Content area
Full Text
Stitching on leather is risky business. Prevent expensive mistakes with these foolproof techniques.
Leather-garment manufacturers are smart folks. They know that the value of leather and the cost of manufacturing it are much more expensive than any amount of embellishing an embroiderer might add to it. That's why leather-jacket makers almost always stitch embroidered designs on scrimp (a thick, felt-like material) and apply it to leather jackets with a chain stitch - like an appliqué - instead of embroidering directly on the jacket.
When I ran a contract embroidery company, I partnered with a supplier that manufactured headwear and leather jackets. As a headwear manufacturer, the company didn't mind supplying replacement panels if the embroidery went bad. As a leather-jacket manufacturer, however, they were more than a little reluctant to offer such expensive replacements.
The manufacturer realized the risk in embroidering leather, and as the embroiderer, my risk was tenfold. If I was going to be responsible for the goods, then I had a lot to lose by taking on the manufacturer's leather embroidery projects.
I decided to protect myself and make it worth the aggravation that comes along with leather embroidery. Even if you're great at digitizing for leather and are able to handle the headaches that come with it, you'll still have more problems embroidering on this material than any other.
Taking this into account, I took a stand when customers requested leather embroidery...