Sewing Leather & Sewing Vinyl

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Sewing leather or vinyl (faux leather) trim when sewing clothing, bags and clutches can add a deluxe look to your finished product. Did you know that you can sew vinyl and leather on your home sewing machine? With a few simple tools and adjustments, you can get professional looks for your purse sewing patterns or clothing sewing patterns at home.

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There is not much difference between sewing leather and vinyl (also called faux leather). Faux leather often has a fabric backing which actually makes it easier to sew on the wrong side. Sewing on the right side is the same as the leather can be sticky and prevent the material from gliding through the sewing machine.

Can I sew leather on my regular machine? Yes, you definitely can! All you need is a few adjustments and tools and some scraps to start practicing on.

If you will be sewing leather regularly you may want to purchase a heavy-duty machine but otherwise, you don’t need anything special.

Further Reading: Leather Sewing Machine

The main considerations when sewing leather on your regular machine are:

Thickness of leather
Needles
Machine feet
Backings
Extra tools
Thread types
Pinning methods
Stitch length

Tip #1: Choose the correct thickness of leather/vinyl

Choose a leather/vinyl thickness that your machine can handle. For parts such as pockets, just use the leather/vinyl on top of the flap and fabric underneath.

For vinyl choose thin to medium thicknesses. For leather choose sheepskin or thinner goatskin. Heavy leathers are best sewn on a specialized leather machine with a strong motor. Something like this belt shown in the photo below is easy to sew with your regular sewing machine as it was made from soft sheepskin.

Choose a matt or satin finish like this belt. Don’t try and sew patent (extra shiny, wet look) leather with your regular machine as it is too sticky.

TIP #2: Use Leather Needles

Leather needles are sharp and pierce through the vinyl or leather eliminating skipped stitches. Schmetz, Singer, Hemline (Klass) and Birch brands all manufacture specialized leather needles.

Choose a needle size appropriate to the leather you are sewing. Look for needles in sizes 14,16 or 18 that will be strong and not bend. I usually use a 100/16 size for light to medium leather.

If you are halfway through your project and you suddenly start getting skipped stitches, check the needle hasn’t bent or gotten blunt. Sewing leather will test the needles and they can wear out quickly. Replace the needle and start sewing again.

Further Reading: Sewing needle guide

TIP #3: Machine Foot

When sewing leather or vinyl, use a Teflon foot or roller foot rather than your regular foot. These stop the vinyl or leather sticking to the bottom of the foot and keeps your tension and stitches even.

Personally, I think Teflon feet are much less bulky and easier to use as the open toe makes it easier to see where you are stitching. They are available cheaply for most makes of machine.

You can see in my photo below how well-loved my Teflon foot is (middle foot).

If you dont’ have either of these feet, try a walking foot. While bulkier again the walking foot will not stick to the surface of the leather as it lifts slightly in between stitches.

TIP #4: Tissue Paper

If you can’t get a Teflon or walking foot, place tissue paper over the leather or vinyl and stitch through all layers. You can then rip it out when you are finished. Just be careful when you are removing the tissue paper so you don’t cause loops in your stitching.

TIP #5: Get a hammer

You can’t iron vinyl or leather, so where the pattern calls for seams to be pressed, gently hammer the edges instead. The best kind of hammer to use is one with a very flat hitting surface. If you need really flat seams or for the seams to stay open, put a little leather glue underneath before you hammer them down.

A hammer is also great for reducing bulk in seams. Just hit gently to compress the vinyl to make it easier for your machine to go over. Stop the hammer marking the leather/vinyl by putting a cotton cloth in between before striking.

TIP #6: Use a quality thread

When sewing leather, use a strong polyester thread that won’t break. Don’t even try a cheap thread as the seams will just break. My favorite is Rasant but Coats and Gutterman make strong threads as well.

For topstitching and seams that need to be durable, use a thicker or specialized leather thread. Don’t use 100% cotton thread in leather as the chemicals in the leather tend to rot the thread over time.

TIP #7: Don’t use pins

Pin marks will show in your leather or vinyl so use double-sided tape or leather glue to hold pieces in place.

If you are using double-sided tape, use a quality brand that won’t gum up the needle or don’t place the tape directly under your stitching line. You can purchase double-sided tape from leather retailers.

Always make sure any glue you use dries clear just in case you accidentally get some on the right side of the leather.

Alternatively, pin within the seam allowance or use wonder clips. Stationary clips can also be used to temporarily hold seams.

TIP #8: Use longer stitches

Shorter stitches will cause the vinyl to perforate so when straight stitching try a length of 3.0. See how it looks and gently pull the seam to see how it looks.

Zig-zag makes a great decorative look and holds down any raw edges when doing applique. Try a zig-zag with a width of 5.0 and a length of 2.5.

Sewing Leather | In Conclusion

Now you have all the tips for sewing leather, grab a scrap of leather or vinyl and start practicing! Always keep any leather scraps as you can piece them together and make something nice like this little purse. Scraps also make nice applique pieces for leaves, flowers and initials.

Please Pin Image 🙂

Learn how to sew with more fabrics

Now you know all about sewing cotton fabric, check out these other fabrics listed alphabetically.

CHIFFON – Sewing Chiffon
BATIK – What is Batik
CANVAS – Sewing Canvas
COTTON – Sewing Cotton
DENIM – Sewing Denim
FELT – Sewing Felt
FUR – Sewing Fur
KNITS – How to Sew Stretch Fabric
INTERFACING – Types of Interfacing
LACE – How to Sew Lace
LEATHER – Sewing Leather
RAYON – Sewing Rayon
SHEER – Sewing Sheer Fabrics
SILK – How to Sew Silk
THICK – Sewing Thick Fabrics
VELVET Sewing Velvet
WOOL – Sewing Wool

Sewing Leather & Sewing Vinyl – 8 steps to perfect stitching

SEWING LEATHER & SEWING VINYL