Sewing with leather

Recently, I had the good fortune to get some small pieces of really good quality leather. This stuff is thick and so, so soft. The texture is just beautiful. I decided I would have to try to sew with it; it would be an absolute shame to ignore it :)

I decided I would try my hand at making an I-pod pouch for the hubs; it's small but useful, and in leather I think they seem like they are a little luxury in your day.

I've never sewn with leather before, so it was a learning experience. Expecially as this leather was extremely thick and soft. These are my two very first attempts, which I think are not bad for a first try!

I decided to use the red as a contrast rather than to be matchy matchy.

I added a press stud closure to one pouch, the other I left as a simple leather pouch.

Basically I just measured an I-pod and left enough room to sew a seam.

Now I think I've got the hang of making them and figured out how to do even better with my next lot. As I practicised making these, I was able to improve the straigtness of my seams (the leather can slip around a bit so it takes patience) and the overall appearance.

Here are some tips I have found for anyone who wants to sew with leather:

Use a proper leather needle

Sew slow

Use a longer stitch length than normal

One tip I have heard is to dust leather lightly with baby powder so it slides through your machine easier.

Please take caution with this, do it at your own risk. I tried it and think it worked for me. If you have a Teflon foot for your machine, you probably won't need to do this.

Don't use pins, they mark the leather. Try pegs or paper clips if you need to keep it in place.

You can't unpick (will leave marks) so SEW SLOW! :)

Whaddya think?