The necessary equipment
- 1 piece of leather 30x40 cm - th. between 1.5mm and 2mm
- 1 piece of leather 20x30 cm - th. between 1.5mm and 2mm
- 2 round tip saddler needles - Lg=57mm - d=1.1mm - Size 1/0
- Braided and waxed polyester thread - diam 0.8 mm
- Finishing rubber (if vegetable tanned leather)
- 2 press studs diameter 12 mm
- 1 cookie cutter of 1.5 and 4 mm
- Water-based leather glue
- masking tape
- Abat-edge N°0 - Vergez Blanchard
What is Simplified Leather Sewing? For beginners
This " hole " stitching technique of leather by hand makes this tutorial accessible to everyone. You can of course choose to make a "standard" saddle stitch.
1. Print and cut out the pattern
- Download and print the PDF pattern on A4 paper (see tab at the top of the page). Be careful to respect the original size of the document - check the scale at the top of the pattern.
- Cut out the pattern (about 1 cm from the cut lines) and assemble part B2 with part A2 using adhesive tape.
- Lay the templates on the leather and hold them in place with masking tape.
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2. Drill and cut the leather
- Using punch pliers or a 1.5 mm diameter knockout punch (references at the top): pierce the leather, referring to the points indicated on the pattern. The holes are 6mm apart .
Rémi has a preference for Sinabroks brand tools (not sold on our site).
Attention : the 4 holes for the installation of the press studs have a diameter of 3 mm.
- Cut out the pattern pieces on the leather using a knife or cutter.
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3. Shade the leather
Using a size 0 or 1 edge trimmer: bevel the leather on the grain side. The edge cushion makes the edges more rounded to reduce friction (comfort and aesthetics). Rémi chose Vergez Blanchard's N°0 square abate (ref. VB_ABAC_0). 
4. Work the slices
Work the slices with a finishing gum: tokonole, gum arabic or gum tragacanth. Rémi chose the Tokonole.
- Sand the edges with a fine abrasive sponge (or DREMEL, like Rémi).
- Apply the finishing gum (a thin layer).
- Rub the slice briskly with a slicker or cloth (until it shines).
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5. Apply the press studs
With the fitting tool of your choice (press, impact handle, pliers, etc.): fit the diameter 12 press studs. 
6. Assemble the leather pieces
- Using a leather grater (ref. TA364_03), lightly scrape the grain side of the leather where there is an overlap of pieces (to maximize the adhesion of the glue).
- Apply a thin layer of glue to the parts to be glued: filter pocket and central part. Wait a few moments before gluing the pieces together. Press/Smooth the leather with a roller (ref. TA289) to obtain good adhesion of the glue.
Warning: do not glue the following pieces of leather right away: inside pocket and piece with the heads of the press studs (see step 9).
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7. Thread the needles
- Cut the braided and waxed polyester thread - diam 0.8 mm: generally equivalent to 4 or 5 times the length of the seam line.
Thread a needle at each end of the thread:
- Stitch the yarn at needle height then stitch it twice.
- Crush the end of the thread and pass it through the eye of the needle.
- Pull the thread to tie the knot
- Do the same to thread the other end of the yarn onto the second needle.
8. Start sewing
Start by sewing the small filter pouch with a “saddle stitch” type seam (see video).
- Pass the needles one by one through each hole.
- Finish your seam with 3 bar tacks.
- Cut the yarn flush then burn it (if polyester yarn).
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9. Assemble the other pieces of leather
- Apply a thin layer of glue on the last parts to be bonded (leather part with the heads of the press studs and the internal pocket). Wait a few moments before gluing the pieces together.
- Press/Smooth the leather with a roller in order to obtain a good adhesion of the glue.
Warning: glue only the 2 ends (widths) for the internal pocket.
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10. Form the tobacco pouch
Using pliers, position the sides and form the tobacco pouch (find yourself with the holes made).
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11. Continue Sewing
- Thread, again, a needle at each end of the yarn.
- Sew: pass the needles one by one through each hole.
- Finish each seam with 3 bar tacks.
- Cut the yarn flush then burn it (if polyester yarn).
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12. Finish working the slices
- Sand the edges with a fine abrasive sponge (Remi opted for DREMEL).
- Apply the finishing gum (a thin layer).
- Rub the slice briskly with a slicker or cloth (until it shines).
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DISCOVER RÉMI CORSON AND THE "FRENCH" WORKSHOP
Located in Brittany, on the pink granite coast, "À la Française" is a small leather goods workshop that combines authenticity and modernity, true in its values of quality and simplicity. Leather and wood are the most worked materials because they go together perfectly and have common points: they come from nature, have been worked in the same way for decades, and they each tell, in their own way, a story. .
The variety of finished products is wide: bags, masks, wallets, key rings, shoes, belts... and each one is unique!
In the workshop, the methods are as much as possible "old-fashioned", trying at each stage of the creative process to refine the techniques, and to master an ancestral know-how. New technologies are also integrated, it is this alliance that is the strength of the "A la Française" workshop.
DISCOVER THE BRETON WORKSHOP >
