How to Use Glue on Washable Leather Appliques

Soft-Sole Leather Shoes with Leather Appliques

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By mistymq
eHow Community Member

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If you are like me, you have had problems sewing (or keeping) small pieces of leather appliqués on your washable goods. There are a lot of glues available for leather artists, but none of them were designed to stay on through the washing cycle. Not too surprising, considering most leather items were never intended to be washed.

Leather’s tendency to rip along perforated lines makes it impossible to reinforce small pieces of an appliqué as well as they should be to prevent them from coming loose in the wash. Whether you are adding a leather appliqué to a clothing item or attaching it to the top of your soft-sole leather shoe, the proper glue can make a huge difference.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Contact Cement

When I first started having problems with pieces of my appliqués washing off I contacted my local leather store and was told to use Contact Cement. After purchasing a bottle I took it home and tried it out. It worked fine on rough leather, just not finished or smooth leather. The instructions actually state that you need to “roughen” up the area. How do you roughen up (with sandpaper, mind you) a space the size of a pencil head? I used contact cement on some antenna balls on an appliqué for my son’s shoes. They stayed on through three days of intense play and then I washed them. One antenna made it through the wash, the other did not.
Step 2

Fabric Glues

Since I wanted the item to be washable, I decided to try fabric glues. I tried several different brands; some adhered immediately and others had to sit for 24 hours. All of them came off in the wash. I finally tried Liquid Stitch and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s easy to use, easy to clean up afterwards, and EVEN ON SHINY leather it holds through the washing machine!
Step 3

Applying the Glue

Applying the glue, Liquid Stitch, lightly has worked out best for me. After cutting out my appliqué pieces I apply glue to them and assemble them on the shoe top exactly as they should go. This allows me to be sure the appliqués are placed exactly in the same place on each shoe and facing the correct way. It will also prevent the leather of the shoe or the appliqué from becoming stretched while sewing the appliqué on.

When the glue is dry I sew around any open edges; making sure each piece of leather has some seam through it. The glue allows me to use less stitches and keeps the appliqués in place; even through the wash.

Comments

mistymq said

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on 11/27/2007 I honestly don't know of any place you can purchase leahter applique designs, except my website. http://www.makethemyourself.com/appliques.html.

While most of the designs are child related I do cary a few designs that cross over. Best of all, each set is only $3 and sent via email.

However, you can make your own appliques. The main thing is to keep them simple. Look for coloring pages or clipart on the subject you want to use and then resize until you get about the size you want. Try to cut as few pieces as possible and use hole punches for small circles.

Good luck! Misty