Understand how to confidently use an industrial sewing machine to sew leather or vegan leather to construct bags and accessories. This hands-on course teaches you how to set up and operate an industrial walking foot sewing machine, select the correct needles and threads, control tension, and troubleshoot common sewing problems. You will develop the skills needed to achieve clean, consistent and professional-quality seams on leather, vegan leather and other heavy-weight materials.
ONE-DAY COURSE - LEATHER MACHINE SEWING CLASS LONDON
Learn how to sew leather or vegan leather on industrial sewing machines for bag making
✓ 1–6 Students ✓ Materials Included ✓ Beginner-Friendly ✓ Finished Item to Take Home
DURATION
6.5 hours
LEVEL
Beginner Friendly
WHERE
London SE185NR
Find us
WHEN
Group workshops: selected weekdays/weekends
Private workshops: by appointment
PRICE
Group Workshops: From £280
Private Workshops: Price at Check out
ABOUT THIS CLASS
Industrial sewing machine skills
This leather sewing class is a practical, industry-focused training course designed to teach you how to operate an industrial walking foot sewing machine specifically for leather and vegan leather bag making.
You will learn how small adjustments to the machine, needle, thread, pressure and tension can significantly affect the quality and consistency of the finished stitch. The course covers real production techniques used in the accessory industry, including sewing curves, multi-layer construction, and working with soft and firm materials.
Throughout the session, you will build confidence using professional sewing equipment while developing the technical understanding needed to produce clean, durable, and consistent stitching for bags, accessories, and small leather goods.
This course is suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some sewing experience who want to develop confidence with industrial machinery and progress towards professional bag making or small-scale production.
Best for
- Complete beginners to industrial sewing machines
- Bag makers working with leather and vegan leather
- Designers developing bag collections or prototypes
- Makers transitioning from domestic to industrial machines
- Makers who struggle with sewing machine issues and want to build confidence in troubleshooting and achieving consistent, professional results
What’s next?
For a comprehensive understanding of professional bag making, we recommend completing Bag Making Fundamentals and Professional Bag Pattern Making alongside this class.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
What You’ll Leave With
01 – Set Up & Operate an Industrial SewingMachine
Gain the confidence to set up, thread, and operate an industrial walking foot sewing machine. You’ll learn how to select the correct needles, threads, and machine settings for sewing leather or vegan leather, and other heavy-weight materials with accuracy, consistency, and professional results.
02 – Technical Sewing & Troubleshooting
Develop practical skills in sewing straight seams, curves, corners, and multiple layers while learning how to adjust stitch length and thread tension for different projects. You’ll also learn how to diagnose and resolve common machine issues, including skipped stitches, uneven tension, thread breakage, and feeding problems, giving you the confidence to sew without frustration.
03 – Materials, Machine Settings & Reference Guide
Build a practical understanding of the different characteristics of leather, vegan leather, and other materials commonly used in bag making, and how each affects machine setup and sewing techniques. You will leave with a collection of stitched samples and printed reference materials covering machine setup, needle and thread selection, tension, troubleshooting and material guidance.
Why Learn with The London Leather Workshop?
✓ Learn inside a professional leather, vegan leather and handbag development studio
✓ Learn from experienced leatherworkers, designers and manufacturers
✓ Work with professional tools and high-quality materials
✓ Develop practical skills based on real industry techniques
✓ Receive printed course notes to support your learning
✓ Enjoy small class sizes with personalised guidance
FAQ About this course
No experience is needed. This workshop is suitable for complete beginners as well as people who struggle with sewing machine issues.
Yes, all tools and materials are provided during the course. Feel free to bring a notepad if you would like to take some notes.
You will work with leather and vegan leather.
You will use an industrial walking-foot sewing machine commonly used in leather goods production and bag making.
This class focuses on building technical machine sewing skills rather than completing a finished bag or accessory.
You will work through a series of practical exercises covering straight seams, curves, corners, multiple layers and different material weights. You will leave with a collection of stitched samples to keep as a reference for future projects, along with printed learning materials covering machine setup, operation, troubleshooting and material guidance.
We do not provide accredited certifications for this course. However, we can provide a certificate of attendance upon request.
Yes! This class can be purchased as a gift. Simply select the gift voucher option when booking (or contact us if you need assistance), and we’ll provide a gift voucher for the recipient to redeem on a future course date.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Sara Battiston
Sara Battiston is a fashion accessories designer, leather and vegan leather goods specialist and Lead Instructor at The London Leather Workshop.
Having studied fashion and accessories design, traditional leathercraft, pattern making, and modern bag construction and manufacturing in Rome, Milan and Florence, she combines creative design with technical expertise and a deep understanding of materials, product development and manufacturing.
Sara teaches leathercraft and bag making through clear demonstrations, hands-on guidance and professional studio techniques. All classes take place in a fully equipped working studio, where she and her team develop prototypes and manufacture products for clients.
With over 20 years of industry experience, Sara has worked with students and clients from around the world, supporting designers, makers and emerging brands in developing products that are thoughtfully designed and technically refined.
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COURSES
The duration shown on each course page is the maximum time allocated for the workshop. As we teach in small groups, the pace of each session is tailored to the participants’ experience and progress. Workshops with fewer attendees, or groups that progress more quickly, may finish earlier than the stated duration.
Our focus is on providing personalised, high-quality tuition rather than following a fixed timetable. If you complete your project before the end of the session, you are welcome to stay in class to practise the techniques you have learned, ask further questions, or continue using the workshop facilities until the scheduled finish time.
For sessions lasting up to 4 hours, there will be a 15–20 minute break. For sessions lasting more than 4 hours, there will be a 20–30 minute lunch break included in the session.
There are two cafés nearby, free on-site parking, and WiFi is available throughout the workshop.
Complimentary tea, coffee and a selection of hot drinks will be available throughout your class, along with biscuits.
Leathercraft, machine and hand sewing, bag making and pattern making involve the use of specialist tools and materials. Depending on the course you have chosen, you may work with sharp tools, knives, strong adhesives and industrial sewing machines.
If you have any medical conditions, breathing difficulties or accessibility requirements that we should be aware of, please let us know as early as possible so that we can advise you accordingly and make any reasonable adjustments where possible.
We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes, as most practical work will be carried out while standing at a high workbench.
On arrival, you will receive a full health and safety briefing, including guidance on the safe use of the studio, equipment and tools.
Our studio is located on the ground floor with three steps at the entrance. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, we are not currently wheelchair accessible in the workshop.
If you wish to cancel a class, please do so ASAP via email to: learning@thelondonleatherworkshop.com.
– Group Classes
Full refunds are only offered if the cancellation is requested no less than eight weeks before the event date (refunds are not available for rescheduled dates).
Cancellation and refund requests between eight and four weeks before the course start date will result in a 50% refund of the course cost on the condition that we have filled your place (refunds are not available for rescheduled dates).
For cancellation and refund requests less than four weeks before the event, unfortunately, we cannot offer any kind of refund (refunds are not available for rescheduled dates).
– Private Classes
Full refunds are only offered if the cancellation is requested no less than three weeks before the event date (this does not apply to rescheduled dates).
We give our customers the possibility to rearrange their private lesson(s) when giving at least 48 hours notice. We can rearrange your lesson up to two times.
In case of unforeseen circumstances, and the cancellation being requested the day before the lesson, we won’t be able to give a refund, but we will offer a 50% discount on a future booking.
We are unable to provide any refund or provide any discount for cancellations requested in the 24 hours prior to the lesson.
In the unlikely event that a workshop has to be cancelled by TLLW, we will offer the choice of a full refund, a credit or the opportunity to book an alternative date. We will provide as much notice as possible.
In the unlikely event that a workshop has to be cancelled by TLLW, we will offer the choice of a full refund, a credit or the opportunity to book an alternative date. We will provide as much notice as possible.
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