Best used sewing machines for leather?
 

I'm planning to sew some pieced leather pillows and recover some couch cushions with a medium-weight leather. I have a few, old, domestic Singers that might do the job, but they're not walking foot machines and I worry that they might not be strong enough. Does anyone have experience sewing on "leather machines?" If so, which machines can you recommend for the home sewer?

Thanks,

C

I don’t know about a machine but there are leather needles to use in your sewing machine.

I used my Juki TL2200qvp mini (straight stitch machine) to sew my husband a genuine leather golf putter cover and it worked great. It easily sewed through two layers of leather, pellon flex-foam and lining material. I used a Schmetz leather needle and lots of wonderclips to keep my little pieces together while sewing.

My grandmother had her mother's Singer Treadle machine that the man across the street would borrow when he was sewing leather. I was never able to watch him do it, but I was fascinated that he could use it for that.

I’ve sewn leather with my 1956 Singer 99K, with my Viking Designer one, my Bernina and with my $98 Walmart Brother machine. All have done fine. You need a Leather needle and strong thread.

Wow, your taking on coving couch cushions with leather. Us quilter's are amazing. I'm going to try slipcover's as soon as the renovations are complete on my house.

Any basic heavy vintage home machine should sew through leather just fine. For the last 30 years or so I've been sewing on a vintage Remington (post-war Japanese machine similar to Morse) that originally belonged to a friend's Grandmother. It does upholstery/leather just lovely, like a dream even -- no problems with the crotch seams from denim. I have a vintage Pfaff in a cabinet that belonged to another friend's Mom. It sews silk and fancy fabrics like a dream, and does fine with the heavy stuff too. Never could really get a quality quilt stitch out of it though, but it was fine for piecing. I'd think my 301 would do fine with leather too, but since it's not in a stand I think it might get pushed around a bit too much.

This past August a friend gifted me with her used but lovely modern machine. I've got to admit, I love the self-threader and the foot lift knee peddle and the automatic thread cutter. But I still have mad respect for my vintage beauties.

My mother used to recover aircraft cushions. She used her Singer 201 and it did the job. I just gave it to my granddaughter last Christmas. I also have a vintage Kenmore 158 that will sew through almost anything. Most any vintage machine should work.

A leather needle, and a modern teflon foot for your shank machine might help.
My grandmother recovered her furniture, probably fake leather, but same idea using her singer treadle.
My good friend sewed canvas boat cushions with her featherweight. The right tools for the right fabrics!

What weight thread I wonder? Jeans thread? Button thread, surely not in a machine?
I wonder if 40 weight machine quilting thread would work?

For sure, leather needles.

I have been contemplating some leather sewing ....
and have been wondering if it really matters so much about the actual machine vs.
having the right needles?