Let’s Go Vegan: DIY Faux Leather

A few posts ago, I posted an update to my original tutorial on making leather doll fashion. I assumed some of you might not have access to stores selling leather or even its vinyl or pleather look-alikes, which is why I included a few online resources. And while that provided a solution, the truth is, it is still difficult to find more than three colors: black, brown and...if you are lucky...tan. While preparing the report for our Milan Fashion Week report I needed a specific color of leather that was not immediately within my reach. That’s when I decided to try out a craft technique I found for  for DIY (Do It Yourself) faux leather...otherwise known as “Vegan Leather.”

The technique for creating it involves painting layers of acrylic paint on fabric. On some sites, there were comments questioning the interest in making such a thing especially given the cheap price of vinyl. And yes, if you have access to glove weight leather or vinyl, or if you are selling your creations, this project might not be of interest to you at all. But if you are keeping up with the trends and your budget is limited...or if you simply have limited access to the desired materials in the color of your choice...or perhaps you are vegan...this tutorial wproposes a creative solution.

Full disclosure: While the end result of this technique approaches the look of the real skin, it lacks the buttery touch of leather and tends to be a bit brittle. However, there are numerous advantages to making your own “leather.” First of all, you have control of the weight and color and can create the exact quantity of material needed. The cost is very small. Sewing it is easier on your sewing machine than real skins, and you can have lots of fun experimenting with the surface texture; you can decorate it with painted designs or even manipulate it to create pretty embellishments! 

MATERIALS NEEDED

To transform fabric into “leather” you will need lightweight fabric, acrylic paint, a sponge brush and paper towels. 

FABRIC

The fabric you choose is a factor in how supple or stiff your “leather” will be. Stay away from heavy cottons, canvas, duck, linens, unless you are making accessories like hats or handbags. On the other hand, for articles of clothing, I found that lining materials: lightweight polyester, acetate, habitai silk, are the best. They have structure but, unlike cotton, their surfaces are slick enough to hide most of the grain. You can choose a similar color to the one you will be painting. It is interesting to work within the depths of the tone, however the paint you will be using covers well so it really doesn’t make a huge difference in the end. Nonetheless, I found it best to start with a dark tone (like black) if your “leather” will be dark.

PAINT

You have a choice between using a good grade of artists’ acrylic paint or latex acrylic house paint. Both are water soluable and cleanup is easy. I made the Fendi dress (above) using a brush and Windsor Newton artist acrylics which is easy to work with and is somewhat supple when dry. However, my end result was a bit shinier than I wanted which prompted me to experiment with acrylic latex paint (satin finish). Some stores sell tiny “tester” containers (50ml) of paint for a couple euros or dollars. With latex paint, I got the look and sheen I wanted, but the end result—depending on the color--tended to be a little brittle. Strangely, the black was more supple than the beige! The garments I made with the black latex paint were nearly identical in appearance to those made from real leather! But I highly recommend you experiment, experiment, experiment to get just the look you are going for.

BRUSHES

The problem with traditional brushes is that later on, the brush strokes are noticeable and you must work hard to rub them into the fabric. A sponge brush better conceals the fabric grain and distributes the paint more evenly. You will still need a soft rag or paper towels to rub the paint into the fabric. 

(1) You can use a brush, but the strokes might show. (2) Sponge brush is better; dilute paint with a little water; (3) brush on even layer (4) use a soft rag or paper towel to work paint into the fabric; (5) the end result using Windsor Newton acrylic paint and a brush.

TECHNIQUE

1. Begin by protecting the surface of your work area with plastic.

2. Next, be sure to iron your fabric before you begin because the paint will not hide any creases or wrinkles! (photo a)

3. If you are using artists’ acrylics from tubes, squeeze out a little and mix with a little water to obtain a fluid consistency (photo 2 above). Moisten your sponge brush. If you are using latex acrylics (house paint) moisten the sponge brush or roller just a little and squirt a little paint onto the brush. Brush your first layer of paint into the fabric.

4.  Brush the paint from side to side (photo b), then top to bottom (photo c) until the surface is well covered and the paint has been worked into the fibers of the fabric. Because the paint is wet, your fabric will also be wet. When you are finished painting be sure to lift it up from the plastic protection and place it on another surface (parchment or waxed paper for example) so that it can dry.

5. Let the fabric completely dry. This is, after all, the foundation layer.

6. When dry, paint an undiluted layer of paint evenly across the surface—side to side, top to bottom. (photos b, c) With a soft rag or paper towel, rub the paint into the fabric (photo d). Let dry.

7. Paint a third (last) layer of paint onto the fabric (photos b,c). Note: three layers of paint seem ideal. Two layers is not sufficient to cover the fabric properly and more than three will greatly stiffen the end result.

8. Let this layer dry slightly. While it is still damp, take your fingers and rub the paint into the fabric (photo e), moving in all directions (photo f). This will add a certain patina to the surface, replicating that of real leather.

TIPS

As with leather—keep your design and pattern simple. Sewing this material is pretty straight forward, but the tricky part is when you have to turn sections of the garment (like sleeves, or paint legs) right side out. I have not yet made anything requiring this. However, should I encounter problems, I would probably give the fabric the first coat of paint. Let dry. Assemble the garment. Stuff the sleeve or leg with plastic, then carefully apply the two layers of paint afterwards. Again, I haven’t tried this out, so this is only a thought. I will post an update later to this page.

Don’t iron directly on painted areas. If you must, iron the material face down on a piece of cotton and place a pressing cloth on top to protect your iron. 

You can hand sew your “leather” but you will need to wear a thimble as you are now sewing through paint! Be sure to knot the thread at the beginning and the end of each row of stitching.

Unless you are lining your garment, you do not have to turn down the edges or hem. The paint has saturated the fabric, thus sealing off the fibers. In short, you can get away with cut edges!

One last thing...this is unchartered territory in terms of interaction between the paint and the doll’s skin. When working with dark or bright colors, it is recommended you line the garment!

Have fun with this. There really are no rules except to be as creative as you want to be! Feel free to gather, pleat or even create little medallions to embellish your garment. You are, after all, still working with....fabric!

P.S. I used Velcro to close the garments.

One thing I noticed while working with my “leather” is that it can be cut into fringe (without fraying) just like the real thing.

Have fun experimenting with the base fabric. Paint over quilted or textured surfaces. The end result may not resemble anything you have ever seen, but you might just stumble upon a really interesting look! One thing you should avoid—painting over plastic. I tried painting over plastic bags and wrappings. Though the black paint held up better than the beige, the paint will eventually flake or peel off. 

That said....I admit not listening to my own advice. Just for fun I made this kimono jacket out of painted bubble wrap!!!

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Snake Charmers

Animal prints and patterns are now considered the "new neutrals" in fashion. Rarely does a season go by where some form of it doesn't grace the catwalk. Texture is a big deal today so you might want to give into your dolls pleas (or tantrums) for a luxury skirt or jacket.

A printed fabric sews up like any other. In fact, we had a great time making this jacket for Richard out of a $1 square of reptile embossed felt. (What appears to be zippers is really a novelty trim added to the front edge and pockets.) However should you come across the tiny squares of snakeskin often laying at the bottom of those remnant boxes at fabric stores, those rare lizard skins (sometimes at the Salvation Army) or that funky snakeskin jacket Uncle Robert bought in Hong Kong decades ago, there are special considerations to keep in mind when trying to make clothes.

Unlike leather which comes in a variety of thicknesses--some of which sews up in a breeze--reptile pelts are more brittle and more fragile. For that reason, you must keep the garment super simple. Forget about using a pattern. It's best to build the garment directly on the doll.

I was given two lizard pelts found in a yard sale years ago. I finally decided to make something for dolly. However, the skins were stiff, not flexible. Any attempt to sew rendered the edges brittle. So I used the entire hide in one piece as a coat. I rolled back the top edge as an enormous collar, using the holes (where the legs must have been) as armholes. i left the edges raw and wrapped everything around the doll, belting it with a leather lace.

If the pelt you have doesn't have those leg holes, swing back the doll's arms to determine where armholes should be. Make small tubes from socks or knit to fit the doll's arms. Push them through the coat holes and then glue the top edge around the openings.

Last summer in New York, I found a tiny piece of pink snakeskin at Mood fabric store. With it, I made a pencil skirt to fit my skinny Barbie Basics dolls. First wrap the swatch around the doll's hips so that it absolutely fits and forms a straight tube around her body. Tape where the edges come together. Overlap about 1/4-inch and cut away any excess.

I decided to leave the skin as is for a high waisted skirt but feel free to cut yours down. Press the skin close to the doll's body and draw a straight line along the torso down from the side of her bust to where the hips begin to curve. Make a slit. Be sure to tape the skirt on the doll to keep it from shifting. Now mark the other side, making sure the length is equal to the first cut.

Glue the edge of the cut. Remember to glue seams towards to side seams. Tape in place until the glue has dried. Repeat in the back. The side view shows the direction of how to glue. You can cut away some of the excess to make those darts more straight. In the back, I've taped the entire back seam shut while working. When I finish, I will use a long strip of Velcro down the back seam.

I had a tiny bit left over, which I fashioned into a small corset.

Here is another skirt made the same way using lizard.

Under the lizard coat, Iman wears a reptile printed 2-piece basic dress. I had a tiny scrap of the lizard left which was made into a belt, held in place with a dot of Velcro.

Our team loved the gorgeous reptile jackets they saw in Hermes, Armani and other windows along the Rue Faubourg Saint Honore in Paris!

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Leather Weather

NOTE: This tutorial has been updated to reflect working with finer leathers and a more sophisticated output. See Leather Weather 2.0

One thing you're likely not to find in the stores (or even online) is leather wear for dolls. Not only is it prohibitive in price, but working with leather is a bit of a challenge. While you can more easily work with leatherette or stretch vinyl (technically a fabric), I personally love the warm look and feel of leather for outerwear and so do my dolls.
A number of fabric stores now sell scraps of leather for a small amount of money, thus making the challenge of creating real leather goods that much more titillating. Nonetheless, there are a few things you need to consider.
Most leather is too thick for the scale of the doll, not to mention, hard to manipulate and sew. If possible, choose the finest leather or suede available. Sewing with it will be just as easy as fabric. If you have any problems with your machine not pulling it through, place tissue paper underneath the seams and tear away afterwards. Of course, you can always hand stitch (using the back stitch), but I highly advise your using a thimble to keep from punching a hole in your fingers.
Ahhhhhh......if things were only that simple!!!! Of course, you are going to give into temptation when you see a gorgeous leather swatch no matter the weight! If you try to use the sewing machine, it will most likely skip stitches even with the tissue paper. Impossible to hand stitch...it will take you forever to complete! So for this dilemma we must treat it as a crafts project and use glue to construct our garment. This, my friends, is the case of my lovely Hermes-orange leather car coat featured at the top of this post.

1. Choose a simple pattern for your garment. The fewer pattern pieces the better. For the oversized orange coat, I used the menswear shirt ("Shirt Tales" 7/13). First I cut it out in muslin, stitched it up, put it on the doll, then cut it down a bit, restyling the front but leaving the volume of the original sleeves. Mark all seams. Once I got the look I wanted, I took the muslin apart to use as my new pattern.
2. Draw the pattern directly onto the backside of the leather. There is no "grain" per se. however, respect the stretch of the leather. In other words, the pattern pieces should lay top to bottom in the direction where the leather stretches the least. The sides of the pieces will have the stretch from left to right. You cannot use pins because they create holes. Instead, tape the pattern directly to the back of the skin. Use chalk to draw on the pattern.
3. Use sharp scissors to cut.

4. Start at the shoulders. Cut the shoulder seam allowance away from the front bodice. Then glue it to the back, overlapping front to back.
5. Exceptionally, we will close the garment at the sides before adding on the sleeves. Again. Cut the side seam allowance away from the front bodice and overlap, placing the front over the back side seams.

6. Glue each sleeve along the underarm seam. Overlay front seams over back. Clip the sleeve around the armhole. Turn the edge in and glue the edge down. Let dry. Now, stick your finger through the armhole of the jacket, then slide the sleeve up your finger

7. Put a line of glue on the outside of the armhole. Gently slide the sleeve in place and press to secure. Tape in place until the glue is completely set. 

8. Now add the collar. The rectangle stretches from CF, around the back of the neck to CF on the other side. The wrong side of the collar at the neck edge will be placed against the inside of the jacket neckline. Once you get it lined up correctly, fold the collar back, glue and tape in place until the glue has dried. When set, the collar will fold over the neckline so that the right side of the leather will lay against the right side of the jacket.

I have also used the princess line bodice successfully using a thin leather for a slimmer look.
Be warned: test a strip of leather out first should you decide to top stitch the seams. In any case, you cannot iron the seams flat. You will have manually open the seams open and glue them flat.
Also, I don't try to turn the hems under. It's okay to work with the cut edge.

The suit featured here is velvet flocked leather. My collar is simply the front edge of the bodice turned out. The leather will not stay put. You will need to use a spot of glue or tack it down with needle and thread as I have.

Feel free to add patch pockets, belt loops.
One last point. For my skirt, I have used the 1 piece skirt pattern ("In the Buff" 2/10). Don't try to stitch the darts. Instead cut half the dart away then overlap the edges and glue in place.

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Warm Leatherette

NOTE: This tutorial has been updated to reflect working with finer leathers and a more sophisticated output. See Leather Weather 2.0

The days are getting shorter; the nights more chilly, everyone's hard at work and so....it's time to break out the leather gear!

Richard has been sending me pix of menswear he'd like to see for Ken including the inspiration for the Ken doll "leather" outfit featured today. It's made from a faux leather I recycled from an old soft belt. You can also buy "leatherette" (as it is sometimes called) but go for the thinnest available. Stick to simple patterns like the ones I've used here. But don't hesitate to recycle things you find lying around the house or "finds" from the neighborhood Salvation Army (or the equivalent).

If the leather or leatherette is thin enough, you should have no difficulties putting it together on your sewing machine. Stay away from thick leathers. If you end up with something slightly difficult to sew, put the garment together by overlapping the seams against each other. I liked the idea of "recuperation." So when I began making clothes for my Barbies, I used anything I could get my hands on, including an odd, old glove of my father's. So, let's get started.

TOUGH CHIC
Ken's jacket is simple. I used his coat pattern (which is essentially an elongated version of the shirt) as a base minus the collar, but cut it down to hip length. You cannot pin anything to leather or leatherette, otherwise it will leave holes. So, one by one, I trace the pattern directly onto the backside of the leatherette. (BTW...There is no fabric grain to respect.) You cannot really "press" the seams, which is why leather garments are either topstitched along the seams or the seams are held flat with glue.

For the trim, I didn't have nylon fabric as indicated by the original garment, so I used nylon tights which I cut into strips. Stitch each strip about 1/4 away from the jacket edge, then folded it over to the wrong side and tape. Turn back to the right side and topstitch.

The trousers are low-riding, low crotch pants. Flat pattern drafting would require too much guess work, so I chose to drape my pattern. Normally I would drape 1/2 the pants, but I wanted to get a sense of volume, so exceptionally, both sides are present. I start out with two pieces of fabric (1) which I pin together on the side and along the inseam into my desired silhouette. Next (2), I cut a slit down the Center Front. I adjust the pins on the side so that I can overlap the seams in the middle (3). Turn the doll to the back and repeat (4). Keep adjusting the pins until you have the look and fit you want then trace off your markings (5). Again, turn the doll over to the back and make any needed adjustments (6). Once you are pretty happy. Mark your placement of the pins (7). Remove from the doll. Compare the two legs, adjusting the seam placements. Take one leg then make your pattern (8). Cut out of muslin or cheap cotton, sew and check again for fit.

Note: the boots are a part of the look, so I will try on the muslin with his shoes. In able to get the pants to "crunch" up, I cut the pants a bit longer than normal. My pants are a bit looser than those in the picture because I'll need to be able to get them on and off of the doll. Once you are happy. Lay out your pattern and trace it off directly onto the backing of the leatherette.

The pants pattern looks like this.

 CAR COAT
Fabric stores often sell small remnants of leather for a few dollars each. If you can find a remnant large enough to make a complete garment, all the better. If not, consider marrying the leather with knit (sleeves, for example.)

This is exactly the same basic jacket we did in tangerine linen in our post "Coat Closet: The Basic Jacket" only we've done it in leather and changed the collar. If the leather is fine enough, it should pose no problems sewing. Because leather will not have a backing, I use chalk to trace the pattern piece onto it. Note: you do not have to hem anything since leather does not fray. On this jacket I've turned down and topstitched the center front opening of the coat. The collar is an odd piece of leather attached to the inside of the jacket which turns over at the neck.

KID GLOVES
Now it's time to really have some fun. What to do when you've lost a glove? Make dolly an outfit, of course! In this case, I've used on old, paint-stained leather glove belonging to my father. The interesting thing about streetwear trends is that the helter-skelter, right-out-of-the-trashcan spirit can be easily translated into some very interesting and original gear for the doll. Her basic jacket pattern is cut to fall just at the hips. You'll need the front and back bodice to lay onto the glove. Remember, there is no grain.

The back of the doll's jacket was cut from the back of the glove. I used the middle two fingers as sleeves. Stitch or glue the jacket at the shoulders and sides. Cut the fingers away from the gloves. Carefully take apart enough of the seams near the fingertips to fit within the armholes. You will hand stitch these in place. Don't worry about how it will look because the "artisanal" look adds to the "urban" look of the outfit!



The back of my jacket is placed on the back of the glove to utilize the "vein" stitching. The sleeves are hand sewn in place.

And yes, I did a skirt. I patched together enough of what was left of the glove and assembled them into a mini skirt, constructed directly onto the doll. For any area that bulged away from the doll's body, I made a small vertical slash, overlapped the two edges and glued them in place. Again, we can get away with this in the spirit of urban wear.



I've even left the paint stains for "effect"

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In the Buff: 1-piece Leather Skirt

There are "style shows" all over our house thanks to the 50 dolls in my collection. One day my father asked, "Why are there no male dolls?" I explained that it is too difficult to make chic clothes for the male doll. Most of what I've seen on the market are dressed in attire that looks....well..."mammy made." This is due to the bulk added by fabrics which are simply too thick. All I know is that I wouldn't date a man dressed like the dolls in the stores.

The crucial thing about creating clothes for your collectibles, is to remember that everything--right down to the smallest detail--must be in scale. Take a look at your own clothing. There are seams and other construction details, but everything is so well pressed, they are scarcely visible. We want to create the illusion of well pressed seams, even though it means eliminating them all together. In other words, modifications must be made to standard pattern and garment construction for the doll. The idea is to reduce the amount of construction without compromising the quality of the garment.


It is for this reason, I work with one piece patterns for leather or thick fabrics. In this exercise, we will drape a 1-piece skirt and, to make things interesting, we'll combine it with previous exercises for a total look.

I'm using chamois cloth (the material used for shampooing cars) which you can find at HomeDepot or Lowes. First, I trace off the corset pattern we created in the February 9, 2013 post. However, we will not use the usual carbon paper. If you press down hard enough with the tracing wheel, you'll be able to see the dots stamped into the chamois. With all non-woven fabrics, we don't need seam allowance except for the back, so trace along the actual pattern lines as well as the darts (including the middle fold line). Cut out your corset, removing all seam allowance from the top and bottom and make a slit down the middle of each dart. Put this on the model and tape down the back.

 

Layer the diagonals of the front over the side and tape. The carefully glue the darts down, tape and put the corset back on the model. Leave the tape in place until the glue has dried. Adjust the back, trimming away any excess. Add a small strip of velcro at the back.

 

Now, let's do the skirt.

We start by draping the pattern. Again, I mark the horizontal and vertical direction of the fabric. The vertical line (which is on the center of the rectangular) will be placed on the center front line of the doll. I wrap the fabric around the doll's hips, being careful the horizontal line meets together in the back.

Now pin the skirt closed vertically in the back. You can make the skirt as loose or tight as you want.

Turn the doll to the front and make a dart (small triangle) on both sides of the center front line. Repeat at the back. Play with it until your darts are fairly equal in depth.

Now mark the center back and with a pencil or piece of chalk, mark the darts on both sides of the pins. Remove the pattern from the doll and lay flat. Using a ruler, draw the darts, including the center "fold line" of the dart, from your markings, ensure they are all the same length.

 

Try the pattern on the doll once more, to check the fit. Make any corrections or adjustments. When you are happy with the pattern, add additional seam allowance after the right side of the center back as seen in the diagram. Now, carefully cut away half the dart as seen in the second diagram. Place the pattern on the fabric and cut following around the cut-outs. We have done this because, since you cannot stitch the darts. you will lay one part of the dart over the other and glue in place just as you did with the darts in your corset. Put the skirt on the doll and tape down the darts and the back of the skirt.

Carefully, glue the darts down. In the back, glue only from below the buttocks to the hem so that the doll will be able the get in and out of the skirt. Tape everything shut until the glue has dried. Then add Velcro the rest of the way to the waist. 

I've put the look together adding the fringed poncho featured in my "Fringed Benefits" post and a little turquoise jewelry.

 

 

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