Finally figured out a better way to hand stitch leather edges

I have been working on a small leather wallet project for about three weeks now. The saddle stitching has always given me trouble because the thread keeps tangling and I spend half my time untangling knots. Last night I tried wetting the thread with beeswax before pulling it through each hole and it made a huge difference. The wax kept the thread from twisting up and the stitches came out way more even. I also switched to a smaller needle size which helped the holes not get stretched out. My edges still need work but the stitching itself finally looks like something I would show someone. Has anyone else found a trick that took their basic leathercraft from messy to neat in one try?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan_young2926d ago

A buddy of mine swore by a little beeswax and said it made his stitching go from tangled to tidy overnight.

wesley18119d ago

The "tangled to tidy overnight" part is what caught my eye, @logan_young29. Most people think beeswax is just for thread, but have you considered what it does to the needle? That thin coating of wax actually lets the needle slide through the fabric smoother, which cuts down on that jerky motion that tangles your thread in the first place. I tried it on a heavy canvas project last month and my stitches came out way more even without having to re-thread every few minutes. It's not a cure-all but if your buddy saw that big a change, he's onto something with the physics of it. Give it a shot on a scrap piece first though, some materials don't play nice with the wax.