Can My Sewing Machine Sew Leather?

If you have a one-off project with leather, you may be asking yourself if it is possible to sew without ruining your machine. There are a few common-sense factors like the thickness of the leather and the robustness of your machine.  

1. Use the Right Presser Foot 

A regular sewing machine foot doesn’t feed leather very well and has a tendency to stick to it a little if the leather is smooth or has any sheen to it. The way around this is to switch the foot out with either a roller foot or a Teflon foot. Either makes feeding and guiding much easier.

2. Use the Right Needle 

Having the right needle is always critical. The term “Universal” is such a misleading name! In this case, you need a chisel-tipped leather needle that cuts through the leather. Many needles simply push through the fabric. Keep extras for when your needle starts to get dull or (eek!) breaks.

3. Use the Right Stitch Length 

There isn’t a hard and fast rule here, but the picture indicates a standard stitch length. Longer than when sewing fabric.

4. Use the Right Thread

Most people will suggest you only use polyester or nylon threads, as they won’t react with the leather. That’s true, but since most of what I would sew is for historically accurate items, I can’t bring myself to use them. Cotton can react to the tannins in leather, so if you go this route, use the heaviest acceptable gauge. Additionally, there is linen thread. Plain white or natural is best for historical-recreation-work as linen was difficult to dye. Generally, most leather items look nicer with a heavy thread.

5. TAPE, DON’T PIN: 

Pins should not be used in smooth or glossy leathers, as they’ll leave a permanent hole. Instead, hold pieces in place before sewing by taping them together with double-sided tape. Simply apply a line of tape between the two pieces of leather you want to sew, placing the tape along the edge of your leather, within what will be the seam allowance. Then sew your seam, and the tape will remain inside the seam allowance (no need to try to remove it). Believe it or not, this is a standard leather construction method, and if you could peek inside the seams of commercially-made leather goods, you would likely find tape or glue in the seam allowances.

6. ALWAYS TEST FIRST: 

Sewing leather can be unforgiving; any stitches you sew will leave a permanent mark, so it’s not always as easy to fix mistakes as sewing with fabric. For this reason, be sure to use scrap leather to test your thread, stitch length, tension, and general performance of your machine to make sure you’re on the right track before beginning your actual project. 

7. PLAN WELL: 

Most home sewing machines can’t handle sewing through a lot of layers of leather, so choose simple projects without a lot of detail or bulky areas. Our leather tote kit is designed with minimal seams so that it’s doable on a home machine, but if you’re planning your own leather sewing project, avoid any patterns or designs with very thick layering. We find that most home machines can sew through a maximum of about three layers of medium-weight leather. (Remember to account for any areas where you’ll be sewing across seams, as those count in the total number of layers!) 

In the event you plan to invest in a dedicated leather sewing machine, watch the below video for an inspirational and inexpensive solution.