ok, so i've kind of been on a roll here lately with the projects. i have ADD when it comes to making things. i swear it's like a disease sometimes and i can't help myself. i don't watch tv, read mags, or do anything relaxing really, i always have to be doing something. working in the garden is relaxing to me, but i'm still doing. the project du jour is a monogrammed leather clutch. can you guess where i got this leather? i'm not even going to say it because i'm starting to annoy myself with saying it so much. i'll just use its initials, TS. i was looking for leather and i walked in and there it was. for some reason, my friend and i had the idea that we could walk into an upholstery store and by leather by the yard like regular fabric. let me spare you, you can't. you have to buy leather by the hide and the price generally starts at $200 per hide. this was an experiment and i was not willing to pay that, so you can only imagine how happy i was to find this leather remnant for $7.95. i may stop shopping anywhere else. i mean, what's the point? it all ends up at the TS anyway. this leather is scrumptious. it's good leather, the kind when it gets scratched, the scratches can be buffed out with the natural oils in your fingers.
my friend has a monogramming machine and we have been inspired to try to make these, but we're unsure if her machine can handle leather yet. in the meantime, i took my piece of leather to a little shop and the owner gladly monogrammed it for me. i brought my piece of monogrammed leather home, cut it down to size and sewed up the sides. the leather was a little slippery to sew, but it was fun try something new. i left the top edge raw and un-sewn. look at that, i never thought i'd be making leather goods. whadda ya think? thumbs up? thumbs down? i'm unsure. for those of you who have any leather crafting experience, do you pin it? it's rare for me to pin stuff when i'm sewing something, but in this case i think it's necessary, but then you'll have holes in the leather?
happy tuesday!
I was always curious about buying leather for projects at home; I never knew you had to buy it like that! What a cool project. I like it raw & unsewn--I like the juxtaposition with the formality of the monogram. :)
ReplyDeleteKatie, you can also browse ebay for leather remnants. I was lucky that the thrift store had some! You can also ask upholstery shops if they have any remnants from larger projects. I like the juxtaposition too. I'm learning that is my thing, a little polish, but not too much.
ReplyDeleteok. So NEVER pin your leather. I sew up a few leather clutches every day for my etsy/local sales. I have found those little metal hair clips that pop in and out of place to be the best in place of pins. Leather can be seriously expensive without a wholesale licence or the right spot to buy. Depending on your machine and the leather thickness you usually need an industrial sewing machine. I could talk about sewing with leather all day. I will spare you details/tips unless you want any more :)....Love the unfinished edge. Plus no sewing in a tricky zipper! Thats always the hardest part no matter how many times I do it.
ReplyDeleteThis turned out PERFECT! I love love love the unfinished edge, the color, the monogram. You are indeed craftee!!
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Ashlyn
That is really awesome! What a great idea! I especially love how you left the edges raw. So craftee!
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