Stitching Techniques

Customized furniture is unique furniture that fits a particular style, size, or function. Some examples are made-to-measure sofas, personalized upholstered chairs, and beds that are made to fit a specific size room. When creating or reupholstering custom furniture, especially with thick fabrics or leather, you need a heavy-duty sewing machine to handle such solid materials and ensure the stitches are even and precise. If a heavy-duty sewing machine isn’t used, the needles might break, the stitches might be uneven, the fabric might get damaged, regular machines’ motors might burn out, and the finished piece of furniture might not last longer than it could.

A walking foot sewing machine is equipped with a special presser foot that has feed dogs on both the top and bottom. This dual feeding mechanism ensures that multiple layers of fabric or leather are moved through the machine evenly. Unlike traditional sewing machines, which rely solely on the bottom feed dogs, the walking foot allows for better control over thick materials such as leather, canvas, or upholstery fabric. This is particularly important when sewing bulky seams or handling slippery materials that can easily shift during the sewing process.

While mastering the coverstitch chain stitch may seem daunting at first, many sewing enthusiasts find the process rewarding. Dedicated coverstitch machines, or serger/coverstitch combo machines, have made it easier than ever to create professional-quality finishes at home. There are plenty of tutorials available online, ranging from beginner lessons to advanced techniques, helping sewists develop their skills.