Hey everyone, I recently acquired an entire leather 3mm thick hide. I suspect it is chrome tan as it is very soft and floppy with a lot of stretch. It’s also a bit grey in the middle when I look at the edges. It has been incredibly frustrating to work with for me, so I’m hoping someone may have some advice or insight for me.
- Every cut I make comes out wonky due to the leather stretching and bending around my knife. even when I use a fresh utility blade. I can’t skive this either due to the stretch
- I can’t mark seam allowances with a groover, as the leather bends and causes my lines to become curves. Plus, every time I punch a stitching hole the hole almost closes shut. This has made sewing pieces together or trying rolled edges really messy and awful.
- To cut something like this, Do I need a different knife? Maybe a utility knife isn’t cutting it (hah)
- How should I finish the edges? I wanted to try making a vest. It seems like I’d be best sewing inside out and glueing seem allowances down. I could buy some edge paint
- how can I mark an even stitch line without a groover? I tried using a ruler to mark points 1cm from the edge and joined them up with a pen, but this wasn’t be super accurate and took a long time.
Sorry for the ramble. I’d appreciate any advice or insights you all may have.
Thanks