Freshly Picked » leather http://freshly-picked.com Fri, 24 May 2013 14:52:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 New in the Shop: Leather Scraps http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-scraps/ http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-scraps/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:06:00 +0000 Susan http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-scraps/

New in the shop this week, Veggie Tan scraps. You get a generous pound in each order, perfect for all of those holiday leather projects I’ve been showing you.

Leather Pinecones
Leather Confetti Curlers
Leather Packaging Bows

]]> http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-scraps/feed/ 1 How to Make a Leather Packaging Bow http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-make-a-leather-packaging-bow/ http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-make-a-leather-packaging-bow/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:41:00 +0000 Susan http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-make-a-leather-packaging-bow/ read more]]>

So, I know everyone was wondering (myself included) what to do with those leather confetti curlers from last week, well how about using them for really pretty present wrapping with these leather packaging bows.

These are really easy to make, but like with everything made from veggie tan leather, you just need a little waiting time for things to dry.

Supplies Needed:
veggie tan leather, I used the 2-3 oz variety
rubber cement
waxed linen thread (not pictured)
needle (not pictured)
leather hole punches
mallet

Lets get started!

Start with your pieces, feel free to play around with length and width. I used 3/4 inch strips cut into;
(1) 11 inch piece
(2) 10 inch pieces
(2) 9 inch pieces
(1) 8 inch piece
(1) 3.5 inch piece

Next get your leather wet.

 

Then shape your leather strips into figure 8′s.

Hold the 8 closed with a clothes pin. Loop the little strip into a loop, hold that closed as well.

After the strips have dried, use rubber cement to glue the 8′s in place. Reattach the clothes pin and allow the glue to dry fully.

When the glue is dry, take off all of the clothes pins and then put a dab of glue in the center of each piece.

Start arranging your bow by stacking the figure 8′s on top of each other biggest to smallest.

Allow to dry.

Take your hole punch and punch as near the center as possible, but just outside. Go through as many layers as you can on either side of the middle.

Punch two holes in your circle piece.

Grab your needle and thread. Begin on the bottom of one of the sides, pulling the thread up to the middle.

Loop in through the circle piece and back down through the other holes coming out the back.

Tie in a knot.

Ready to attach.

 

]]> http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-make-a-leather-packaging-bow/feed/ 13 New in The Shop: Leather Mouse Pads http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-mouse-pads/ http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-mouse-pads/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:36:00 +0000 Susan http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-mouse-pads/

I just added some really pretty leather mouse pads to the shop. They are the first of the new desk accessories line that I’m introducing. Go here to see all of the colors!

]]> http://freshly-picked.com/new-in-the-shop-leather-mouse-pads/feed/ 6 How to Sew Leather Elbow Patches onto your Cardigan and Sweater http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-sew-leather-elbow-patches-onto-your-cardigan-and-sweater/ http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-sew-leather-elbow-patches-onto-your-cardigan-and-sweater/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000 Susan http://freshly-picked.com/how-to-sew-leather-elbow-patches-onto-your-cardigan-and-sweater/ read more]]>
As part of Hattie’s back to school wardrobe, we picked up this adorable cardigan from the Gap. Hattie is notoriously hard on clothes and the first time she wore it, she somehow ripped a hole in both the back and the front of her right sleeve, frustrating! I knew I could mend both with darning but I also wanted to reinforce the elbows so it wouldn’t happen again. Also, how adorable are leather patches on sweaters? So adorable! 

If you have any holes, you will want to darn those first. I demonstrate how to darn jeans here. It is basically the exact same technique.

Pick a thread or yarn color that matches and sew in and out of stitches.

For the part of the sweater that would go under the patch, I just mended the hole, quick and simple whip stitch.

I then figured out what size I would want my patch to be on the elbow. I completely free handed this part. I simply cut a piece of paper until I thought that it looked like a good shape/size and used the piece of paper to trace and cut out my leather pieces.

Now you will want to punch holes in your leather pieces.

Walk a stitch spacing tool along the edge of the leather and then punch the holes where you’ve marked.

You will want to thread 2 needles. When stitching leather, you will want the stitches to be continuous on the top and the bottom. I used 3 ply waxed linen thread to sew the leather to the sweater. You could of course use something less sturdy. 

Pin your patches in place.

Start the needles side by side, both coming up. Traditionally, you would start one going up and one going down, however because you are sewing leather to knit, you will want the stability of the needles coming up through the leather.

Tuck your thread ends under the patch, they will be covered by the sewing.

Playing follow the leader, each needle will want to pass through each hole.

Sew all around the leather patch. Be carful to not pull to tight, your patch will pucker.

Here is the inside of my finished patch. I’m going to cover my patch using a really light fusible interfacing. This will keep the rough linen thread off the skin.

Cut your interfacing a little bigger than your stitches and tuck your thread ends in.

Fuse the interfacing to your sweater using a hot iron. Turn right side out and enjoy

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