Buying, Preparing, and Sewing with Recyled Leather

One of the most daunting aspects of sewing with leather can be simply purchasing the leather to begin with. While leather is available over the internet you need a decent understanding of what different weights and hides feel like to truly understand what you are purchasing; and this you can’t get on-line.

When I first set out to make my son some soft-sole shoes I was thrilled to find out we had a local leather store. I stopped by for a visit with no clear understanding of what I was looking for or how much it would cost. Prices posted throughout the store were per square foot, but to my dismay I found out you had to purchase the entire hide (which could run 15-20 square feet each).

If you are working on a large project and need a lot of the same color of leather, leather stores are definitely worth looking into. However, if you only want 2-3 feet of a single color you may want to look into using recycled leather.

Stosig’s Scrapbooking Leather Pages

The only actual outlet for recycled leather available is a company that produces recycled leather pages for scrap bookers. The biggest supplier of this product online is Gabby’s Crafts at http://gabbyscrafts.com/store/index.php?cPath=84. The leather is a little thin and is sold in 12x12 inch squares for around $5 each.

Locating Your Own Leather for Recycling

Locating your own leather to recycle is your best bet. While you can try finding leather items (skirts, jackets, pants, etc.) on ebay, Craigslist, Freecycle, or other online avenues you are going to have the most success digging through thrift-stores. Most thrift stores have some sort of sale day or weekly color tag which will allow you to purchase items at a reduced rate.

I have found the national chains, i.e., Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., are higher priced on their used clothing items than smaller local thrift stores. You can do a simple search on the internet for “thrift store” and your city and state, and find many local thrift stores in your area. If you frequently travel to a larger city, check there as well. Be sure to call ahead and ask about specials. One of my favorite thrift stores, Savers, has a ½ price color tag for four days straight; but on the fifth day that color tag is only $1. I’ve bought brand new leather jackets with tags still attached for $1 each during the summer.

Getting Free Recycled Leather

Don’t overlook the possibility of unwanted leather items as well. Post a “wanted” on your local Craigslist or Freecycle for unwanted leather garments. Let your friends and family know you would be interested in any old leather items they want to get rid of.

Depending on your leather needs, and how hard you are willing to work for your leather, you can also haul off old leather chairs, couches, loveseats, or ottomans. They are pretty simple to remove the leather from, and as long as you stay away from recliners and sleep-in sofas you can usually find a way to dispose of the rest of the couch as well. I have torn apart two loveseats in the last year for the recycled leather. After disassembling, I burned the wood in my fire place, bagged stuffing for some future project, and placed the old foam in the trash . . . I also ended up with over 30 square feet of leather off of each loveseat.

Leather Swatches for Free

Check your local furniture or upholstery store and see if they have any outdated leather swatches you can have. While many swatches are only 2-4 inches wide they do occasionally have some 9-12 inches square.

Write a letter to all the upholstery shops in your nearby area explaining your needs and asking if they have any old leather cushions or other leather scraps they may be willing to part with. I placed an ad in the barter section of a nearby city offering free soft-sole shoes to anyone with leather scraps I could have. A company that did upholstery work contacted me and I swapped three pair of shoes for over 200 square feet of assorted upholstery grade leather.

What to Purchase

If you are receiving your leather for free you just take what you are offered. When shopping for items to recycle though there are some things you should be aware of. First, check to see how many seams are in the leather item and how close they are. Many leather designers use small pieces and sew them together to keep the cost down. If you are not careful you may end up with a jacket where no single piece is larger than 3-4 inches square.

Look for decorative stitching, pockets, and buttons that may ruin large areas of leather. Once a seam has been made in leather a hole will remain where it was. You will be unable to remove anything without leaving clear evidence that something was there.

Take the leather item in your hands and test for thinness and stretch ability. Leather that is too thin or too stretchy will be hard to sew and will make items that wear through quickly.

A leather item can be dirty and still have value, as you will be washing the leather prior to use, but look for stains, discolorations, and scratches or cuts.

In order of ease of disassembling, the best items to purchase are: skirts, pants, shirts, jackets, and purses. I have at least 4 jackets I bought well over a year ago still in a box in the garage; they are just too exhausting to cut up.

How to Prepare It

Once you have your recycled item home you will need to take it apart and wash it. Since you will be working with smaller pieces of leather it will be possible to evenly saturate the leather properly so that it does not discolor. When taking the leather apart do not waste your time taking apart every small piece; cutting around buttons, unfolding and cutting out the hems, etc. Every time you make an item you will end up with leather scraps; there is no need to waste your time and energy collecting more of them to start out with. Cut on either side of all major seams. Cut around pockets, zippers, and buttons. Cut or pull off all interfacings and reinforcements. When you are finished you should end up with assorted flat pieces of leather.

Separate your leather by color and wash in hot water; this will cause major shrinking and reduce the likelihood your item will shrink much in the future. Add your ordinary laundry detergent to the water and allow it to mix in well before adding your leather. Be sure to throw in a Shout color catcher as well; this will prevent loose dye from redistributing.

Dry your leather in the dryer. If your leather has wrinkled during the washing process you can iron it with a non-steam iron; be sure to place a piece of light weight cotton fabric between the iron and your leather. Note: If you ever wash your completed leather object, I do not suggest putting it in the dryer

Conclusion

And there you have it, easily acquired, easily prepared, and an easy way to save money.

About the Author

Misty Marquardt is the designer and owner of Make Them Yourself patterns. She has over 20 years experience sewing with all fabrics and is currently teaching classes on making leather shoes at the University of Texas. Visit her site to check out her pattern line: http://www.makethemyourself.com.