How to repair a tear in a leather jacket
The leather jacket has always been at the height of fashion. Styles, cut, texture and details change. However, at all times, stylists love to use leather jackets to create relevant images. Cracks, tears, and scuffs eventually appear on outerwear made of artificial or genuine leather.
How to repair a jacket with your own hands
If you have torn a leather jacket, do not despair and hurry to the workshop. Repair of a leather jacket can be carried out on your own, especially if you have a particular machine for sewing leather.
Most often, leather jackets have minor scratches and scuffs. You can repair such damage with a simple cream, orange peel, soda, paint, or glue.
Repair options
If the damage is large-scale, then the manual repair will only spoil the appearance of the product. There are two approaches here: decorate the affected area of the jacket or sew a patch.
When decorating, use rivets and buttons if there are many small holes and damages on the surface. You can make a fringe or a decorative patch pocket; any materials were lying around at home: beads, cords, braid, ribbons, and much more.
Large, torn holes will be closed by an application selected in style and texture, sewn on the principle of a patch on a particular sewing machine for leatherwork.
Secrets of leather jacket repair
Working with the skin has many of its “secrets” and little things that you need to know and consider. For example, when cutting out paired parts, you need to remember that the skin stretches more in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction, so paired elements need to be cut in any direction, but only in the same order.
You can sew soft leather on a sewing machine with 6, 8, or 9 mm with an ordinary needle. There should be a particular machine foot to work with leather for rough sewing leather or thickened areas. Needles for leather look special. Instead of a usual tip, it has a piece of triangular information.
The sewing machine’s stitch length when sewing leather should not be too small since, with frequent punctures, the skin will tear at the joints.
What kind of sewing machine can you use to sew leather
Not every sewing machine can sew leather. Treat your sewing machine carefully, and do not try to sew thick and coarse fabrics, leather products, especially bags on it.
There are special industrial-style sewing machines for working with leather.
If you sew leather on a regular sewing machine, the jacket may deteriorate. Sometimes it is recommended to buy special needles and a foot with a wheel. But the skin under the foot will still slip. A particular machine for leather will easily promote the product without forming a fit of the upper layer of skin.
Product Boxes: There’s a Box for Everything!
Threads for a sewing machine need to be durable and elastic. But only nylon threads (as in this photo) are not intended for sewing on a typewriter for manual leatherwork or industrial sewing machines.
How to choose a sewing machine for leather jacket
When choosing a sewing machine for working with leather, it is worth paying attention to several parameters. When working with leather, it is necessary to have a conveyor shutdown function. In addition, there should be a walking foot in the design for the easier promotion of the material of increased thickness or a pressure roller. A stitch parameter controller is in industrial and household machines; the standard range is from 6 mm to 8 mm. If special needles are not in the package, you should purchase them.
The power of the machine should be higher than that of conventional household versions. The lifting height of the foot when working with the skin exceeds 8-10 mm; it requires your particular attention. All components, including gears and other rubbing parts, must be metal – plastic will not withstand workloads. When selecting, remember that the weight and dimensions of specialized machines for working with leather products are always higher than those designed for light fabrics. In most cases, it is necessary to purchase a unique stand or table for their placement.
If you cannot determine which kind of model you need, you can take a look at reviews dedicated to sewing machines for leather work. There you will be able to take a test drive on your material.
How to repair a tear in a leather jacket
