Calling the Gustto Girls: What do you do about loose stitching?

KoobaLover

I Want That Bag
O.G.
Aug 5, 2006
2,478
6
This morning I'm packing up my Baca when I notice a few more loose stitches. They're on one of the oval-shaped pieces of leather at the handle. No biggie, it's loose at the place where the stitching overlaps. I went on to inspect the other ovals. Sure enough, loose stitching. Since I hate loose threads, I pulled them all out and clipped them off at the ends... about 2.5 inches of thread total. The bag looks fine.

However, I want to seal the ends where I clipped and was wondering what you've used on your bags to seal loose threads? Is there a special leather glue, or can I just apply some general-purpose glue with a toothpick?

Does anyone else have any home remedies to clean up their Gusttos? Thanks in advance!

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You could try a place that works with leather a lot like a shoe repair place.

Also I have found a lot of items (needles, thread, glue, etc.) for leather at fabric stores like JoAnne if oyu want to do it yourself.
 
I have the same problem with my Setela!!! I was so annoyed to see this because I love the bag and the leather quality is excellent..but the stitching leaves a LOT to be desired. :rolleyes:
 
Here's something that works. Most likely the thread has nylon... BURN the edges with a lighter. I often do this to fix some loose stitches or I do it to burn away stray threads when making bags.
;)
 
Nah.. if you hold the bag so the lighter is sideways and the flame goes vertical, you just catch the edge of the thread and it burns down.

I guess I'm just used to doing this, but in this member's case, it's be a perfect solution, as the bag is black.
I'm not saying hold a lighter to your bag for a minute, i'm saying in one very quick movement, apply the lighter to the loose thread and it will burn down and create a "bead"like shape on the end of the thread and won't fray anymore.

There's another way that I fix loose threads that I also use.. no fire involved.
 
Thanks everyone for the tips! I might head over to JoAnn and see what different glues they have. The burning tip sounds like a good idea, but it won't work now that I've pulled the threads out and clipped off the loose ends.

Ha Ha. I think we should all get together and burn a Gustto in protest of their sloppy stitching... it would be like bra burning but more expensive!
 
I have the same problem with my Setela!!! I was so annoyed to see this because I love the bag and the leather quality is excellent..but the stitching leaves a LOT to be desired. :rolleyes:

This is exactly why we all have a LOVE/HATE relationship with our Gusttos! I swear, give me some thread and some lambskin and I could sew a Baca together better than Gustto. LOL...
 
I usually use a pair of finger nail clippers - I know it's odd, but this way I can clip down low w/o leaving another loose thread or risk pulling it out further. I actually tried to stitch the inside label but gave up cuz it was so hard to do. The linings doubled up and it was too hard for me to stitch w/ o going thru both layers. Now my inner label is about a fourth of the way loose.
 
Sewing lambskin is actually pretty hard. It's so delicate and so stretchy.
Also, if you are working with a very thin piece, it's even more difficult (which is why you're finding so many loose threads around that oval piece, it's a lot thinner than any other portion of the bag)
 
Good observation, Luna, and thanks for your help. The oval piece is really thin compared to the leather on the rest of the bag. It gets even more tricky now, because the oval pieces are actually 2 super-thin pieces sewn back-to-back.

iluvmybags, that's exactly how I fixed the threads earlier today... a finger nail clippers. Great minds think alike!!!
 
JoAnn Fabric will have something called 'fray check'. It is for the ends of ribbons and such, that will do the trick. You need just a tiny drop on the end to seal it.

I think I'll try that out on the stitches on the inside label. Maybe that'll keep it from continuing to come undone. I notice that a lot of you said how thin the inner label is on you bags. The label on my Setela is thick - - VERY thick. When I got the Blue Baca yesterday, I noticed that the inner label was paper thin. In fact, that's one of the reasons I suspected the bag wasn't real (until I spoke w/Gustto and they said that this is normal). Are all the inner labels on the Baca bags thin like this?