This is probably one of the earliest/oldest techniques.
Because of the introduction of various electric sewing machines, this technique is not often used anymore. Fortunately there are people and books to keep this technique alive.
It is a matter of knowledge of the materials and tools and of course a skill, which you can only obtain by practicing. Your first set of stitches will not be the most beautiful, but you do learn from them. By practicing you learn to pull the tread back when you insert the second needle, so you will not push it through the thread.
To be clear…hand sewing can be done in different ways.
You can use a stitching awl, which uses the same stitch (lock stitch) as a machine, only you do it by hand. The needle pierces the leather from the front, carrying the thread to the back, where a loop is formed. The other end of the thread passes through the loop. This forms the lock stitch when the needle is withdrawn. This is a quick way to make hand stitches, however when the thread wears down, the entire stitch work will ravel out.
Another way of hand sewing is sewing with two needles and one thread. A needle is attached to both ends of a thread. The needles change sides (front/back) while you are sewing. With each stitch you form a ‘knot’ inside the leather for extra strength. This way, when the thread wears down, only a few stitches are lost.
This may sound hard to do, but fortunately everything is explained and illustrated in the book ‘The art of hand sewing leather’.
For more information about the materials and the book, please have a look in our web shop.
