One-Week Bag Making Masterclass: Saddle Stitching

Description

Learn traditional leather craft, saddle stitching and leather goods construction skills. A week-long masterclass offering an in-depth experience of traditional leather craft skills and hand sewing techniques, merging theory with hands-on learning. Dates/times: Five consecutive days - Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. When you book, you just need to select the starting date. Understand the uniqueness of vegetable-tanned leather and the amazing long lasting products that can be created with this material. Proficiently handle traditional hand tools, master various hand-sewing techniques, and understand pattern drafting for the creation of handmade goods. You will gain insights into the technical aspects of leather-working, including preparation, marking, cutting, gluing, reinforcing, skiving, debossing, finishing, and more. You will create a finished leather bag as well as personalised samples to take home for reference in your future projects. You will conclude the masterclass with the ability to craft entirely handmade leather items and master essential skills such as cutting, finishing, and saddle stitching. You will be taught by a prototype maker and manufacturer with 20 years of experience in this field. LEATHER, VEGAN LEATHER, AND HAND TOOLS: -Overview of leather types, tanning, finishing, and best uses. - Understanding vegetable-tanned leather, how to use it, and how to finish it. - Importance of choosing the right materials and tools for projects. - Leather preparation, pattern placement and marking. - Understanding the cutting of thin and thick leathers and selecting the right cutting tools. - Using leather punches, skiving, beveling and creasing. - Finishing leather edges: burnishing and inking. - Utilising leather glues, tapes and reinforcements. - Exploration of prototyping and manufacturing leather goods, encompassing varied working methods, machines, and tools. HAND SEWING/SADDLE STITCHING: - Saddle stitching leather and understanding related tools and materials. - Understanding thread types and needle sizes. - Correctly sewing various leather types, ranging from thin to very thick. - Sewing straight lines, curves and three-dimensional parts. - Producing various seams and seam finishes. Construction techniques: - Sewing and finishing a simple zip on leather. - Cutting, assembling and sewing simple straps/handles. - Constructing and sewing common gussets. LEATHER GOODS MAKING: - Understanding the basics of pattern making for hand-sewn items and how this differs from machine sewing pattern drafting. - Creating a finalised hand sewn leather bag from our designs, choosing colour, materials, reinforcements, hardware and trimmings. By the end of the tuition, you will have: – Developed confidence in utilising specific tools for leather preparation, marking, finishing, cutting and fastening fittings. – Acquired an understanding of working with diverse leather types and thicknesses, with the ability to source and select appropriate tools and materials for your projects. – Mastered essential leather sewing techniques, troubleshooting common sewing issues, and handling challenges such as curves, multiple layers of leather, and three-dimensional objects. – Learned to sew fundamental bag components like simple zips and gussets. – Built confidence in hand sewing, using patterns, and gaining the skills to independently create simple leather items.

What's included in the price?

Materials includded and tools provided. You will be provided with useful paper handouts which contain: – A list of tools and materials used during the lesson(s), including a description of what they are and how they are used. – A list of recommended suppliers for both leather and fittings (physically in London and online). – A glossary containing essential key words related to the topic of the lesson. – A glossary containing information about leather types and characteristics. – A glossary containing information about needle and thread types.

Cancellation policy

Non-refundable - Refunds are not available

Maker

The London Leather Workshop

with Craft Courses since 2020

Message the tutor

The London Leather Workshopis a design, prototyping and manufacturing studio founded by Italian designers and makers Sara Battiston and Melissa Bruscoli. With 20 years of experience in the fashion and accessory industry Sara and Melissa work with both local and international customers ranging from start-ups to established brands. Their studio is able to offer a range of services from design consultancy to product development and from prototyping to manufacturing of handbags, accessories and soft furnishings. Their practical classes will teach you the fundamental techniques of working with leather or vegan leather, how to sew these materials to a professional standard and how to create customised goods. The theoretical classes will provide you with the foundation for designing bags and accessories as well as insights and essential information about the industry.