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Topstitch faux leather can quickly become an ordeal. Some faux leather are no problem, but others can be very stubborn, preventing your presser foot to slide properly and creating ugly stitching (see photo at the end of the post).

Teflon, roller or walking feet are often a great help in this case, but what if you do not have one on hand?

Here’s an easy trick to toptstitch a stubborn faux leather. The best thing is, the trick uses something you already have in your kitchen: wax paper or parchment paper. Yes, the one you buy in rolls at the supermarket and use to bake pies and cakes !

Topstitching faux leather with a regular presser foot tutorial

For this tutorial I will topstitch along an edge, like when creating a hem. I will use the faux leather from my stash that hates me the most (read: sewing it is a pain and I’m pretty sure it’s personal, take a look at the pic at the bottom of the page and you’ll understand ^ ^).

Cut

Cut 2.5 cm (1″) wide strips of wax paper or parchment paper. Strips must be at least as wide as your presser foot + seam allowance.

The length of the strip should ideally be that of the stitchline you’ll have to sew but putting several shorter strips end to end will work perfectly and will sometimes be more convenient.

Découper des bandes de papier sulfuriser — Cut strips of wax paper

And if the edge I have to topstitch is rounded?

If the edge is rounded you can’t use straight strips of parchment paper because they can not follow the curve while remaining flat. So, in this case, trace the curve on parchment paper and cut a strip that follows this curve. This way the parchment paper will fit perfectly to the contour of the faux leather.

Align

Place a strip of wax paper on the faux leather, lining its side to the edge you need to topstitch. This way you can still use the edge of the faux leather as a guide for topstitching.

Stitch

Needle : denim needle size 90 or 100

Stitch length : 3.5 to 4.5 mm depending on the number of layers and thickness.

All these settings will of course need to be tested on a scrap of faux leather, using the same number of layers!

Topstitch using the needed seam allowance : it ‘s easy use the right seam allowance because the edge of the paper is aligned with the edge you need to topstitch.

Piquer le simili à travers le papier sulfurisé — Stitch the faux leather through the wax paper.

Do not worry if the presser foot doesn’t rest entirely on the parchment paper. Even if the foot is partly in contact with the faux leather (if you stitch with a small seam allowance and in the middle of the faux leather piece for example), as long as the greater part of the foot lays on the parchment paper, it will slide properly! See picture below:

Tant que votre pied est en grande partie sur le papier, ça glissera ! — As long as most of the foot lays on the wax paper it will slide fine.

Tear away !

Remove the parchment paper by pulling it at the base.
Small bits of paper can remain stuck below the stitches, do not panic, you can easily remove them with your fingers. Much more easily than tissue paper, which often requires tweezers to be removed.

This is what happens if trying to topstitch the same faux leather without parchment paper

A nightmare !

Même pied presseur mais pas de papier sulfurisé. — Same presser foot and faux leather but no wax paper.

Voilà ! Piece of cake, non ?

(Ahah… baking paper… cake… Sorry^^)

{Tutorial} Topstitching faux leather