Many great craftsmen use hand-sewing techniques to make very beautiful items
The hand stitch on leather was pioneered by saddle makers and tack makers for equestrians who needed to utilize a very tough stitch through a great thickness of leather. This is where the term “saddle stitch” derives. Machines were very cost-prohibitive or non-existent until the industrial revolution. The sewing machine did not exist until 1846.
A traditional hand stitch, also known as a saddle stitch, is performed with two blunt needles, a sharp awl, typically waxed linen thread, and a good amount of patience. The process is simple to do but hard to master: Mark your holes, puncture the holes with an awl, and stitch together from both sides of the leather with each needle. The main benefit comes from the last step. By using two needles and coming at the leather from both sides you can create a locking stitch. When one part of the stitch breaks it does not affect the other segments of stitching and the piece will still be held together.
