Bonjour, my friends! Has it really been that long since I posted? Jeebus! School has been getting more and more intense and with my job, and my second job, and this and that... aaah! I decided I needed a break and took some time for myself and my blog, which I feel I have abandoned quite a bit. I have been checking other classmates' blogs and apparently that's something normal when you study at Parsons. *enter sad face here*
Anyways, I've got a quick DIY for you guys. Since I've been away for a bit, I decided I'd treat you guys with an original design of my own. Ever since I first went to Mood for the first time, I've been holding on to an amazing creme leather hide I bought and a packet of studs. Call it my first little splurge at Mood, if you will. I went back and forth thinking of ideas on how to use this deliciously smooth leather. I went from draping it and making a quick skirt to using it on a blazer/coat/thing (so professional!), but I was worried about compromising the irregular qualities of the material which I absolutely loved. I didn't want to loose any of the hide shape and I wanted to show off the material as best I could, so I played around with it for a bit and finally realized that maybe it's just perfect to use it as a scarf. I would do little change to the material and it would be something different as I myself have never seen a leather scarf before. I toyed with the concept of an infinity scarf but again, I'd loose quite a bit of the organic form so I just turned it into a regular panel scarf.
I decided to name this scarf the Kelly scarf. My dear friend Kelly passed away last week so decided to channel my energy and finally made this to pay homage to her. She was like a mother to me so I'm glad I went with the scarf so she'll keep me warm during my first New York winter! I think she would have liked it very much.
Anyways, let's get started!
You'll Need:
1 Leather hide (Each runs for about 48" X 36" and depending on the size between $30-$45)
Fabric scissors (not the same as paper scissors)
Pins
Ruler or measuring tape
Thread
Studs
Tailor's chalk (not shown here)
Sewing machine or needle
Step 1: Lay down your hide and measure out the center of the piece. Cut irregularly down the center as to mimic the outer border of the hide. You should be left with two long pieces.
Step 2: On the widest end of each of the panels, with your ruler or measuring tape mark down a line using your tailor's chalk and cut down along the line. It should leave you with two panels with an even border each.
Step 3: Measure out 3/4" for seam allowance. Mark again with your tailor's chalk and pin down both panels facing right side in (the two soft sode will be facing each other in the fabric sandwich leaving you with both rough side facing outwards). You'll sew along this line.
Step 4: Prep your needle or sewing machine and sew along the marked line removing needles as you go. Since this is leather, you might want to go slowly with your sewing machine because it's a thicker material. Maybe loosen up the tension between stitches for some smooth sailing.
Step 5: You should end up with something similar to this. I evened out the edges at the ends of the seam. At this point you could leave it as is but if you want to take it to the next level, stud it! I decided to sew an additional seam on either side of the central seam just to add a bit of interest and have a guide for the studs. Remember to sew rough side facing the machine feed or else it will get stuck on the smooth side! To add the studs, stick them through the fabric and with a butter knife, simply push in the little metal clasps inwards towards the stud cone so they won't bother or scrape you.
And you're done! See? Easy! Isn't that chic? Now, a few pointers you should keep in mind:
- Light colored leather does stain with water and your body oils so remember this when you wear yours. If you're like me and like it scruffy and with some wear, by all means go for it! If not I suggest you use a dark colored leather. I'm planning on making this in black too!
- The rough side of the leather will shed a bit so don't be surprised if you all of a sudden wind up with little leather bits here and there. I suggest wrapping this up around your neck and keeping it there so it won't go all over the place.
- Play around with it! Today in school I used my scarf both wrapped around my neck and simply hung over it with the studs hanging from my back. People thought it was actually part of my creme colored blazer! The studs are a really cool surprise detail so flaunt them!
I suggest you try it out and see! You can can most certainly use other materials, but the simple construction of this definitely calls for leather (in my honest opinion). Remember to follow me on Instagram (LilaLane), "like" my Facebook page for new updates and follow me on Tumblr! Also, feel free to leave any suggestions for posts you'd like to see. I've got a few good suggestions lined up so I'm hoping I can get those rolling some time soon. Until the next time! See you soon!
