboy chaps, and used leather needles on my Bernina and it was great!
When I sold the bodice a few years back, the gal wanted to take it in a bit and took it to her seamstress who told her it was the best made leather bodice she had ever seen! Whoo-hooo to me!