How to Sew With a Leather Awl

Repair stitching in leather goods with an awl.

Leather boots, shoes, belts and handbags, once complete, do not readily slip into a sewing machine if they need repair. Both their shapes and the weight of the leather make them difficult to sew with a needle and thread. A leather stitching awl is a tool that features a needle with an eye near its point, fitted onto a sturdy handle with a built-in spool of thread. With a little manipulation, a leather awl acts like a simple sewing machine, creating a lock stitch on either side of the leather.

Things You'll Need

• Polyester thread
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Place the bobbin spool, loaded with polyester thread suitable for leather, into the slot in the handle of the awl. Thread the eye of the needle.

2. Push the needle through the first stitching hole in the leather item that you are repairing. If you are sewing a new item, pierce the leather with the awl in the place that you want to begin sewing.

3. Pull a length of thread through the eye of the needle (with the awl still pushed through to the other side of the fabric). The thread should be as long as the seam that you need to stitch, plus 50%.

4. Pull the point of the awl back up through the same hole, leaving the length of thread on the other side of the fabric—don't pull it through any farther than necessary. Move to the next hole in the line of stitches, and push through the leather. Do not push down to the handle, just far enough for the eye of the needle to clear the leather.

5. Take the loose end of the thread and pull it through the loop of thread created by the awl. Pull the awl back up through the same hole. Pull the loose end of the thread to adjust the tension on the first lock stitch.

6. Push the tip of the awl through the next hole, bring the other end of the thread through the loop of the stitch, and pull the awl back up. Repeat this until you get to the last stitch in your seam.

7. Insert the tip of the awl through the last hole in the seam. Put the end of the thread through the loop, and pull the awl back through.

8. Pull the awl all the way up until the bottom thread comes up through the same hole. With both threads on the same side of the leather, cut the thread from the awl, leaving a 3-inch tail. Knot the threads together, and trim close to the knot to finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that you can access both sides of the leather.

• Thread a sewing needle with the loose end of the thread to make it easier to manipulate through the loops.

References

• Stitch it All: Instructions
• Apparel Search: Sewing Awl
• Mother Earth News: All About the Sewing Awl

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish