– LEATHER CRAFT AND SEWING SKILLS –
LEARN PROFESSIONAL LEATHER CRAFT SKILLS, LEATHER SEWING AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
One teacher, four students
WERE?
At our London studio (map)
WHEN?
Please select your preferred date(s) through the button below
COST:
3 or 4 sessions depending on the dates (16 hours in total)
Course materials included (worth £40) £408.00
LEVEL:
Beginners and beginners with some previous sewing experience
LEATHER CRAFT AND LEATHER SEWING TECHNIQUES: WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT?
This is a theoretical and practical introductory group tuition during which you will be taught common, essential leather crafting and sewing techniques and understand how working with leather differs from working with vegan leather or fabric.
You will be taught how to correctly use hand tools, how to sew leather by hand, with an industrial machine and understand the most common finishing and construction techniques used in bag and accessory making.
You will learn about different types of leather and vegan leather and understand how to select the correct type of material(s) for your project.
You will receive an overview of the technical aspects of working with leather and constructing bags and accessories such as marking, cutting, gluing, reinforcing, skiving, debossing and more.
You will receive professional sewing training on industrial machines, you will learn the basic of saddle stitching and produce your own samples of work to take home with you.
You will receive relevant, useful and informative handouts as well as lists of leather and tool suppliers.
At the end of the lesson, you will create a hand sewn simple leather item such as a purse, card holder or clutch to take home with you.
This is a professional course delivered by a prototype maker and manufacturer, with the aim of providing an overview and hands-on experience on more common leather working practices.
At the end of the tuition you will have:
– Gained confidence in using specific tools for preparing, marking, finishing, cutting leather and fastening fittings.
– Understood what it means to work with different leather types and thicknesses and have the ability to source and select the correct tools and materials for your projects.
– Learnt essential leather sewing techniques, troubleshoot common sewing problems and how manage challenges such as curves, multiple layers of leather, stretchy/rough/slippery surfaces and more.
– Learnt how to sew basic bag components such as simple zips, straps and gussets as well as reinforcing specific areas of a bag.
– Gained confidence in sewing with industrial sewing machines and by hand and obtained the skills to realise some simple leather items independently.
WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT?
Below is a list of topics covered during the classes:
LEATHER, VEGAN LEATHER AND HAND TOOLS:
– Understanding leather: overviews on types of leather, tanning, finishings and best use
– Vegan leathers: different types and features
– Leather vs vegan leather: pros and cons from a manufacturer’s point of view
– Understanding the importance of choosing the right materials for your project and the right tools for your materials
– Leather preparing, pattern placement and marking on leather
– Cutting complex shapes using a variety of tools
– Using leather punches
– Understanding the us of skiving, beveling and creasing
– Finishing leather edges: painting vs burnishing
– Using various leather glues and tapes
– Understand the use of reinforcements, fusings and stabilisers to back leather
– Prototyping and manufacturing leather goods: mentions of different working methods, machines and tools
MACHINE AND HAND SEWING:
– Industrial machines: differences and main features
– To choose the right sewing machine for a specific type of material or construction
– To operate a lock stitch walking foot machine
– To thread industrial sewing machines
– To understand how to obtain the correct tension in your sewing
– To understand thread types and needle sizes
– To learn how to correctly sew leather and how this differs from sewing other materials
– To learn how to sew straight lines, curves and create parallel seams
– To produce a range of seams and seam finishes
– To learn the basics of saddle stitching leather and understood the different the tools and materials used in the technique
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES:
– To sew and finish a simple zip on leather
– To cut, assemble and sew simple straps/handles
– To incorporate basic types of lining in your project
– To create a small, simple leather item to take home with you
IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
We will always try to cover as much on the syllabus as possible and depending on your ability and previous experience, we might not be able to complete the program or we might instead be able to teach you additional techniques relating to the above listed topics, such as:
– Construction techniques: finishing techniques (piping, binding, folding)
– Construction techniques: assemble and sew simple gussets
– Construction techniques: sew and finish more complex zips styles
– To create reinforced seams when using different materials
– To correctly sew different types of leather, from thin to very thick
– To use various machine feet, tools and equipment in your sewing
– Understanding options and the construction of how to line bags and accessories
– Understanding fittings, closure types, fastening techniques and tools: sam browns, magnets, pop buttons, eyelets, etc.
– Understanding the importance and use of the construction sequence and reference notes when constructing your items
INCLUDED IN THE COURSE:
You will be provided with useful digital and 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
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
This course is suitable for total beginners, beginners with some experience and intermediate.
You should be able to use measurements and understand verbal and written English instructions.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COSTS? IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO BRING?
Materials are included.
Feel free to bring a notepad, if you would like to take some notes, we will provide the rest.
HOW LONG IS THIS TUITION?:
This tuition will require up to 16 hours to complete.
We aim to provide customised and high quality tuition services and by only allowing up to 4 students at a time, we are able to focus on each person needs and interests.
As every student has a different level of ability and previous experience, this course might lead some students to complete the core aspects of the lesson in a shorter time frame than others.
Students who complete the course early will be welcome to stay and use the studio facilities to exercise on the topics of the lesson.
LEARN PROFESSIONAL LEATHER CRAFT SKILLS, LEATHER SEWING AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES – GROUP CLASS
£408.00
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TUITION
CANCELLATION AND REARRANGEMENT POLICY
If you wish to cancel your group class, please do so ASAP via email to: learning@thelondonleatherworkshop.com.
Full refunds are only offered if the cancellation is requested no less than eight weeks before the event date.
Cancellations requested 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.
For cancellations requested less than four weeks before the event, unfortunately, we cannot offer any kind of refund and the class cannot be rescheduled.
We reserve the right to cancel a group class when the required minimum enrollment is not met.
If a group class has to be cancelled by us, we will offer the choice of a full refund, credit or the opportunity to book an alternative date (if available). We will provide as much notice as possible.
All communication regarding cancellations and rearrangements of your lesson must be in writing via email.
Please provide all details in your email for us to be able to organise a refund. All refunds must be made to the original payment method used.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Cutting material is usually done standing at a high table and you might be working with special glues, knives and with heavy duty industrial sewing machines.
If you have a breathing problem, any health condition we should be aware of or if any of the above might be difficult for you, please inform us as soon as possible.
You will receive Health and Safety instructions for using the studio and its equipment and you will be asked to sign a risk and liability form at the end of the induction.
ACCESSIBILITY
Sadly, our studio is on the first floor and we do not have wheelchair facilities. We are very sorry, unfortunately, this is not within our control or choice.
Wifi is not provided but there is a coffee shop with Wifi nearby.
Teas and coffees will be provided by us.
For 3+ hours long sessions we will have a 15 minutes break, for 6+ hours long sessions we will have a half hour lunch break.
There are two coffee shops and free parking spaces on site.
We run a variety of courses which are related to this topic and that would allow you to expand your knowledge. Please find the complete list of courses HERE.
We also provide the opportunity for people to practise on our sewing machines, tools and studio space.
We reserve a special discount for people who have previously been a student of ours. If you book any of our courses or our drop-in service within 6 months from the completion of a class, you will receive 10% off your next booking.
Our names are Sara and Melissa and we are the founders and owners of The London Leather Workshop.
With 20 years of experience in the field, we offer services in designing, prototyping and manufacturing of leather, vegan leather and fabric bags and accessories to national and international customers, from start ups to established brands.
We discovered our passion for teaching while training people during our working careers, both in Italy and in the UK and have been training students for the past 10 years.
Through The London Leather Workshop we teach our expertise, knowledge and skills to amateur leather craftspeople, people who have an interest in developing a career in this field as well as professionals looking to improve their skill-set.
With a personal, friendly and flexible approach we support students in realising a specific project or learning skills in a variety of subjects through both private and group classes.
WONDERING WHAT OTHERS REALISED?
