Introduction
Hi everyone,
I’m Sandra from Germany, and I’m excited to join this community.
I have a background in traditional sewing, but I’ve recently decided to move toward leathercraft. As an absolute beginner, I am particularly drawn to the traditional craftsmanship itself. I’m looking forward to the new challenges that working with leather brings and I’m fascinated by the unique design possibilities this material offers compared to fabric.
I’m starting from scratch with my skills and tools, focusing on learning the fundamentals of saddle stitching and proper edge work. For me, it's all about mastering the hand-tool techniques and understanding the nature of the material.
Any tips for someone transitioning from a sewing machine to hand-stitching with a pony and awl would be greatly appreciated!
Best regards, Sandra
Hi Sandra, welcome to the forum!
Coming from machine sewing can actually be an advantage. Your understanding of tension and consistency will transfer over well.
A few tips that will make the transition to stitching pony and awl much smoother:
1) Practice a lot before making anything or starting a project.
2) Focus on maintaining your awl angle more than speed. When sewing, the machine guarantees alignment, in leather, you are the machine, so your awl accuracy is everything. Eventually you will do this on autopilot, and everything becomes second nature.
3) Learn to control thread tension. Most beginners pull too tight and end up with puckered stitches or distorted edges. Consistent tension is the goal. On soft leathers, this means very little tension at all.
4) Start with firm veg tan. It’s much easier to learn clean stitching and edge work on structured leather than on soft chrome tan.
If you already have sewing experience, you’ll probably pick it up faster than you expect.
Looking forward to seeing your first projects! 😊