How to Sew a Tear in Leather

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Leather is a tough, durable fabric that can lend an exotic air to your wardrobe. It is, however, very expensive to purchase. A more economical option is to buy "skins" of leather and sew your own clothing. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when sewing with leather, but overall, it's not as difficult as you may think.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

A leather needle for your sewing machine. Ordinary sewing needles will break very easily if you try to use them on leather. Also, leather needles are very sharp, so they can pierce the leather more quickly.
Polyester thread. Cotton thread isn't strong enough to hold pieces of leather together. Polyester thread will provide more strength and be more durable.
Two-sided leather tape. You won't be able to pin patterns to pieces of leather or baste seams without leaving holes in the leather. Leather tape is a safe option that won't damage the fabric.
Rotary cutter. Scissors will leave unsightly, rough edges on leather. Rotary cutters cut smoothly and neatly.
Leather presser foot for your sewing machine. A leather presser foot will secure the leather as you sew, without scraping or marking the pieces.

Step1

Choose pieces of leather for your project. There are four main types of leather: Cowskin--the heaviest type of leather, better for clothing that requires very little drape, such as coats and pants; pigskin--a midweight leather, more versatile than cowskin, but it has large pores and doesn't come in large pieces, as cowskin does; lambskin--very delicate and lightweight, comes in relatively small pieces and is not as durable as cowskin and pigskin; snakeskin--very fragile and is not suitable for most clothing. It can, however, be used for purses and belts.When you go to a leather shop to choose skins, be careful to choose pieces which have the same finish and are the same shade. Most leather pieces are measured in square feet, as opposed to other fabrics, which are normally measured in yards of 45" wide material. You may also want to consider suede or synthetic leather, which can provide a similar look at a much lower price.

Step2

Begin constructing your leather garment--almost. Because you can't go back and rip out sections that were measured incorrectly without leaving ugly pinholes in the leather, it's a good idea to make a sample of your project first, using an inexpensive cotton material. Make any necessary adjustments to the pattern, then carefully take the pieces apart and use them as patterns to cut the leather.

Step3

Tape the pattern to the leather using two-sided leather tape and cut them out with a rotary cutter. If you're more comfortable marking the pattern on the leather, use an easily removable writing medium, such as chalk.

Step4

Use a fairly long stitch sew the pieces together. If you use too small of a stitch, it will create a perforating effect on the leather, which can make it tear easily. If your sewing machine skips a stitch, finish the seam, then go back and mend the skipped area by hand. Always knot thread at the beginning and end of seams, rather than backstitching, which will make unnecessary holes in the leather.