Whip Stitching an Edge with Lacing

Whip stitching, also called lacing, wraps a flat lace diagonally over an edge instead of pulling thread through from both sides the way saddle stitch does. It's both decorative and functional — the wrapped lace protects the raw edge from wear the way a burnish or edge paint does, while also joining two layers together. It's a common finish on the edges of wallets, small pouches, and bag panels, especially where a bold, visible stitch line is part of the design.

What you'll need

• Flat leather lace, typically 1/8 inch or 3/32 inch wide, in a color that complements or contrasts with your leather
• A lacing chisel or lacing punch, sized to your lace width, for punching evenly spaced slots
• A lacing needle (or a blunt needle sized to grip the lace end)
• A groover, to set a shallow guide channel a consistent distance from the edge
• Water, for softening the lace tip before threading

Steps

1. Groove a guideline a consistent distance from the edge (commonly around 1/8 inch) on both layers to be laced, which keeps your hole spacing straight and even.
2. Punch the lacing slots along the groove with the lacing chisel, working from one end of the edge to the other so spacing stays consistent rather than punching from both ends toward the middle.
3. Taper and dampen the starting end of the lace briefly in water, which makes it more pliable and easier to thread through tight slots without cracking.
4. Anchor the lace by threading it through the second slot from one end first, leaving a short tail on the back to be caught and hidden under the first few wraps.
5. Wrap over the edge diagonally to the next slot, pulling the lace snug but not so tight that it distorts the leather, then pass it through from the same side each time so the diagonal wraps sit consistently.
6. Repeat down the length of the edge, keeping tension even from wrap to wrap — inconsistent tension is the most common reason a laced edge looks uneven.
7. Finish by backstitching through the last two or three slots to lock the lace in place, then trim the tail flush and tuck it under the last wrap, or secure it with a small dab of leather cement on the underside.