Posts Tagged ‘leather’
Monday, May 6th, 2013
 Inspiration: This coated linen and leather tote from Bottega Veneta, available at Neiman Marcus for $750.
Spring is finally here and that meant I needed a new tote bag to schlep my shoes and magazines around in. The black leather tote I made a few months ago served me well this past fall and winter, but I was craving something new. My caveats: a bag that was unstructured, lightweight, and combined fabric and leather. The Bottega Veneta bag, above, was perfect! (Except for the $750 price tag; yikes.)
 Here’s my version of the Bottega Veneta tote. For the fabric part of my knock-off bag I used an off-white, coated linen from Marc Jacobs, which, sadly, is all gone. For the leather portion I used a black washable leather that is very soft and easy to sew. Plus, washable! (Dmitry, our leather department manager, sewed little britches out of this washable leather for his toddler son. How cute is that.)
Sewing a tote bag is pretty straightforward. Determine the size you want and make a quick muslin first just to make sure you’ve gotten the proportions right. (I always tend to screw up a bit when I factor in the depth.) My bag measures 15 inches tall by 15 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep, with a 10 inch handle drop.
 I like that my bag is soft and scrunchy, with no hard edges. You know how packed with people this part of Manhattan is, and nobody likes to get bumped by a hard bag. I constructed the coated linen part of the bag first, then I made the leather “bottom” which I fitted and then stitched onto the linen bag. I used a pinking rotary blade to mimic the Bottega Veneta bag’s serrated leather edge. If you look inside my bag all you see is the uncoated linen, which makes it look like I lined the bag.
For the top edge of the bag, where the handles are attached, I simply pressed and turned a 2-inch facing, twice. Like the real BV bag, I didn’t even bother to stitch the edge of the facing in place. I took the bag and the handles to Star Snaps down the block from Mood NYC at 262 W 38th St, #202, and for $12 had twelve studs put in place to anchor the handles.
 A glimpse of the inside. The uncoated part of the linen looks like a lining. You can see how I just turned the facing under, securing it with the studs on the handles. That’s all there was to making this tote. I love it soooooooo much and carry it to work every day. If you’re thinking of making your own similar tote, our two stores have coated fabrics to choose from, plus I found this coated linen online (but order a swatch first as I’m not personally familiar with this particular fabric). We have a large selection of faux leathers online as well.
Have you made a tote bag that you just love? Tell us about it here!
Tags: coated linen, leather, tote bag
Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion Sewing | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
Designers this Spring/Summer 2013 season are really taking liberties and kicking the shoe detailing into high gear — there’s tons of baubles and chains everywhere. As usual, I was inspired to create some of my own. So, when I saw these heels from Diane von Furstenberg with the fun ankle strap, and unforgettable back….I thought, “what a fun combo, it’s something I’ll have to definitely try.” So I grabbed some chain, closures, and glue from Mood Fabrics and immediately got to work. This takes my heels from drab to fab in no time. Tell me what you think!
SUPPLIES: a pair of heels (I got these from a thrift store for $5 instead of $10 when I mention the ankle strap was missing on one shoe. I didn’t need it anyway…but they didn’t know that), matches, large chain, smaller chain, 2 leather/metal closures, clear illusion cord, E6000 glue, wire cutters, and pliers.
HOW-TO:
1. Measure how much chain you think you’ll need for your ankle strap (allow room for the metal toggle that will be attached. I used 10 large ones in total), and the chain that will go down the back of the heel (here I used 8) — use your wire cutters to pry the links open, and twist.
2. Remove one link from the smaller chains for the left and right foot.
3. Add this one link to the base of each of the chains that trail down the back of the shoe.
4.Remove the 2 “toggle bars” and “loops” from the leather pieces. Be sure to keep the little rings attached that connect them to the leather, because you will use them in a second.
5. For the ankle strap (again, mine was 10 rings) attach the toggle bar by its ring to the chain (Note: If its for the right shoe, you will do the right side of the chain. We’ll start with the right foot).
6. Now add the loop via it’s connector ring to the left side of that chain.
7. For the right shoe, you will count in 3 rings from the toggle bar, and then pry open that link.
8. Slide this 3rd link onto the loop on the back of your heel, and close it back.
9. Next take your chain that is 8 links long (the one with the small ring at the base), and attach it to the loop on your shoe as well.
10. Pulling the chain really taught while keeping it straight, slip the clear illusion cord through the small ring at the bottom of the chain that goes down back of shoe. Wrap this cord around heel a couple times right above the shoe tap, and double knot it on the inside of the heel.
11. Snip the excess cord right near the knot you created.
12. Use a match to ever so slightly melt the knot at the base of the heel tap (Note: you want to be really careful doing this or the cord will snap).
13. In the middle of the heel, place just a dab of glue just beneath the chain to hold it in place (Note: you can also add a tiny bit to the chain itself to keep it turned in the direction the desired direction). I also used a piece of string to tie it in place while the glue dried for about half hour.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. She’s also a finalist in the voting contest for ALL YOU MAGAZINE’S Smartest Shopper. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: diane von furstenberg, leather, metal chain, shoes, Trends
Posted in DIY | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
 This Isabel Marant jacket was the inspiration starting point for my third and final bomber jacket. Readers, I think I got a little bit carried away with the whole bomber jacket trend. First I made this bomber, then this one, and now here’s my third–AND LAST!–bomber jacket. I really enjoyed sewing the first two versions, but this one I just wanted to be over with. I’m very happy with the results, mind you, but this pattern is being officially retired.
 Finished! My third and final bomber jacket, a combination of silver metallic brocade and taupe leather.  It’s hard to photograph some metallic fabrics. I took these photos here, but even our in-house professional photographer sometimes struggles with how to successfully capture metallics. Here’s a quick recap of the sewing details:
- Light taupe leather for the sleeves and neck binding from Mood NYC’s leather department
- Silver metallic brocade, also from Mood NYC, but no longer available because a buyer for Club Monaco bought the rest of the bolt. (Here’s a brocade from MoodFabrics.com that I think would work well.)
- Flatlined instead of lined using an off-white silk crepe de chine
- Hong Kong seams and seam binding using a lightweight silk brocade I had in my stash
- BurdaStyle pattern 7210
- Lampo zipper stitched on the outside as a design element
- Welt leather pockets
 Here you can see the silk crepe de chine lining and the Hong Kong seams. If you’re planning on wearing a jacket unzipped, like I do with this jacket, it’s important the interior looks as great as the exterior. I did have one dramatic incident when I was working on the the welt pockets. Somehow I managed to slit my fingertip open and it bled all over the silk crepe de chine pocket. I was able to remove the blood stains (blotting with a damp towel while cursing up a storm), but I ended up getting water stains on one of the leather sleeves and on one of the welt pockets. Of course they’re only removable by taking the jacket to a professional leather cleaner. Waah.
Bottom line: I feel very chic in this jacket! Employees and customers alike told me how much they liked it when I wore it last week. The leather sleeves are very soft and comfortable to wear, even in the warmer weather. It looks great with the sleeves worn pushed up and paired with jeans or pants.
What I’m working on now: I’m finishing up a new tote for spring and summer made of coated linen and leather, then I start sewing a shirt that combines two Thakoon silk prints: item numbers 303199 and 303197. It’s so nice to have runway shots like these to study how the designer placed the motifs, because print placement can be very tricky. What are YOU working on now?
Tags: bomber, brocade, jacket, leather, metallic
Posted in Fashion Sewing, Jackets, Trends | 9 Comments »
Wednesday, April 17th, 2013
This is my salute to camo — it’s really hot right now! We’ve seen it on runways for DKNY and even Valentino; but, I wanted a functional way to wear it. You know, an accent piece that I would get more wear out of then say with a top or a jacket. So, I opted to make a clutch. I combined the camouflage (which you can find at Mood Fabrics, here) with a few textural elements like the tassel and leather (you can grab some great faux vinyl/leather also at Mood, here)…and I’m killin’ a bunch of Spring/Summer fashion trends at once. Tell me what you think. Are you a fan of this neutral pattern?
SUPPLIES: needle and thread, zipper (11.5 inches), rotary cutter, straight pins, faux leather/vinyl, camouflage fabric, silk lining, scissors, wash cloth & iron (optional), and a sewing machine (note: can be hand sewn).
HOW TO:
1. Cut out two camo rectangles (mine were 13 x 10 inches), and two leather rectangles (13 x 3inches).
2. Pin one leather rectangle to camo rectangle. Place raw edges together, right sides facing each other.
3. Flip it over and sew on wrong side. Repeat for other camo/leather section.
4. Cut two pieces of silk out for lining. (Note: I used my new attached camo/leather rectangle as my guide for what size I would need).
5. Take your zipper face down and pin it to the top edge of the right side of a piece of your camo/leather rectangle AND one piece of the silk (Note: If you happen to find a zipper that is too long, feel free to do what I did here to shorten it).
6. Sew these three pieces together.
7. It may be a little tricky to work around zipper head. You’ll want to sew as close to the teeth as possible, so after sewing about an inch, pull zipper head back. (Note: You’ll move it back into position as you go along).
8. Right sides facing, take the other camo/leather piece and silk and lay it on top of the other side. Pin the free side of the zipper to these pieces along the raw edge.
9. Sew the zipper on.
10. Be sure to watch out for the zipper pull like in Step #7.
11. It’s time to sew it all together! Use straight pins to give yourself about a half inch seam allowance on the remaining three sides.
12. Go ahead and sew it all up.
13. Before you get to that last side….be sure to open up zipper a few inches so you can get it open once you are done sewing.
14. Cut corners of bag off at an angle on both sides.
15. Flip bag to the right side.
16. Take a piece of leather about 7.5 inches in length, and cut about 7 thin strips of leather for your tassel with the rotary cutter.
17. Fit leather strips through zipper head.
18. Take one leather strip and wrap it firmly around the head of the bundle of strips three times.
19. Hand stitch this binding strip to the bundle of strips for security. Cut off excess.
20. If your fabric is puckering at all, feel free to iron it out, applying a damp cloth over the leather portion.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. She’s also a finalist in the voting contest for ALL YOU MAGAZINE’S Smartest Shopper. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: clutch, DIY, leather, Trends
Posted in DIY | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 1st, 2013
Was I the only one who sat in awe after the Super Bowl half time show last month? Not only at Beyonce’s performance – I mean Kelly and Michelle were a refreshing throwback — but of Beyonce’s COSTUME? I literally said out loud when she flashed that winning smile at the end….”now THAT’S HOT!” So, I don’t need to tell you how excited I was to learn that the very designer of Bey’s costume (his name is Rubin Singer)….got the guipure lace from Mood Fabrics NYC. Welllllll….that’s all I needed to hear. I marched up to Mood, stalked the fancy lace section, got my hands on a secondhand leather vest, and got to work.
Supplies: Leather vest, guipure lace, rotary cutter, scissors, straight pins, tape measure, straight edge, pen, sewing machine, and/or needle and thread. (Note: you can use fabric paint or spray paint to dye lace if you’d like).
How-To:
1. Wrap lace around your body, or mannequin to estimate where lace will fall and how much you’ll need.
2. I used masking tape here, but it would be just as easy to use straight pics to section off a guide to what part of the design you want to include BEFORE you cut.
3. Cut out the “U” shaped form of lace you’ll be working with — slowly snipping pieces of the lace close to the edge that won’t be included in your design.
4. I wanted a slightly darker shade than what was available, but this step is totally optional. To change lace color, feel free to use fabric paint or even spray paint to do the job. (Note: I tried RIT dye initially, but unfortunately it didn’t work).
5. Use tape measure and pen to mark out the deep “V’s” of leather that you’ll remove from the abdomen area of the vest.
6. Use a rotary cutter to precisely cut the leather.
7. With straight pins, hem the rough edges of the vest that are left after you cut out the V’s.
8. With a half inch seam allowance, hem the leather V’s.
9. Hand stitch lace onto the inner lining of the vest.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: Beyonce, DIY, Get the Look, lace, leather, Ruben Singer
Posted in DIY | 8 Comments »
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
SUPPLIES: Leather, Fleece, Fabric Glue, Velcro, Heavy Duty Thread, Regular Thread, Upholstery Needle, Tape Measure, Needle, Rotary Cutter, Straight Pins, Wash Cloth, Scissors, Iron, and a Sewing Machine.
HOW-TO:
1. You are going to create two rectangles. For the first, pin a piece of leather and felt together, right sides facing each other. My Macbook Pro laptop is 13 in x 9 in (length x height), so I want to make this first rectangle 14 in x 17.5 in (Note: I added an inch to the length for the seam allowance, and then added 8.5 in to the height to account for the flap).
2. Cut it out.
3. Take the first rectangle which is 14 in x 17.5 in, and make a chalk mark 10.5 in from the bottom for the fold line.
4. Make a second mark one inch above the fold line (So it’s 11.5 in from the bottom).
5. To create my top flap, I made a chalk mark in the top center (For me, directly at 7 in).
6. I want the point of my flap to be 9 in in total, so I made a chalk mark 4.5 in on either side of the center line I created.
7. From the 11.5 in mark you made along the side, draw a diagonal up to the 4.5 in marks you made on the left and right side of the center mark.
8. Sew just around the edge of the top flap and about a half inch down the straight away of the sides.
9. Here’s what Step 8 looks like; now remove pins.
10. Turn this flap to the correct side.
11. Measure the desired length of the velcro, add glue, and adhere it to the inner flap.(Note: I add glue to hold it in place, and then later hand stitch it for added security, or sew it on with the machine with the regular thread).
12. Now you grab two more pieces of leather and felt, rights sides facing each other to create a second rectangle –this one will be 14 in x 10.5 in and will serve as the front of your laptop case.
13. Take this second rectangle and sew along the diagonal on one side as pictured (Note: Right sides are still facing together).
14. Step 13 will look like this.
15. Turn this second rectangle on the right side.
16. Take a damp wash cloth and lay it on both pieces to iron out any bulges.
17. Take the second rectangle and pin it to the front of the first rectangle (well…now, it’s more of a trapezoid); right sides together. Be sure to pin it 1/4 in below 11.5 in mark you made (So that’s in between fold line and this second line).
18. Sew the whole thing together on both sides and the bottom.
19. So you are certain you place bottom piece of velcro in just the right place; insert your laptop, stick bottom velcro onto top velcro every so lightly, apply glue, and press it into place. Let dry for a few minutes before removing laptop — I advise stitching it on for added security.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, leather
Posted in DIY | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
 I made this simple unlined leather tote bag using a regular home sewing machine. The leather is Ralph Lauren closeout leather available at Mood NYC.
“I’m afraid to sew leather!” We hear that from customers all the time at Mood. Would you believe that leather can actually be quite easy and simple to sew? And that you can sew lightweight leather on your home sewing machine without any special equipment? Read on for Mood’s tips on working with leather:
• Start small with your first leather project, just to get the feel for working with leather. My first leather piece was a basic tote bag. Very often leather dealers will have small scraps you can buy to practice on.
• Buy your leather from a place that will take the time to show you the types of skins that are appropriate for your project. Excuse the shameless plug for Mood’s leather department, but Dmitry (shown below) is really wonderful about patiently advising customers on the different types of skins and what will and won’t work.
• For your first leather garment, take a cue from today’s fashions and only sew a part of the garment in leather. For example, you could make a jersey t-shirt with the sleeves in leather, or a wool dress with just the front yoke in leather. One skin can usually give you two short sleeves or part of a bodice, saving you money on leather.
• Bring your muslin or pattern pieces with you to the leather store so you can lay out your pieces on the skin. Skins vary in size, and you can save several dollars by buying just the right size skin for your needs.
• Use a rotary cutter to cut out your pattern. Use weights to hold your muslin in place as you cut.
• Only sew with leather when you are alert and using all your smarts. Mistakes in leather can be fatal because needle holes show. Set your machine speed to turtle, and think, think, think every step of the way. Remember, you can take in leather seams but you can’t let them out because the stitching holes will sew.
• Seams can be topstitched or pressed open and glued in place with Stitch Witchery or contact cement.
• Leather can be pressed with an iron (press on wrong side of hide) or pounded with a rubber mallet.
• Wonder Clips (Clover) are perfect for holding pieces together in lieu of pins as you stitch. (Pins leave permanent holes.)
• Use a stitch length of about 3.0 for seams, longer for topstitching.
Tools for sewing leather:
• Universal sewing machine leather needles in sizes 90/14 or 100/16 (I’ll admit I’ve used regular sewing machine needles and haven’t had a problem with them)
• Regular nylon or poly thread
• Teflon sewing machine foot (doesn’t get stuck on the leather like a regular foot can)
• Stitch Witchery for adhering seam allowances flat
• Leather glue/contact cement can also be used to hold leather in place
• Rotary cutter (you can cut leather with sharp scissors too)
• Wonder clips from Clover (available at Mood NYC)
• Rubber mallet for flattening seams and other areas
 This is Dmitry of Mood’s leather department. Every time I start a new leather project I go to him for tips. He’s incredibly helpful. Mood is holding a class on learning to sew leather on Monday, November 5, 5:30 p.m., on the Home Decor floor. It’s taught by noted sewing instructor Kenneth D. King, and he’ll let you in on all the ins and outs of working with leather. Click here to register today.
Tags: leather
Posted in Fashion Sewing, Sewing Tips | 3 Comments »
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