Hey everyone. Today you're going to learn how to cut leather and suede accents for bag straps and appliqué, left-handed, clean and steady.
Here's the problem, y'all. Leather and suede do not behave like quilting cotton. They do not fray. That part is nice. But they stretch a little. They shift under the blade. And every wobble shows. A wandering strap edge looks off. A nicked appliqué curve catches your eye every time.
Now add being left-handed. With a right-handed shear, you often cannot see your line. You lean. You twist your wrist. The blade drifts, and the edge pays for it. Oh my goodness, I have been there.
The shear in my hand is the 726L True Left-Handed Jr. Razor Edge Fabric Shear, 6 inches long. Here's what I use and why. These are true left-handed bent trimmers, made for left-handed cutting. I reach for them when I want superior control on a small accent piece. The junior size suits smaller hands, too. You get razor-sharp blades and a comfortable grip. Your left hand steers, and your eyes stay on the line.
What You Need
- 726L - True Left-Handed Jr. Razor Edge Fabric Shear (6in)
- Thin, soft leather or suede — strap weight, not thick tooling leather
- A paper pattern or template for your strap or appliqué shape
- Chalk or a fine marker that shows on the back
- Pattern weights
- A large, flat table
- A scrap piece of the same leather or suede
The Steps
- Start with a test cut on scrap. Cut one straight line and one curve first. Feel the resistance. Leather asks for slow, steady pressure. If the scrap is too thick to cut smoothly, stop and pick a softer accent piece.
- Mark on the back, not the face. Lay the leather face down. Trace your pattern on the back with chalk. Mark straps as true rectangles — a common strap is 1 inch wide, cut a little longer than your finished length so you can trim the ends square later.
- Set the good side where you can see it. Sit so the cut line sits on your left, blade side. That is the whole gift of a true left-handed shear: your top blade does not hide the line from you.
- Weight the hide so it cannot creep. Set weights inside the pattern, off the cut path. Leather slides on a smooth table, and a sliding hide turns a straight strap into a banana. Ask me how I know.
- Cut straps with long, calm strokes. Open the shears wide. Close in one steady stroke. Stop just short of fully closed, then advance and reopen. Keep the lower blade flat against the table. Short, choppy snips leave little steps along the edge.
- Slow way down on appliqué curves. Turn the hide, not your wrist. Feed the curve into the blade in small sections. Let the razor edge do the work. Forcing a curve is how nicks happen.
- Cut inside corners by stopping short. Cut up to the corner, then stop. Lift the waste away. Reset flat. Come into that corner from the other side. One clean meeting point beats one torn point.
- Check the face before you sew. Flip each piece over. Run your eye along the edge. Trim only spots that truly stick out. Ten extra cuts make an edge smaller, not better.
Tips From My Cutting Table
- Cut one layer at a time. Leather and suede are dense. One layer gives you control. Two layers give you drift.
- Keep the waste on the outside. Let waste fall free on your cutting side. Trapped waste bunches up and pulls your line sideways.
- Mark a touch darker than you think. Suede has a nap, and chalk disappears into it. A clear line is an easy line to follow.
- Watch the nap on suede. Nap catches light one way. Lay all appliqué pieces facing the same way before you mark. Completely up to you, but matching nap looks really really polished.
And here's your permission beat. Your first leather strap may have one wobbly inch. Mine did too. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
A Quick Care Note
Leather leaves residue on blades. Wipe them with a soft, dry cloth when you finish. Open and close the shears once. They should feel smooth, not gritty. Store them closed, in a case or drawer — not for paper, not cardboard.
Alrighty. Mark the back. Weight the hide. Cut calm and left-handed proud. Just like that, you have got this, folks. Thanks for spending time with me. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 726L - True Left-Handed Jr. Razor Edge Fabric Shear (6in) at Linda's Electric Quilters.
