Leather, Shoe and Bag Making Level 2

Who it is for. Trainees who have completed Leather, Shoe and Bag Making (Level 1) or can show the same skills, including persons with disabilities. In Ghana's TVET framework, National Proficiency II covers work that is mostly routine, done with limited supervision, and leads on to National Certificate I.

Why go further

• Customers compare your work with imports. More than 70% of footwear sold in Ghana in 2024–2025 came from China, and local makers are asking state bodies such as the Armed Forces, Police and Ghana Education Service to buy from certified local manufacturers. To win such orders you must make many pieces the same size and quality.
• Hand production in Kumasi gives about 2 to 10 pairs a day per maker. Accurate patterns, batch work and a machine for long seams raise output.
• Bags are a growing line: leather and PU handbags are sold widely in Ghana, from about GH¢150 for PU to GH¢300–450 for leather sets and backpacks. A well-made local leather bag must look and last better than both.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

If any box is not ticked, your trainer will give you a short catch-up session before Unit 1.

How the module works

• Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, a range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent.
• About 70% of the time is practical.
• All Level 1 safety rules still apply. New hazards at this level: skiving knives, the sewing machine, dyes and finishes.
• Numbers marked example are for practice. Replace them with your own.
• Every unit ends with a Check yourself. Answers are in the Teacher Copy.

Competency standard

Range. Patterns for a bifold wallet and a pouch; skiving and folding samples on two leathers. Evidence. Pattern set with parts list; skiving samples measured; folded-edge samples.

Allowances: the hidden millimetres

A pattern shows the finished shape plus the extra leather each step needs (author's guidance; check with your own samples):

Notches are small V-cuts or dots on the pattern edge that show where pieces meet. Grain arrows show which way the pattern lies on the hide. A parts list on every pattern set names each piece, leather, thickness and number to cut.

Keep your knife sharp

1. Hold the blade flat on a fine stone at a low, steady angle (your trainer shows the angle for your knife).
2. Push the edge forward on the stone in small circles or strokes, the same number on each side.
3. Remove the burr on a leather strop with a little polishing compound, pulling the blade away from the edge.
4. Test on a scrap: it should slice paper cleanly and glide through leather.
5. Never test sharpness on your skin.

Skiving

Skiving thins leather from the flesh side so folds, overlaps and seams lie flat (author's guidance; the term is in Level 1's glossary).

1. Put the leather flesh side up, grain side down, on the clean slab.
2. Mark the skive area (for example 10–15 mm in from the edge).
3. Hold the skiving knife almost flat, at a low angle.
4. Take thin slices, pushing away from you, starting at the mark and running out at the edge.
5. Check thickness often with your fingers and a gauge. Aim for about half the original thickness at the very edge (example target).
6. Stop if you see the grain side darkening through: you are close to cutting through.

Common faults: holes (blade too steep; fix with a patch behind); steps (uneven pressure; take thinner slices); skive on the wrong side (always mark the flesh side first).

Fold and turn an edge

1. Skive the turn allowance.
2. Run a bone folder or creaser along the fold line to mark it.
3. Glue a thin line of contact cement on both surfaces of the turn (Unit 1 rules, Level 1).
4. When tacky, fold over in small sections, pressing with the bone folder; snip tiny V-notches on curves so they lie flat.
5. Tap flat with a smooth mallet.

Check yourself: Unit 1

1. Why are the inside pieces of a folded wallet cut slightly shorter than the outside?
2. Name three safety rules for skiving.
3. Why do you snip small notches when turning a curved edge?

Competency standard

Range. One bifold wallet with at least four card slots; one pouch or phone case. Evidence. Finished items; quality checklists; thickness record.

Choose leathers for small goods

• Outside: about 1.2–1.6 mm (3–4 oz) for wallet outsides.
• Pockets and inside: about 0.8–1.2 mm (2–3 oz) for wallet interiors.
• Lining: about 0.4–0.8 mm (1–2 oz) leather, or a strong lining cloth.
• Remember: the combined thickness of all layers matters. Four card pockets of 1 mm each add 4 mm before any cards go in.

Make a bifold wallet, step by step

1. Cut all pieces from your Unit 1 pattern set. Mark each on the flesh side.
2. Skive pocket edges that will be under other pockets.
3. Finish the top edges of every card pocket (bevel, sand, burnish or edge paint) before assembly, because you cannot reach them later.
4. Stack the pockets on their backing piece, the lowest pocket first. Hold each with a thin line of glue or 3 mm double-sided tape only inside the seam line.
5. Stitch the bottom of each pocket in a straight line if your design needs it (a "stepped" pocket stack).
6. Join the pocket panels to the lining and then to the outside piece. Glue only the outer 5 mm, inside the stitch line.
7. Bend the wallet closed before the glue sets fully, so the outer piece takes the curve and the inside does not bunch.
8. Mark and punch the outer stitch line all round, using a two-tooth iron at the corners.
9. Saddle stitch all round (Level 1 method) or machine stitch (Unit 5). Back stitch at the ends.
10. Trim the outer edge flush, then bevel, sand, dye if wanted, and burnish or paint the edges.
11. Check: with eight cards in, it still closes flat; cards come out with a thumb push but do not fall out when shaken.

Phone pouch with a flap and snap (outline)

1. Measure the phone (length, width, depth) and add the depth plus 2–3 mm ease to each side (example allowance).
2. Draw a pattern: back with flap, front, and a gusset strip if the phone is thick.
3. Set the snap on the flap and front before stitching.
4. Glue, punch, stitch and finish as above.
5. Test with the real phone in a case if the customer uses one.

Common faults and fixes

Check yourself: Unit 2

1. Why do you finish the top edges of pockets before assembly?
2. Why do you bend a wallet closed before the glue sets?
3. What is the usual thickness range for wallet interiors?

Competency standard

Range. One tote or shopping bag; one small crossbody bag with a gusset and adjustable strap. Evidence. Pattern and leather calculation; finished bags; load-test record.

Parts of a simple bag

• Panels: front and back.
• Gusset: the strip between front and back that gives the bag depth (sides and bottom).
• Handles or strap: with D-rings, swivel clips and a buckle or slider to adjust length.
• Closure: zip, magnetic snap or flap.
• Lining and pockets (optional at this level).
• Reinforcement: an extra piece of leather or firm board behind every handle and hardware point.

Leather for bags

About 1.2–1.6 mm (3–4 oz) suits small bags, and about 2.0–2.4 mm (5–6 oz) suits satchels. Soft chrome-tanned leather suits slouchy handbags, because it is stretchable. Firm veg-tan suits structured bags and straps. Leather is usually sold by area (often in square feet in shops; 1 square foot is about 929 cm²) or by the piece, so work out the area you need before you buy (author's guidance).

Build a tote with a gusset, step by step

1. Pattern and cut panels, gusset, handles and reinforcement patches.
2. Mark notches on the gusset at the two bottom corners and the centre, and matching notches on each panel.
3. Finish the top edges of panels and gusset, and all handle edges.
4. Attach reinforcements inside each panel where handles will go (glue).
5. Fix handles to the panels with stitching in a box shape (a square with an X inside) or with rivets through the reinforcement.
6. Join gusset to front panel: start at the centre notch, glue a 5–6 mm strip, and work out to each corner. At corners, ease the gusset round; snip tiny notches in the seam allowance if needed.
7. Mark and punch through both layers; stitch the seam (saddle stitch, or machine in Unit 5).
8. Join the back panel the same way.
9. Trim, bevel and finish the seam edges.
10. Load test: put a 5 kg bag of sugar or rice in it (example load) and lift and swing it gently ten times. Check handles, stitching and corners.

Crossbody bag with adjustable strap (outline)

1. Small panels with a gusset (as above) and a flap or zip.
2. D-ring tabs: a leather strip folded through a D-ring, stitched or riveted at each side of the gusset top, backed with reinforcement.
3. Strap: a long strip with a swivel clip at each end and a slider or buckle to adjust length. Skive the folds round the hardware.
4. Zip: glue the zip tape behind the opening with a thin line of glue, check it runs freely, then stitch 2–3 mm from the teeth. Fold the zip ends under so they do not show.

Hardware rules

Common faults and fixes

Check yourself: Unit 3

1. What is a gusset?
2. Why must every handle be fixed through a reinforcement?
3. How do you stop a gusset twisting when you sew it in?

Competency standard

Range. One closed slipper or mule; one sandal with a stitched sole. Evidence. Foot measurement record; upper pattern; finished pairs; wear-test record.

Parts of a shoe (more names)

• Vamp: the front part of the upper, behind the toe.
• Toe box: the part that covers and protects the toes.
• Insole: the inside bottom under the footbed; midsole: the layer between outsole and insole for cushioning; outsole: the layer touching the ground.
• Welt: a strip stitched between upper and sole that joins them in welted shoes.
• Tongue and eyelets on laced shoes.
• Last: the foot-shaped form the shoe is built on.

Shoe sizes

• European (Paris point): one Paris point is 2/3 cm (6.7 mm). EU size = 3/2 × last length in cm.
• The last is longer than the foot by about 4/3 to 5/3 cm (13 to 17 mm), so the toes have room.
• UK: sizes step by one barleycorn (1/3 inch); adult shoe size ≈ 3 × foot length in inches − 23.
• Mondopoint: foot length and width in millimetres, for example 280/110.

Measure a foot

1. The customer stands with full weight on paper, heel against a wall.
2. Mark the longest toe with a pencil held upright. Measure heel to toe in mm: that is foot length.
3. Measure the width across the widest part (the joints behind the big and little toes).
4. Measure both feet in the afternoon (feet swell in the day; author's guidance). Use the larger foot.
5. Write length, width and the customer's usual size in your order book.

Working with a last

Plastic and wooden lasts are used by shoemakers in Kumasi; borrow or buy a few common sizes rather than carving your own (author's advice). Lasts come in left and right pairs.

Make an upper pattern from the last (masking-tape method):

1. Cover the top of the last in two layers of masking tape.
2. Draw the design lines on the tape: the vamp line, the top line (opening) and the centre line.
3. Cut the tape along the centre line and lines, peel it off, and stick it flat onto card.
4. Add a lasting allowance of about 15–20 mm along the bottom edge, where the upper wraps under the insole (author's guidance; check with your last).
5. Cut the card pattern; make a test upper in cheap leather or thick fabric and pull it over the last to check.

Make a closed slipper or mule, step by step (cemented, simple)

1. Insole: cut from insole board using the bottom of the last; tack or tape it to the last bottom.
2. Upper: cut from soft leather (chrome-tan, about 1.2–1.6 mm, author's guidance); skive the lasting allowance; finish visible edges; add a lining if wanted.
3. Last the upper: wet veg-tan lightly or use soft chrome-tan; pull the upper over the last, centre it, and pull the lasting allowance under the insole a little at a time, toe first, then the sides. Hold each part with a little contact cement (outdoors, Level 1 glue rules) and tacks if needed.
4. Trim the excess lasting allowance flat; roughen the bottom.
5. Outsole: cut from rubber sheet using the insole shape plus a few mm; roughen; glue both outsole and the lasted bottom; wait for tack; press firmly from heel to toe; hammer the edges.
6. Rest: leave on the last for at least a day so it keeps its shape (author's guidance).
7. Remove the last, trim and finish the sole edge, and add a sock lining.
8. Wear test: the customer walks for 10 minutes; check heel slip, pressure and sole adhesion.

Stitched sandal sole

Glued soles can peel in heat and rain. A row of stitches round the edge makes a sandal much stronger (author's guidance).

1. Make the sandal as in Level 1, but stop after gluing the insole to the outsole.
2. Mark a stitch line about 5 mm in from the edge with a divider.
3. By hand: use a strong awl to open each hole through insole and outsole; saddle stitch with thick waxed thread. By machine: use a heavy machine able to go through both layers (Unit 5).
4. Lock the ends; tap the stitches flat.
5. Finish the edge.

Check yourself: Unit 4

1. How much longer than the foot is a last, and why?
2. What is the lasting allowance?
3. Why stitch a sandal sole as well as gluing it?

Competency standard

Range. One industrial leather sewing machine; practice strips; seams on Units 2–4 products. Evidence. Set-up checklist; stitched samples; maintenance log.

Which machine?

• A home machine struggles with leather; in most cases a walking foot or compound feed machine is needed for leather goods.
• Walking foot: the presser foot "walks" with the feed so thick layers do not slip.
• Flatbed: for long, flat items such as belts and straps.
• Cylinder bed: a narrow arm lets you sew round items and hard-to-reach places such as bags and wallets.
• Post bed: a column machine common in shoe-upper work (author's note, not from a source read).
• In Ghana in October 2026, used and new industrial leather sewing machines were advertised from about GH¢3,800 to GH¢5,800 in Accra and Kumasi, and a new cylinder-bed machine for GH¢11,000.

Needles and thread

• Leather needles have a triangular, wedge-shaped point that cuts a clean hole.
• Needle size numbers: metric 100 = 1.00 mm across; bigger numbers are thicker needles. Heavy fabrics including leather use about 100/16; very heavy work about 110/18; extra heavy 120/19 to 130/21. Match the needle to the thread and the thickness.
• Use bonded nylon or polyester thread made for leather (author's guidance). Cotton rots.

Set up and sew, step by step

1. Unplug. Fit a new leather needle, flat side and groove the right way (check the manual).
2. Wind the bobbin; thread the top following the machine's guide; check the tension discs.
3. Plug in; set a long stitch (about 3.5–4 mm, example) for leather; long stitches look neater and cut the leather less.
4. Test on two layers of scrap of the same leather. Look at both sides: the knot should sit in the middle of the layers, not on top or bottom. Adjust top tension a little at a time.
5. Mark your seam line with a divider. Sew slowly: let the machine feed; do not pull or push the leather.
6. Corners: stop with the needle down in the leather, lift the foot, turn, lower the foot, continue.
7. Lock the ends: back-tack 2–3 stitches, or pull the threads through and tie or melt them (Level 1 method).
8. Never sew over rivets or snaps. Set them after stitching, or stop before them.

Maintenance

Common faults and fixes

Check yourself: Unit 5

1. Why do leather goods usually need a walking foot or compound feed machine?
2. What size needle suits most leather goods?
3. Name three things you must do with the power off.

Competency standard

Range. Dyed samples; three bigger repairs; grading of at least ten products. Evidence. Dye samples with records; repair tickets with photos; grading sheets; care card.

Dyeing veg-tan, step by step

1. Test first on an offcut of the same leather. Colours look different on each hide.
2. Clean the surface with a barely damp cloth; let it dry.
3. Wear gloves. Apply dye with a wool dauber or soft cloth in small circles, thin coats, working quickly so no edge dries in the middle of the piece.
4. Let it dry; apply a second thin coat if needed rather than one heavy coat.
5. Buff off loose colour with a soft cloth.
6. Apply a finish (sealer or cream polish) in thin coats, then buff.
7. Do the rub test (Level 1): rub a damp white cloth; little or no colour should come off.
8. Record the dye, the number of coats and the result on a dye card, with a sample glued on.

Conditioning: a thin layer of leather conditioner or neutral cream keeps leather supple. Over-oiling darkens and weakens leather, and oil stops glue sticking.

Bigger repairs

Quality grading

Write your standards and grade every product before sale:

Care card for customers

Write a small card to give with each product, for example: "Keep dry. If wet, dry in shade, never in sun or by fire. Wipe with a soft cloth. Use neutral cream polish every few months. Free re-stitching for 6 months (example)."

Check yourself: Unit 6

1. Why apply thin coats of dye rather than one heavy coat?
2. What is a Grade B product and how do you sell it?
3. Why do the dust rules apply to repair work?

Competency standard

Range. A batch order and the trainee's own price list. Evidence. Batch costing; price list; order form; marketing plan.

Cost a batch

At Level 1 you costed one item. A batch spreads set-up time and lets you buy materials in bulk. Count:

• Materials per item × number of items, plus waste.
• Labour: your time and helpers' pay. Never pay below the national daily minimum wage of GH¢21.77 for 2026.
• Overheads: glue, thread, blades, power, transport, data, the share of rent.
• Profit.

Retail and wholesale

• Retail price: what a customer pays you directly.
• Wholesale price: what a shop pays you, so it can add its own margin. A shop may ask for 20–40% off retail (example range; ask your shops).
• Your wholesale price must still be above your full cost. If it is not, do not sell wholesale.

Orders done right

Location settings that give good returns

Business ideas and ingenuity

Market yourself

• WhatsApp Business catalogue with prices, sizes and colours; quick replies for sizing questions.
• Social media is the main marketing route for small Ghanaian fashion firms. Post process videos (cutting, stitching, burnishing).
• Before and after photos of repairs build trust fast.
• Made in Ghana: local makers are calling for a "Buy Ghana Made Footwear" campaign; say clearly that your goods are handmade in Ghana and show your workshop.
• Protect your designs: some Kumasi makers say their designs were photographed and copied abroad. Keep dated photos and pattern records of your designs; Level 3 covers more.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) protects the rights of persons with disabilities, including to work. Leather work is already taught at Ghana training centres for persons with physical disabilities, and the Assemblies' disability fund now supports skills, devices and start-up capital.

• Workable roles: pattern cutting with jigs, hand stitching, edge finishing, hardware setting, quality grading, repairs at a counter, sales and bookkeeping.
• Machine work: an industrial machine can be set up with a hand or knee lift and a speed-controlled motor; a person with limited leg use can use a hand switch fitted by a qualified technician (author's suggestion; check with the machine dealer).
• Adjustments: seated-height benches; clamps instead of holding by hand; large-print or tactile measuring guides; picture instructions for Deaf staff; a buddy for glue and dye work.

Check yourself: Unit 7

1. What does a batch costing include?
2. Why must your wholesale price be above your full cost?
3. Name five things an order form must show.

1. Name three kinds of allowance on a leather pattern.
2. Give two safety rules for skiving.
3. What leather thickness suits wallet outsides?
4. How much leather area (cm²) do two panels of 30 × 40 cm need?
5. What is the job of a reinforcement in a bag?
6. One Paris point is how long?
7. A last is 26 cm long. What EU size is it?
8. Name the two machine feeds that suit leather.
9. Which needle point is made for leather?
10. Why must the power be off before you change a needle?
11. What must a repair ticket and an order form both show?
12. A product costs GH¢50 and a shop wants it for GH¢45. What do you do?

Best next reads: Tandy's saddle stitching and edge guides; OA Leather's guide to choosing a leather machine; the hub's Workplace Safety Level 2, Garment Making and Money Skills Level 2 manuals.

What this module does not cover: tanning, welted shoes, pattern grading for a full size range, factory production, and registering a business (see Level 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.