Leather Designs (In-the-Hoop)

Learning to make your own in-the-hoop leather design is simple. All you need is faux or real leather, thread, some tools, and hardware that can be purchased at most craft stores. Follow along with the project instructions below to learn more.

This design is specially digitized to sew on a hooped piece of tearaway stabilizer. After the pieces are embroidered, the stabilizer is removed, and the leather is trimmed down to the final shape.

Before embroidering, make sure that you have both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ file ready for UTZ3030. Cut out four squares in total (using either leather or faux leather), making sure that each piece is bigger than the finished embroidery area for each file. You can find the size of the individual embroidery files by opening them in embroidery software or on your machine.

We cut each fabric piece into a 3” square. Two squares will be the front and back fabric pieces of file ‘A,’ while the other two fabric pieces will be used for the front and back of file ‘B.’

Once all the fabric pieces are cut out to the correct size, it is time to embroider the design. Hoop a piece of tearaway stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee 1.5 oz or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less like paper, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load embroidery file ‘A.’ Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer. The first thing to embroider will be a "fabric dieline" (or outline stitch). This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed.

After the fabric dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the wrong side of the front fabric piece with temporary spray adhesive. Place the fabric on the stabilizer over the sewn fabric dieline.

Next, place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the "front piece tackdown." A tackdown holds the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design.

The next step to embroider will be the "cut line." This marks the area on the leather where the finished design will later be cut out.

Follow the color change sheet to embroider the inner details of the design.

A small circle near the top of the design will also embroider. This circle is the "hole punch guide." It marks where a hole will be punched for a jump ring. This will be done in a later step.

After the inner detail and "hole punch guide" have sewn, remove the hoop from the machine. Do not unhoop the stabilizer. Turn the hoop over so the back side is facing up. Spray the back fabric piece with temporary spray adhesive. Then, smooth the back fabric piece over the shape on the back side.

As all the bobbin stitching from here on out will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin with the same thread that is being used in the top needle.

Reattach the hoop and embroider the "back piece tackdown."

Once the embroidery is finished, carefully tear the excess stabilizer away from between the two leather pieces.

Then, using scissors, carefully cut along the inner edge of the "cut line" from earlier. Cutting along the inside of the cut line will remove those stitches from the leather piece, leaving a clean and smooth edge.

Using an awl, punch a hole in the center of the previously embroidered "hole punch guide.” Be careful not to rip or tear any of the embroidery.

To complete the first earring, use a pair of needle nose pliers to open the jump ring of your earring hardware. Loop both the earring hook and the leather earring onto the jump ring. Then, close the jump ring using the pliers.

To make the second earring, repeat the same process, using the remaining two leather squares, and starting at step three.

To make a keychain, add an eyelet or grommet where the hole punch guide was sewn. Then attach your chosen keychain hardware to the eyelet or grommet. (We used a 3/16" grommet for these keychains.)