In our Part 1 we talked about and showed you some of the hand tools involved in marking out, and making your stitch holes.
In our Part 2 it's about showing you the simple yet effect threads you'll be using when you saddle stitch your very own leather goods together at one of our workshops.
Most of the threads we use are Linen. Admittedly, linen may not sound the strongest of materials to make thread from but it's surprisingly strong and has been used for centuries in leatherwork.
We use 3 or 4 cord twist Linen threads which have great inherent strength and a very natural look to them which always looks great when used on real vegetable tanned leathers with all their natural grains showing.
When you're ready to Saddle Stitch your item you're now ready to cut your thread to size and then wax it using a natural beeswax block (seen in centre of photo), running your thread over the block until you feel your thread has a good covering of wax. Now you're ready to thread a Harness needle to each end of your waxed thread.
Waxing your thread has 2 purposes in that the wax helps to give great bite on the threads as they pass each other in side each chiselled stitch hole, it also helps to give some weather protection for the thread.
Don't worry at all if you've never stitched/sewn anything in your life before, or ever thought you'd want to again!
You'll be given full guidance and demo's and it can actual be very therapeutic, certainly when your stitching brings your item finally together just using your own hands and your new saddle stitching skill.
We hope that's encouraged you.... we'll have a Part 3 along soon so keep watching.