Happy New Year & my Leather Jacket

Happy New year to all! I wish and pray that things will go well with you and yours for the year ahead. Of course trials may come and perhaps even devastation but in everything be encouraged and thankful. 

I hope you guys are doing well. I've been busy busy busy with so many projects. Quickly I'll just mention that I am now the key garment constructor for Benecaribe out of Trinidad & Tobago for an up and rising designer, a person I've known for a long time. Check it out! It really feels good to see your work plastered over a website and to see people appreciate the hard work that went into it. 

Anyway I am here to show you my leather jacket that I made recently for a trip to New York. I was of the impression that the wool coat I made late 2013 won't keep me warm enough in NY weather (excuses to make more things of course)

I didn't do my research! Apparently leather is more Fall appropriate and doesn't keep you very warm in Winter. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I already got excited and bought my fabric over at fabric.com; I know absolutely noting about leather and sewing with it but hey I like challenges. This fabric is called Perfection Fused Leather and is described as having a 100% rayon fabric backing and 100% Cowhide face. When I got it I realised that it's very soft and it's not very sturdy or thick and so I needed to make layers. 

I have mostly 3 layers in my jacket and 4 layers at the back yoke; only the sleeves have 2 layers that being the leather and the lining (it shows as it bunches a lot). I decided to do a dip hem or shirt-tail effect as I quite like it and I wanted a bomber jacket neckline as opposed to a traditional collar. I did the pattern design myself and I used the sleeve pattern from my previous coat make. 

Sewing the leather sewing was not a bad experience at all. Fortunately the wrong side of this leather was backed with fabric making it easy for a regular sewing foot to glide over once sewing right sides together. When it was time to top stitch I used some strips of plastic or paper to sew the seams so that the foot will slide over the leather with ease as I did not have the appropriate foot. When the seam was done I just ripped away the strips. I used a number 14 needle of my singer machine and I used glazed thread which is thicker and stronger than regular thread.

Around my neck is a Fux Fur and Ponte big scarf I made to wear around my neck, over my head and to keep my hands toasty. 

I really liked how it turned out and it does the job of keeping me warm without the bulky look. Something about the jacket looks a little slumped backwards causing the sleeves to crunch but I think if I fixed myself prior to the shoot it would have sit better.

Cheers to the scarf that I also put together that made the cold weather very tolerable :) 

His name is Big Fuzzy!

I hope you enjoyed the post and I wish you all blessings for the year ahead. Take care, God bless!