From Leather coat to timeless Leatherjacket, or why I love my sewing machine

I am very excited to share this new project with you, just in time for #needleworkmonday!!

Spring started; it is still fresh but way to warm for the winter jacket. Not warm enough to go out with just a jumper, and anyway, I am getting sick of wearing my winter clothes.
So, I have a dilemma, nothing to wear. And this is actually accurate since I do try to keep my wardrobe as minimal as possible.

Being in need of a spring worthy jacket I got myself together to finally attack a project that was waiting for me since ages.

A good while ago I found this leather coat on a “bring and take” table. Simple but very cool concept to sustain a slower fashion approach. You bring anything you don’t want or need anymore, and you just take what others gave away. No throwing away and for free.
I am not really into leather coats though, I only took it because it was crazy windy, and I was cold. Then I realized that the coat was in fact super comfortable, so I kept it. A bit in a clinch, because wearing it felt good, but wasn’t quiet the style I aspire.

I thought of giving this coat away again, someone might like it more than I do. But I made a compromise with myself, if I would manage to turn it into a jacket within the next months, I could keep it.

And there I am…

As usual, getting into new material and a project I have never done before, there was the risk of fucking the whole thing up. Especially because to sew leather you would usually need a leather-sewing machine, which I do not have available at the moment.

Ahh but I kept the patience and I got to appreciate my good old sewing machine again. Sometimes I doubted her. Why I kept this old noisy lady hold together with some duct tape in the back.

She got quiet some criticism of people, asking me why I keep such an old sewing machine.
But now I know for sure again. Since everything is metal, no plastic (apart from this duct taped little sheet) she will probably never break.

And that’s also why I was able to sew through four layers of leather straight with not even one broken needle, and no despair of threats and fabric getting stuck or messing up.

(how I see my sewing machine)

(how my sewing machine sees me:)

So thanks to the skills of my sewing machine, my need of a spring jacket and some of my patience we got there...

As usual everything starts with taking apart, whats already there. Taking of the tag, cutting the coat to my desired length, taking of the pockets...

Problems: How to deal with a sip that you just cut in half? So how will you be able to close it without replacing the whole sip?

Pinning and sewing the pockets back on to the jacket, because why would you wear a leather jacket with no pockets???!

Some inconvenience to fix. Suddenly the inner fabric wasnt long enough anymore, so I had to fill the gap with some extra fabric.

And finally finding ways to finish the edges off nicely and hiding the mess.

(try on in the bathroom to see if it actually worked)

Yes it did!!

I am still left with some offcuts, so maybe there will be a part two of this leather-coat-upcycling...

...feel free to share your ideas on what you would do with the leftovers. Or what you would like to see me trying with them? I would be curious to hear your ideas:)

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time! Have a great week all of you and see you around soon, cheers!

(all the photos are mine, taken by me)