Lock stitch... waxed cat-gut thread.

CM


"Wally" wrote in message
...
| "Simple Simon" wrote in message news:aRidnamyDqC_-
|
| Old sails that still function well are a thing of beauty. I have
| spent hours HAND STICHING the seems of my mainsail
| putting new thread in the original machine stitching holes. ...
|
| I'm about to do some seam repairs to my main, around a batten pocket, but
| I'm not sure what stitch is appropriate - what kind of stitch did you use?
|
|
| --
| Wally
| I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
| www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk
|
|
|

Zig-zag on both sides in the original holes. Wear your glasses.


"Wally" wrote in message ...
I'm not sure what stitch is appropriate - what kind of stitch did you use?


--
Wally

Huh?....... zig zag is not a stitch and the original holes wouldn't matter.
He won't have a machine capable of stitching through that thickness and if
he did he wouldn't be asking the question.

Lock Stitch is the correct method and it is done with a threaded awl
designed for the purpose that can be purchased at any leather craft supply
store. If you are concerned about the existing fabric... place a piece of
sail tape over the area and stitch through it. The resulting work will be
stronger and last longer than a commercial machine stitch.

CM


"Simple Simon" wrote in message
...
| Zig-zag on both sides in the original holes. Wear your glasses.
|
|
| "Wally" wrote in message
...
| I'm not sure what stitch is appropriate - what kind of stitch did you
use?
|
|
| --
| Wally
|
|

"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message news:nTXJa.21068

Lock stitch... waxed cat-gut thread.

I've got waxy thread and some sailmaker's needles, but I'm not sure what a
lock stitch is.


--
Wally
I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk

"Simple Simon" wrote in message

Zig-zag on both sides in the original holes. Wear your glasses.

The original stitching is zig-zag. Would I be right in thinking that I
should zig-zag in one direction first, and then turn and do the
complementary zig-zag? (The original is machine-stitched, so has two courses
of thread.)


--
Wally
I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk

"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message news:f_YJa.21094

Huh?....... zig zag is not a stitch and the original holes wouldn't
matter.

The original stitch has a zig-zag pattern. The seam is an overlap of two
bits of cloth which has two runs of zig-zag. The 'outer' side of each
zig-zag is just outside the edge of the cloth and seems to be a bit like an
overlock.


He won't have a machine capable of stitching through that thickness and if
he did he wouldn't be asking the question.

True, although it's not terribly heavy cloth. The sail is about 5m high and
is for an 18' boat.


Lock Stitch is the correct method and it is done with a threaded awl
designed for the purpose that can be purchased at any leather craft supply
store.

Ah, thus emulating a two-thread machine stitch?


If you are concerned about the existing fabric... place a piece of
sail tape over the area and stitch through it. The resulting work will be
stronger and last longer than a commercial machine stitch.

Noted.


--
Wally
I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk

Right, you've got to go over it twice to get it threaded where
thread was originally. That's what I did. I went one direction and
then turned around and went back filling in the unthreaded areas.
Tensioning each stitch is important. You don't want it too tight so
it draws up the material but you don't want it so loose that it stands
proud. You'll get the hang of it in short order.


"Wally" wrote in message ...
"Simple Simon" wrote in message

Zig-zag on both sides in the original holes. Wear your glasses.

The original stitching is zig-zag. Would I be right in thinking that I
should zig-zag in one direction first, and then turn and do the
complementary zig-zag? (The original is machine-stitched, so has two courses
of thread.)


--
Wally
I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk

Let me explain that zig zag is a pattern of stitch not a method. You can
place a lock stitch in a zig zag pattern.

Capt. Neal is correct in the use of a sewing awl.

CM

"Wally" wrote in message
...
| "Capt. Mooron" wrote in message news:f_YJa.21094
|
| Huh?....... zig zag is not a stitch and the original holes wouldn't
| matter.
|
| The original stitch has a zig-zag pattern. The seam is an overlap of two
| bits of cloth which has two runs of zig-zag. The 'outer' side of each
| zig-zag is just outside the edge of the cloth and seems to be a bit like
an
| overlock.
|
|
| He won't have a machine capable of stitching through that thickness and
if
| he did he wouldn't be asking the question.
|
| True, although it's not terribly heavy cloth. The sail is about 5m high
and
| is for an 18' boat.
|
|
| Lock Stitch is the correct method and it is done with a threaded awl
| designed for the purpose that can be purchased at any leather craft
supply
| store.
|
| Ah, thus emulating a two-thread machine stitch?
|
|
| If you are concerned about the existing fabric... place a piece of
| sail tape over the area and stitch through it. The resulting work will
be
| stronger and last longer than a commercial machine stitch.
|
| Noted.
|
|
| --
| Wally
| I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
| www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk
|
|
|

"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message news:5mZJa.21105

It's easier to buy the correct tool as they are inexpensive and come with
stitching instructions showing a lock stitch.....

I'll try and explain it here for you....
I'll label the sides of the fabric.. [A] being the side opposite from the
face you start and [b] being the side you make the initial puncture
through
the fabric which is facing you.

Okay.


A lock stitch is formed pushing the needle
through side [b] to side [A] and pulling a length of thread through to
side
[A] from side [b] equal to one and a half times the distance of the area
to
be stitched through the first hole.

Okay.


The end of the thread on side [b] is
placed through the eye of the needle and pushed through the second stitch
hole on side [b]..... to side [A] then pulled back a bit to form a loop.

Does the needle pass right through to form the loop is on side [A]? Or only
enough of the eye to make the loop? I assume the needle has to come back
through the same hole from [A] to [b] so that the next stitch can be started
from side [b].


The
thread on side [A] is passed through the loop and the thread in the needle
on side [b] is pulled tight. This will draw the thread from side [A]
slightly into the hole formed by the looped thread from side [b]. Continue
this pattern and tie a knot at the end.

Yup, that sounds very like a sewing machine stitch.



It's way easier with a Sewing Awl..... try Tandy's Leather and ask for the
sewing awl as can be viewed here.

http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?dept=73

That looks like the sort of thing - like a manual sewing machine. I'll see
if I can find a UK supplier.


Hope that helps.

It does. Cheers,


--
Wally
I demand rigidly-defined areas of uncertainty!
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk

"Wally" wrote in message

| I didn't think he'd mentioned use of a sewing awl.

Yes he did ....

For the outhaul reinforcement I used heavy, waxed thread (twine)
and the fine Automatic Awl that comes from C.S. Osborne and
Company, Harrison, N.J.

It's an excellent product.. I use one myself.

http://www.csosborne.com/no413.htm

CM