A: Very, very carefully.
Leather jacket production is finally back in full swing. Yay. I spent a chunk of time yesterday reviewing where the project stood, what the next steps are and tidying up a few loose ends.
There were a few seams that needed top stitching before I went any further. Plus, those that were not going to get top stitched - like the sleeves - needed to be finished with leather tape.
Leather tape is essentially very very sticky double sided tape that you use to glue down the seams. I know that other sewists have reported good results using glue applied with a q-tip. But, since I was the kind of kid whose art projects generally left debris, I decided that the tape was a better option for me. It was easy to use and carried less risk of gluing myself to the project or the project to itself or my fingers together. That said, my early experiments with leather tape taught me NOT to tape and then top stitch the same seam. Do one or the other, but not both. The tape adhesive will seriously gunk up your needle.
After that it was on to setting in the sleeves. And let me tell you, leather does not "ease" so well. It took several tries, tons of binder clips and lots of finagling to get the sleeve in in a way that I think - once sewn - will not cause any pleats or folds and will hang smoothly from the shoulder.
Honestly, there really isn't a good way to do a do-over with the sleeves. I'm hopeful that the care I took will lead to near perfect results on the first try. I plan on sewing this one and then moving on to the second sleeve tonight. (Fingers crossed.)
There really won't be much left to do after that: just putting in the lining and some finishing touches. I'm glad to be coming down the home stretch on this project just in time to be wearing it.
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| One sleeve "pinned" in, one sleeve ready to go. |
Leather jacket production is finally back in full swing. Yay. I spent a chunk of time yesterday reviewing where the project stood, what the next steps are and tidying up a few loose ends.
There were a few seams that needed top stitching before I went any further. Plus, those that were not going to get top stitched - like the sleeves - needed to be finished with leather tape.
Leather tape is essentially very very sticky double sided tape that you use to glue down the seams. I know that other sewists have reported good results using glue applied with a q-tip. But, since I was the kind of kid whose art projects generally left debris, I decided that the tape was a better option for me. It was easy to use and carried less risk of gluing myself to the project or the project to itself or my fingers together. That said, my early experiments with leather tape taught me NOT to tape and then top stitch the same seam. Do one or the other, but not both. The tape adhesive will seriously gunk up your needle.
After that it was on to setting in the sleeves. And let me tell you, leather does not "ease" so well. It took several tries, tons of binder clips and lots of finagling to get the sleeve in in a way that I think - once sewn - will not cause any pleats or folds and will hang smoothly from the shoulder.
 |
| Ridonculous number of binder clips. |
Honestly, there really isn't a good way to do a do-over with the sleeves. I'm hopeful that the care I took will lead to near perfect results on the first try. I plan on sewing this one and then moving on to the second sleeve tonight. (Fingers crossed.)
There really won't be much left to do after that: just putting in the lining and some finishing touches. I'm glad to be coming down the home stretch on this project just in time to be wearing it.
12 comments:
I am so excited to finally get to see the end result of your leather jacket! I hope that your sleeve sewing goes well. I will say a prayer to the sewing gods for you.
Also, very interesting about the leather tape - I too was horrible at crafty school projects, so tape would be my first choice as well.
In any case, good luck! Can't wait to see the finished result.
I didn't know about leather tape, so thanks for the tip! Good luck setting in the sleeves, it's like sewing without a net!
There is a new product called Wonder Clips that is PHENOMENAL for holding seams together. Much, much, much better than binder clips. We are now stocking them at Mood due to my insistence. Interestingly, I haven't tried leather tape yet...
I can't wait to see your jacket finished. I love this pattern, and following all your construction posts has been very informative and fun!
I'm giving you the best sleeve vibes. You're doing the most beautiful work. I'm confident for you.
I've really been enjoying following this journey - making a leather jacket sure demands patience and attention to detail! Good luck with the sleeves and lining!
I searched high and low in the Garment District for Wonder Clips when I started this project! I'm sure there will be another leather project in the near future that I'll want them for!
Thanks everyone! It's nice to feel like my mojo is back!
You are going to be so very ready when the first chill arrives. What a wonderfully cute jacket!
You're much more color coordinated then I am - my ridiculous number of binder clips is multi-colored. But aren't they just the best thing to use?
This is coming together very nicely. I love the pink clips.
This jacket looks so cool! I'm really excited to see how it turns out. Great to meet you last night!:)
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