interfacing leather

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt (worn with a new white cotton shirting Archer shirt)

Hello Dear Friends,

It’s been too long! The blasted British weather has meant I have not been able to take any decent blog photographs for ages but today I braved the wind and chill to snap these photos. The lighting was not ideal , and of course, as I type this the sun has come out, but hey ho.

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt

I am totally thrilled with how this skirt has turned out. The pattern is Simplicity 8019, a reissued 70s pattern, and I have made it in the most glorious chestnut brown real suede leather. Really, when I wear this piece I feel very…luxurious. And, oh yes, I made the white cotton shirting Archer shirt as well.

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt

First, let me say that I actually made this pattern up first in some faux suede, as a wearable muslin. Sorry, but you are only going to get a hanger shot of it. Full review below, but what I will say is that this pattern is quite a neat fit at the waist/ high hip/ tummy area. The muslin fits me, but for the real suede version I sized up slightly at the waist/ high hip. If you carry any extra weight in these areas be warned! Now I have made the real suede version of course this faux suede one is just not comparable: it has quite a bit of static and yep, I just don’t love it the way I do the real suede one.

Simplicity 8019: DIY Faux Suede Button Front Skirt

So, I bought 3 skins of chestnut suede totalling 42 square feet from Le Prevo Leathers in Newcastle, and you can read about my previous epxeriences of sewing with leather in this post here. Pretty much whatever I wrote in that post for sewing and interfacing leather holds true for this suede. I could probably have got away with only buying 2 skins but because of the nap and shape of the pattern pieces I had to go for 3. The snaps on this real suede version were also purchased from Le Prevo.

This real suede version is fully lined in a viscose lining (a remnant from a previous project). I also added hanger loops made from the lining fabric.

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt – full viscose lining

The hem (on the suede) was interfaced and I did a narrow 5/8ths inch hem. I found the deeper hem recommended by the pattern (2 inches) difficult to ease in with the faux suede version and this narrow hem was easier to control. I used specialised leather sewing thread (also bought from Le Prevo) and a stitch length of 4.0 for construction and topstitching.

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt – Hem and lining detail

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt – Snaps and topstitching detail

I FREAKING LOVE MY SKIRT!

Pattern Review

Pattern Description:
These front-gored buttoned skirts from the 1970’s can be made retro with flowy floral prints, or modern in linen or lightweight denim. Skirt can also be made in four lengths. Vintage Simplicity sewing pattern.
Pattern Sizing:
6 – 24
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes…but there were things I didn’t like. See below.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love my final version made in real suede leather. But I made a muslin first (from faux suede) and the fit was slightly off and I didn’t like some aspects of the construction. Nothing to dislike as such. Its a great look.
Fabric Used:
Faux suede for the muslin and real suede leather for the final version lined in viscose lining. I purchased 3 skins of suede totalling 42 square feet. There is a lot of left-over suede but due to the nap and shape of the pattern pieces I could not have got away with just 2 skins.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I found this pattern to be a neat fit at the waist/ high hips/ tummy area and would recommend making a muslin first if you carry any weight in these areas! For the real suede leather version I sized up slightly at the waist and high hip.

I didn’t like the way the pattern had you put the waist band on first and then finish the button facings. When I made it second time around I did the topstitching on the button facings first and then added my waist band. I also fully lined the skirt on the second version and used snaps rather than buttons.

I found the 2 inch hem hard to ease in on the faux suede version so I removed 2 inches from the length on the real suede leather version and did a narrow 5/8ths inch hem.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I may make it again…I think it would look great in denim, corduroy or even a flowing viscose for summer. Yes I recommend.
Conclusion:

Love, love, love my final version. It feels so luxurious. I can see me wearing this in the summer with a light top and sandals and with boots and a cropped sweater in the winter. Now I want to sew a wardrobe of things just to wear with it.

Simplicity 8019: Real Suede Leather Button Front Skirt worn with a new white cotton shirting Archer shirt.

So, I also wanted to share my third pair of Jalie pull on Eleonore jeans. I did’t feel they warranted an entire post of their own. Check out my last pair here. This pair was made exactly the same way except for the fact that I shortened the back elastic by a further 1.5 inches or so. The fit is spot on, but these are made from a cotton/ spandex and personally, I don’t think they are quite as flattering as the black denim ones. They will still get worn, especially when it warms up.

Jalie 3461 Elenore DIY Pull on Jeans Jeggings.

What possessed me to wear red and blue I don’t know? Anyway, have a great week ahead and happy sewing!

Until soon…

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

Hi Friends,

Today is a picture/ information heavy post about Butterick 6169, which I made using real leather. Yep. I made a jacket from REAL leather. I got over my fear of wrecking the most expensive “fabric” I have bought to date, and of sewing leather, and today I am going to share my experiences with you.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

The leather was purchased from a shop in Newcastle called Le Prevo Leathers. I highly recommend these guys. I went into the shop thinking I would buy nappa leather, because isn’t that what all leather jackets are made of? But the guy in the shop told me straight away that nappa isn’t the easiest leather to start out with and on reflection he was probably right. Instead I walked out with 2 cow hide skins, each of around 20 square feet. I took my pattern pieces with me and we laid them out roughly to determine how much leather I would need. He also sold me some specialised leather sewing thread. I wish I could tell you exactly what this thread is, but I don’t know what it is called. All I know is that it is much, much stronger than even a heavy duty topstitching thread and gives all the top stitched seams a very professional finish.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket – close up of topstitched seams

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

In terms of sewing leather, there are a few rules you should follow:

Use leather specific needles. I used Schmetz. I only ended up using 2 needles for this project (first one bent).
Use the right machine foot. I used a walking foot throughout. I started off using a teflon foot but the lower piece of leather next to the feed dogs was stretching out too much. The walking foot eliminated this problem.
Use a longer length stitch to sew and topstitch. I used 4.3 on my Janome machine.
You can use heat on leather. But use with caution. Test first and always use a press cloth.
By the same token, you can interface leather (and should where appropriate). Again, always use a press cloth.
You cannot pin into leather. I bought 20 of those quilting clips and they were perfect for holding the leather together whilst sewing. See below.

The part of this jacket construction I was dreading the most was the setting in of the sleeves. You cannot ease in a leather sleeve using the traditional gathering of the sleeve cap method. I used the “sleeve head” technique from Jackets for Real People (an invaluable text IMHO). Essentially this involves sewing a bias strip of, in my case, linen, to the sleeve cap to take up the ease before sewing the sleeve into place. The result was a painless easing in of the sleeves. Check it out below.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket – using quilt clips to hold leather sleeve in place before sewing. The linen is my “sleeve head”.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket – sleeve sewn in place using linen sleeve head to take up ease before setting in.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

I treated the inside of this jacket a little like a tailoring project. I added a backstay, interfaced the hems, interfaced all of the front of the jacket (the pattern does not tell you to do this), catchstitched stay tape (to the backstay) around the back neckline and made my own shoulder pads.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket – backstay

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

As you can see I ended up topstitching virtually every seam. The jacket is fully lined with a bemberg twill lining. It is a little heavier weight lining which is a good pairing with the leather. I also added a leather hanging loop. In retrospect that was a little bit of an error. It is a little bulky, but the leather has already softened down and I think it would have been more of a mistake trying to remove it (remember, leather shows any unpicking you do!) I bagged the lining out: again, hand sewing leather…nahuh.

*EDIT: if you are picking a pattern to sew in leather then make sure you can complete the pattern with NO hand sewing and also consider if there are any areas where they are lots of layers. My janome handled this project with no fuss, but the one part it didn’t like was topstitching the front edges through all the layers/ zipper tape etc. It did it…but just something to watch out for.

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket – lining and hanging loop

Butterick 6169: DIY Black Leather Collarless Biker Jacket

Pattern Review

Pattern Description:

Semi-fitted, lined jacket has shoulder pads, seam detail, welt pockets, exposed zipper, and two-piece sleeves. Loose-fitting, pullover dress (semi-fitted through hips) has bias neck binding, self-lined yokes, princess seams, side-front pockets, shaped hemline, wrong side shows, and narrow hem. B: Attached belt.

Pattern Sizing:

6 – 22

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yep although I did a lot of my own thing.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

This review is only for the jacket. I love the finished jacket. It is simple but classic whilst still on trend and very well drafted. I love the two piece sleeves. If I made this again, say in a boucle or a linen, I would definitely add in zippers to the sleeve openings. Nothing to dislike.

Fabric Used:

Garment cow hide leather. I used 2 skins of 20 square foot each. The jacket is fully lined with a bemberg twill lining.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

1 inch sway back adjustment, adding the length back in to the lower hems
Added 1 inch to both back and side back seams to give an extra 2 inch coverage over the high hip at the back
Did 0.5 inch full bust adjustment
Shortened sleeves by 0.5 inch
1 inch full arm adjustment
Dropped bust points by 1 inch
Used a 20 inch zipper rather than the recommended 18 inch
Interfaced all the jacket front pieces (not suggested in pattern)
Interfaced back hems
Added back stay
Catchstitched stay tape to backstay around back neckline
Made shoulder pads from fleece using pattern pieces
Used sleeve head method to take up ease in sleeves before setting in the sleeves (as you cannot ease in leather sleeves using the traditional method)
Topstitched almost all the seams
Added a leather hanging tab
Bagged out the lining

One thing I should point out: the front of this jacket (where the zipper is) should be slightly longer. Somehow I messed up when sewing in the facings and so this part of my jacket is maybe 0.5 – 1 inch shorter than it should be! Yes, annoying, but that’s the consequence when you are working with an unforgiving fabric like leather.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Maybe and yes.

Conclusion:

Sewing this jacket was a little like giving birth: when you hold your beautiful new baby in your arms you forget the horrible pain you went through to bring it into this world and 6 months later you are all like “shall we try for another one?” Lol. Sewing this jacket was perhaps not that painful but now I have “given birth” to it, I am just going to enjoy wearing it and perhaps I will try leather sewing again….in a while…

Until Soon!