Black Leather Rocker Jacket!

This is one summit-climax kind of project, haha! I have the feeling of having conquered the seamstress top of the pops! And I also finally have the rocker jacket I've always wanted to have. Pity I am a bit old now, but this has required quite a bit of learning!

One of the reasons I am proud is the method I got this pattern. I used an old red leather jacket of mine that was just perfect. Following the rub-off method, I copied all the pieces of the jacket.

 

I did a toile with felt to check the sleeve, becouse having measured the armscye and seeing they were just the same, I used the sleeve of my Chanel Jacket Pattern.

 I proceeded then to draw the pieces in the wrong side of the skins, and cutting it with an exact 2cm seam allowance all around, since I'd be using it as a sewing reference all along. That is why I used a marker to cut them as accurately as possible.

 

After applying jersey fusible interfacing all along the bottom, the front panels and the front facings, I started by assembling the back. I sewed some seams following this technique I saw online, specially the curved ones, and some others, like the straight center back seam, I stitched with the right sides together, hammered the allowances first open, and then to the side, and topstitching them with the machine. I was very pleased with the result of the double stitching.

After attaching both sides of the zip, I proceeded with the pocket openings, zips, and bags.

 

I used textile glue, double sided tape and paper tape, to hold allowances open, and putting pieces together.

This is the completed torso. I tried the thing on at every step, and I was feeling more confident with the pattern and with my technique to sew leather. It looked so nice!!

 

I made the collar, ensembled it to the bodice, and stitched and topstitched the front facings. For the zip side, I practiced using tape with a bit of leather, and it turned out OK!

 

I put the lining pieces together, sewed it to the bottom first (which I turned, glued, and topstitched afterwads), and to the front facing pieces after. I put it on the mannequin, and used double sided tape to hold it in place over the facings before machine-sewing it.

Then I made the sleeves, with their zips and lining.  I applied interfacing to the bottoms as well.

 

I put the sleeve caps around the armscyes, using small metal claps to hold it together before machine stitching it. 

 

For the bottom and armscyes' topstitching, I accepted my neighbour Delfina's offering to use her industrial machine for leather, because my Bernina (in a little disappointing note) is not reliable with more than 4 layers.

 

I polished all the threads, passing them to the wrong side, knotting and burning them together.

I stitched the bodice and the sleeves lining at the armscyes by hand.

 

After finishing it, I sprayed it with a product to make it less porous. The next day, I applied some animal grease onto it as well.

 

The jacket is amazing, good looking and very comfortable to wear.