Sewing with Synthetic Leather By Janelle

Artificial or synthetic leather is generally easier to maintain compared to genuine leather. It is often more resistant to stains and can be cleaned with a damp cloth or mild soap. It does not require conditioning or specialized care, which can be a convenient option for those seeking a low-maintenance easy care material. Plus, it comes in so many super pretty prints and patterns!!

When not in use, store your artificial leather items in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid folding or creasing them excessively, as it can lead to permanent damage.

Some hints for sewing with synthetic leather

(1) Cut faux leather fabric with a rotary cutter and use some pattern weights

(2) Use sharp microtex or denim needles

(3) Increase the stitch length to between 3.00mm – 4.00mm

(4) Use clips to hold the faux leather pieces together – holes are not friends with synthetic leather

(5) Reduce the pressure between the presser foot and the plate and/or lower the feed dog to help it move more easily under the foot while stitching

(6) Grade your seam allowance before topstitching

(7) A Teflon foot or walking foot can come in handy to help the fabric glide under the pressure.

(8) MOST IMPORTANTLY test your stitching on some scrap first, you can’t take back incorrect stitching from synthetic leather!

If you are applying interfacing or fusible fleece with a heat source like an iron, please use a pressing sheet or even just a tea towel, and only ever on the back of the vinyl never the front. 

When stitching the seams of your bag and you come across a curved edge & a straight edge, lining the two up together can be difficult. It’s perfectly ok to do little snips inside the seam allowance of the straight piece before stitching to help ease the two together to get a beautiful join.

Turning the synthetic leather (SL) or birthing the project (by applying heat)

Yes, you can apply heat to synthetic leather but never apply direct heat to the front of the synthetic leather it will melt. Where possible use a pressing sheet or tea towel over the SL when using an iron so there’s no contact with the iron.

When you’re turning the vinyl you can use a hair dryer, pop it near the heater in the house or even leave it in the sun for a little bit, once the vinyl has heat applied it will make the SL more pliable and easier to turn.

Once you have turned or birthed your project it really helps to roll your seams in your fingers to shape your project and push the fabric out into the correct position and use some scrap pieces to convince the seams to stay in shape by clipping them onto the seams.

Now it’s time to sit back and marvel at your creation, be proud and share it with us in the Sew Unique Fabrics Group on Facebook! We would love to see what you make 💓