Hand sewing leather is no small feat for a beginner in sewing. But this leather pouch is not in that category. It is a simple pouch and very easy to sew. A good piece of leather, 2 needles, leather sewing thread along with some elbow grease and you are in business.
How to make a leather pouch by hand sewing
Step 1. Cut out leather pieces for your pouch
Take a piece of leather in the dimension 15.5 inches by 4 1/4 inches – you can use any size you want depending on what you intend to carry in it – your phone, or just some cash and a card or two, your car keys or simply your sunglass or your lipgloss, whatever.
You may want to use a piece of lining fabric in the same dimension.
Keep these, one on top of the other. I cut the lining piece a tad smaller than the leather piece – do not trim at the top edge.
Step 2. Fold the leather
Fold it so that the top flap measures 2 1/2 inch in height.
I curved the top edge slightly. You may want to fold the lining piece to the inside, at the top. Instead of this, you can finish the edge of the lining piece with a zig zag stitch.
Step 3. Start stitching
Mark your seam allowance and start stitching. You can use a saddle stitch for this.
Read how to make a Saddle stitch here.
Related post : Tips for Handsewing leather.
You have to make holes to sew through thick leather layers; you will need to make these holes as you sew.
Make consistent even stitches. I believe in preaching rather than practicing. You can obviously do better.
When you end, bring the thread to the middle of the 2 leather layers (as in the picture below) and tie in place. Cut off the extra thread.
Step 4 Make button loop and attach button
You can braid the leather sewing thread to form the loop you need as a fastener.
Fix the thread loop on the back of the flap with glue. (use the strongest glue you have) . I prefer this to stitching it to the flap.
Attach the button. You need a button with a shank. Take one or two stitches in the place where you want the button to be attached and then tie the thread twice in these stitches and then attach the button to this tie – this is easier than sewing the button totally to leather.
Step 5 Finish edges
As it is, this leather pouch is good enough for me.
It fits my phone.
But you may want to finish the edges, rather than leave the leather edges as it is. You can make simple blanket stitches along the edges to finish the leather edge.
Start the stitch from the middle of the two leather layers. Take the needle to the back. Now come to the front and insert the needle through the hole to the back.
Twist the thread around the needle. Pull up the needle and get the thread tight.
Now bring the needle to the front, insert through the next hole. Pull it up.
Bring the needle to the front again and insert the needle through the stitch you just made.
Pull it up. Tighten the stitch. Your first blanket stitch enveloping the edge is made. Keep doing it, till the whole edge is covered.
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