How long a piece of thread?

[TennHillyBill]

How do you estimate how long a piece of thread to do a main seam is needed?  I'm getting ready to hand stich a holster and don't want to come up short , or way too long.  Is there some rule of thumb to figure this?  I hate to wind up trying to tie a knot with that last 1/2" long piece of thread.....ask me how I know!  Bill

[mestiza letty]

Howdy,
Try to measure what you are stitchin', then another gauge for the actual sticthes you actually have in your project to make up your pattern. It will take up some. It's kind of an "eye " for the length...but better to be long than short
Good luck,
Letty

[Slowhand Bob]

My first inclination is to say the old rule of thumb was two and a half times but remember that fillers, leather thickness, etc must be figured in also?  The bible of leather sewing is the book written by Stohlman and I would recommend all leather crafters have this in their core library of 'how-to' books.  He gives the recommended methods for all things to be hand stitched and deals with most problems, such as, what to do when the thread is not long enough to finish the stitch run.   

[Marshal Will Wingam]

For a double layer of 10oz leather, I generally expect to use a piece of thread 5 times as long as the distance to stitch. Thinner or thicker will make a bit of difference on that. I often cut my thread 6 times the distance to stitch so I have needles with a little thread on them to tie projects together for stitching (this isn't needed if glue is used).

[TennHillyBill]

Thanks!  I used the 5X formula and it worked out just fine!  BTW, pic of one of my first holster, wet forming now with my .44 Russian, still some work to be done!  Bill

[Johnny McCrae]

I use the 5X formula.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Looking good, Bill. Glad the 5X works for you. Nice holster.