Why I refuse to use a sewing machine
Medina, Fez, Morocco
Documented by Nour Benkirane
A sewing machine stitch uses one thread looped through itself. If the thread breaks anywhere, the whole seam can unravel. Saddle stitch uses two needles and two threads locked through each other. If the thread breaks at one point, the rest of the seam holds.
Cultural context
My uncle told me to never buy a sewing machine. He said it would make me faster and worse. I was eighteen and I thought that was old-fashioned. He was right. The speed you gain is not speed in the work — it is speed toward mediocrity. A machine stitch penetrates the leather with a rotating hook. It stresses the leather at the perforation. You can feel the difference when you hold a saddle-stitched piece — the thread sits in the leather, not on it. When a bag I made five years ago comes back to me for new stitching, the leather at the original perforations is still clean. I have never seen that with machine-stitched leather.
Technique
- 1
Mark the stitch line with a wing divider — a compass-like tool that scores a channel parallel to the edge. The stitching will sit in this channel, protected from abrasion.
- 2
Pierce the stitch holes using a pricking iron — a comb-like tool with evenly spaced tines. Strike it with a mallet. Each hole should be clean and identical.
- 3
Thread two needles, one on each end of a single length of waxed linen thread. The thread length should be three to four times the seam length.
- 4
Pass the first needle through hole one. Pull the thread to its midpoint.
- 5
Pass the second needle through the same hole in the opposite direction, crossing over the first thread before entering the hole. This crossing is what locks the stitch.
- 6
Pull both threads tight and even. The thread should compress slightly into the leather without cutting it.
- 7
Continue through each hole in the same way. Finish by backstitching two holes and trimming the thread flush.
Materials
- Full-grain goat leatherSource: Tanneries in the Fez medina
Full-grain means the surface has not been sanded or corrected. All the natural variation of the hide is visible. It is the highest quality and it ages the best — patina develops from use, not from treatment.
- Waxed linen threadSource: Purchased from a supplier in Casablanca
Linen is stronger than polyester thread of the same thickness. Waxing reduces friction during stitching and helps the thread lie flat in the channel.
- BeeswaxSource: Local market
Used to condition the edges after burnishing. Seals the exposed leather fibres against moisture.
Srouj means saddle. The stitch takes its name from the saddles it was originally used to make — the strongest application, the one that had to hold under the weight of a rider. That is the standard the stitch is made to.
Who owns this knowledge
This entry is owned by Nour Benkirane. Amussu hosts it as a public commons — freely readable by anyone.Nour can update or add to this entry at any time. The knowledge remains theirs.
Amussu never modifies an entry without the artisan's consent. An entry, once published to the commons, cannot be deleted — but the artisan can always add corrections or additional context.
Nour Benkirane
Leatherwork — bags and belts · Medina, Fez