Leather Repair
How to Sew Leather: Hand or Machine, Tools, Settings and Seams
Sew leather by hand with an awl and saddle stitch, or on a machine with a leather needle, polyester thread and a longer stitch. Never pin it. Here's how.
You can sew leather by hand or on a sewing machine. By hand, you punch holes with an awl and saddle stitch with two needles. On a machine, you use a leather needle, polyester or nylon thread and a longer stitch. Either way, hold the pieces with clips, glue or basting tape, never pins, because every hole in leather is permanent.
This guide helps you choose between hand and machine, then walks through machine sewing. For the full hand method, see how to sew leather by hand. Both are part of our leather repair at home series.
Key takeaways- No pins: they leave holes. Use clips, glue or double-sided basting tape.- Machine: leather needle, polyester or nylon thread, longer stitch, and a Teflon, roller or walking foot if you have one.- Sources disagree on home machines. One patch maker says use a machine only if it's built for leather; sewing bloggers sew thin leather on ordinary machines.- Test on a doubled scrap before you sew the real piece.- By hand, the saddle stitch is the usual choice for strength.
Hand or machine: which should you use?
Tandy and Make both say a saddle stitch outlasts a machine stitch. Those are craft suppliers' and writers' views, not test results.
Can a regular sewing machine sew leather?
Sources disagree. A patch maker says to sew leather by machine only if the machine is designed for leather. Two sewing bloggers sew thin leather on ordinary home machines, with a leather needle and a longer stitch. What they agree on: check the thickness your machine can handle first, and don't force it.
For scale, Leather Collection lists its biker jacket leathers as 0.8 to 1.3 mm thick, depending on style. Test your own machine on a doubled scrap of the leather you plan to sew.
| Column 1 | Hand (saddle stitch) | Sewing machine (lockstitch) | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Two needles pass through each hole from opposite sides | One needle, upper and bobbin thread | – |
| Strength claim | Tandy: if one stitch breaks, the rest of the seam holds | No source compares seam strength | – |
| Speed and evenness | Slower; more hand fatigue | Faster and more uniform, says Sailrite, which sells leather machines | – |
| Thick leather | Pierce with an awl, from both sides if needed | Limited by what your machine can handle | – |
| Best for | Repairs, small goods, thick leather, no machine | Thin garment leather, long straight seams | – |
What you need
Schmetz leather machine needles come in sizes 70/10 to 90/14 for thin leather and faux leather, and 100/16 to 110/18 for leather and leather upholstery. Leather needles dull faster than regular ones, so keep spares.
| Item | Hand | Machine | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needles | Two blunt harness needles | Leather needle with a cutting point, sized to the leather | – |
| Thread | Waxed polyester or waxed linen | Polyester or nylon, not cotton | – |
| Hole-making | Awl, plus pricking irons or a fork to space holes | The needle makes the holes | – |
| Presser foot | Not needed | Teflon, roller or walking foot helps; a standard foot can work | – |
| Holding | Clips, glue or basting tape | Clips, glue or basting tape | – |
| Cutting | Craft knife or rotary cutter and a cutting mat | Same | – |
How to hold leather pieces before you sew
Pins leave permanent holes, and they can ripple the leather. Use one of these instead:
- Binder or sewing clips. Easy and removable. Sailrite warns that the teeth on some fabric clips can mark the grain.
- Leather glue. Rough the surface, apply a thin coat to both pieces only where they'll join, and press. Glued pieces don't shift when you sew.
- Double-sided basting tape. Mess-free, but it gums up the needle. Clean the needle with alcohol or run it through soap.
Leather Collection's care page says not to put tape on its leather. That advice covers a finished garment's surface; basting tape goes between layers you're sewing. Test any tape on a scrap first. For a full gluing method, see how to glue leather to leather.
How to sew leather on a sewing machine
Step 1: Fit a new leather needle
Choose the size for your leather's thickness. Start with a fresh one.
Step 2: Thread with polyester or nylon
Cotton thread breaks down over time, because the tannins in leather attack it. Use polyester or nylon in both the top and the bobbin.
Step 3: Set a longer stitch
Use a longer stitch than you would for fabric. Short stitches can sink in and crease the leather. They can also perforate it like a tear line. You may need to loosen the tension a little.
Step 4: Change the presser foot if you can
Leather sticks to a standard metal foot. A Teflon foot, roller foot or walking foot helps it feed evenly.
Step 5: Sew a test seam
Double up a scrap of the same leather and sew a line. Check the tension, the stitch length and whether the machine copes with the thickness.
Step 6: Clip or glue the pieces
Line up the edges and clip them, or glue them where the seam will go.
Step 7: Sew slowly, forward only
Hold both thread tails as you start, so the feed dogs don't pull the leather down. Creative Curator sews forward only and doesn't backstitch. Sew slowly; don't force the machine. If the face of the leather faces the feed dogs, watch for scuffing.
Step 8: Glue the seam allowance flat
Finger-press the allowances open, then glue them down with a thin, even layer.
Which seam should you use?
Creative Curator prefers the lapped seam to the welt seam for thicker leather, because it is less bulky.
| Seam | How it's built | Bulk | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open (plain) seam | Sewn right sides together, allowances glued open | Lowest | – |
| Lapped seam | One piece laid over the other and topstitched; usually glued rather than clipped | Two layers | – |
| Welt seam | Plain seam with both allowances pushed to one side and stitched down | Three layers | – |
How to sew leather by hand (short version)
- Glue or clip the pieces, rough sides together.
- Mark a stitch line and even hole spacing.
- Punch the holes with an awl, from both sides on thick leather.
- Saddle stitch with a needle on each end of one thread, then backstitch to lock it.
The full 10-step method, with thread-length tables, is in how to sew leather by hand.
Sewing faux leather
One sewing blogger says faux leather is sewn the same way as real leather. The Schmetz needle sizes for artificial leather start at 70/10. Clip it rather than pinning, as you would real leather. For tears in faux leather, see how to repair faux leather.
Sewing for repairs
- A split seam: restitch it through the old holes by hand. See how to sew leather by hand.
- A tear: back it, glue it, then fill or stitch. See how to repair ripped leather.
- A patch: a leather needle, polyester thread and a longer stitch on a machine, or a backstitch by hand. See how to sew patches onto leather.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinning | Permanent holes and ripples | Clips, glue or basting tape | – |
| Cotton thread | Breaks down in contact with leather | Polyester or nylon | – |
| Short stitch length | Stitches sink in; holes act like a tear line | Longer stitch | – |
| Universal needle | No cutting point for leather | Leather needle with a cutting point | – |
| No test seam | Every hole is permanent | Test on a doubled scrap | – |
| Overloading the machine | Bent needle | Check the machine's limit; hand sew thick leather | – |
| Basting tape on the needle | Gummed-up needle | Clean it with alcohol or soap | – |
Where Leather Collection fits
Leather Collection doesn't sell sewing kits, thread or repair supplies. If you're sewing on a garment you bought there, its leather care instructions say not to put pins, adhesive badges or tape on the leather, and to test products on a hidden area. For hems, it suggests a small amount of rubber cement.
FAQ
Can I sew leather on a regular sewing machine?
Sources disagree. Sewing bloggers sew thin leather on home machines with a leather needle and a longer stitch. A patch maker says use only a machine designed for leather. Test your machine on a doubled scrap first.
Do I need a special needle to sew leather?
Yes. Machine leather needles have a cutting point. Hand stitchers use blunt harness needles and make the holes with an awl first.
Is it better to sew leather by hand or machine?
By hand for thick leather, small items and repairs; Tandy says a saddle stitch holds even if one stitch breaks. A machine is faster on thin leather and long seams.
What is the best way to join two pieces of leather together?
Glue them where they overlap, then stitch if the seam takes strain. See how to glue leather to leather.
How do you sew through thick leather?
By hand: punch the holes with an awl, working from both sides if the leather is thick. By machine: check what thickness your machine can handle and use a larger leather needle.
hosob Editorial Team
hosob articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.