Can I Sew Leather with a Normal Sewing Machine and How?

Don't you ever ask yourselves, "Can you sew leather on a home sewing machine?"

We did wonder that question and found that the answer is YES. The best sewing machine for beginners can sew through leather.

Keep reading the article. We will give you an explanation. There is no considerable difference between a regular sewing machine and a heavy-duty one, except for the durability of the components and frame, which means that an excellent regular machine made by trusted brands with high quality can sew through whatever fabrics you through at it.

Sew Leather with a Normal Sewing Machine

You only need to add a little modification to the machine, and then you will get a leather-sewing one.

Here are tips for sewing leather at home with a regular machine, don't miss them out.

• CHANGE YOUR PRESSER FOOT: This is an essential step to make your sewing machine leather-ready. Typically, a presser foot will prevent the leather from feeding smoothly with its sticky distance. The good news is that you can fix this distance by changing the regular foot to a roller foot or Teflon foot. Then, your machine is now ready to sew leather.

• CHANGE YOUR NEEDLE: The second most significant change to make is the needle. To sew leather, you will need a leather needle. It is a special kind of needle that is strong enough to go through the heaviness of leather. The regular one can't do this task, and it will break right away. However, keep in mind that only an excellent quality regular sewing machine can sew leather. The best cheap sewing machine for beginners with poor feature choices and weak construction can't work with leather.

• CHANGE YOUR STITCH LENGTH: The third point that doesn't work well with leather is the regular stitching length. To sew leather effectively, you need a longer-than-normal stitch distance (3.5 is a decent number). However, notice that no matter which height does you adjust, it must be shorter than a basting stitch.

• USE THE RIGHT THREAD: Basically, you can use whatever thread you have to sew leather. But weak cloth (like cotton) can't last long with leather. So, our advice is to use the right and strong thread (such as polyester or nylon). Otherwise, it isn't necessary to use heavy-duty top-stitching thread.

• ALWAYS TEST FIRST: The last tip we want to remind you is that always test first. In a heavy-duty but sensitive fabric like leather, any stitches will be a permanent mark. You can't re-stitch it, can't fix the mistake, and can't undo whatever you sew with leather. So, take scrap leather and test whatever you are going to sew first. Think twice and plan carefully before you make any decision of sewing with leather.

Home-sew leather items

If you still have wonders and doubts about sewing, check this article: What Is a Good Sewing Machine For Beginners and Novice Sewers to learn more. There is no room for mistakes when you sew with leather. So, be careful and well-planned!

So, my dear friends, if you buy the "right" regular sewing machine, you can sew whatever you want with it. Of course, you have to make some adjustments, but it is possible. Be wise, search carefully, and make the right purchasing decision, and there will be a lot of things you can do with a sewing machine.