It's winter outside and it's time to think about how to update your winter wardrobe. Not everyone has the opportunity to buy a new sheepskin coat or fur coat, but you can do something new with your own hands from old clothes. The main thing is to find an old sheepskin coat or a fur coat, and imagination and skill will replace your money.
In this article, I offer one of the options that can be made from an old long sheepskin coat with your own hands. Provided that you already have experience working with fur or at least working with genuine leather, suitable tools and a sewing machine such as a Singer or PMZ.
To get such a short sheepskin coat, you will need to cut the bottom of the sheepskin coat by at least 30 cm, and it is better if it can be shortened by 40 cm. You will also need to buy a genuine leather plate, a good metal zipper and sheepskin fur.
And now let's see how to recut sheepskin coats, make a hood and do other finishing work to turn an old women's sheepskin coat into a smart new short fur coat.
I want to note right away that I do not offer detailed training on how to shorten a sheepskin coat and how to make a hood pattern and other knowledge. If you undertake work with fur, cut fur coats or sheepskin coats, then you should already have a certain level of knowledge and experience. In this article, I only present a series practical advice and tips to help you get started.
Nevertheless, for those who have never worked with fur and do not know where to start, I can only suggest how to shorten a sheepskin coat. Put on the clothes in which you will wear a sheepskin coat, put on the sheepskin coat itself and fasten it with all buttons. Take a long ruler and chalk and have someone mark the line for shortening the hem. To do this, the assistant needs to rest the edge of the ruler on the floor and make marks, and you need to slowly turn in small “steps”. Then remove the sheepskin coat, connect these marks and do not forget to add an allowance. So you can determine the line of shortening the bottom of the sheepskin coat. But I repeat once again, if you have no experience, you need to start with a completely unnecessary thing that you won’t be sorry to throw away.
As for the hood, the pattern is easy to find on the Internet. Transfer it to paper, try it on "live" from a test fabric. If you need to correct, and only then cut out the details from the fur.
How to "refresh" the appearance of a sheepskin coat
It was a long and contented old sheepskin coat with a "stubby" collar. To freshen up its appearance, I had to first dry-clean it, clean it and paint it there. All this is certainly not cheap, but a new sheepskin coat is much more expensive.
You will also need to buy a new layer of leather. Leather from unnecessary old things will not work, you need exactly new and preferably varnished, as in this photo.
Visually shiny skin looks spectacular on the matte surface of the sheepskin coat, and at the same time it “refreshes” well.
The shoulder seams are the most worn place (from the bag), so I had to make such leather linings.
Well, since the sheepskin coat was shortened by only 20 cm, the missing section of the hood had to be increased with leather. By the way, for a “full-fledged” hood pattern, you need to shorten a fur coat or sheepskin coat by 40 cm.
Split pockets are the "trouble" of any fur coat or sheepskin coat. Not only do they rub off a lot, but they also stretch, and sometimes tear. Restoring them is quite difficult, much easier to do as shown in this photo. Moreover, extra accessories will only additionally decorate your short fur coat.
Video on how to sew a large button to a sheepskin coat.
The most difficult thing is to remake the fastener with loops and buttons so that this is not noticeable. To do this, you need to disassemble the old loops, sew up and remove the buttons. Then stitch these leather strips and insert a large metal or twisted zipper.
In this process, you will definitely need a sewing machine capable of sewing rough seams from genuine leather. At home, the Singer or Podolsk sewing machine of the old manual or foot model can serve as an analogue of such a machine.
It is not necessary to shift the fastener line, the main thing is to close the traces of sewing on buttons and loops, and you also need to take into account the measurement of the volume in the chest and waist. When installing a zipper and stitching leather strips, it may change, check.
You can do without the fur edge of the sleeve and bottom, but not in this case. Sheepskin fur here has not only a decorative purpose, but also a practical one. He builds up the missing section of the short fur coat by 15 cm. You can also use this technique, and the fur itself can be bought unpainted. Firstly, it is cheaper, and secondly, it is difficult to find the right color and shade.
Undyed fur can then be quite easily dyed on your own at home.
Well, so that your “tricks” are not noticeable from the inside of the short fur coat, close this area with a lining in the color of the sheepskin coat.
After a complete redrawing of the old sheepskin coat into a sheepskin coat with a hood, even a small area remained unused - the collar of the sheepskin coat.
In this video you will see how the furrier machine works. Especially for you, we sew two small pieces fur.
When buying a sheepskin coat in a store or salon, it is sometimes difficult to choose a model, color, and most importantly, size. The problem of sizes and non-standard figures is relevant: it was, is and will be. But many do not see solutions to this problem, although they exist. There are two options for solving this issue: custom-tailoring outerwear or fitting things to size.
The second option is simple and more practical. To sew on a sheepskin coat, you will need patience and some tools, such as a sewing machine, thick thread, a scalpel or razor, a set of needles with numbers 75-90 and sharp scissors.
We sew a sheepskin coat with our own hands
First you need to prepare sewing machine. Install a special foot with a small wheel - it is designed for thick fabrics and leather. This foot is specially thought out so that the fabric does not slip during operation.
Needles also need to be used special - needles number 75 and higher, 90 each. Remember that the needle should be the stronger the thicker the fabric that you are going to sew with it.
Before you start sewing up a sheepskin coat, try how the thread behaves on such material. Take a piece of leather from a sheepskin coat and stitch it a little. If necessary, adjust the tension of the lower and upper threads.
- Cut with nail scissors side seams sheepskin coats. But do not reach the sleeves a few centimeters. Do the same with the middle seams of the back and shelves (if there are, then spread them to the chest line). If the product has pockets, then open them.
- It's time to measure your bust, hips and waist. It is necessary to determine how much the sheepskin coat needs to be sutured. Mark new lines on the leather product with a pencil or crayon. Please note that you can connect the side seams with internal seams, and for them you need to lower 1.5-2 cm. But if your choice fell on overlapped seams, then allowances are not needed.
- Excess skin is cut off with a scalpel, razor or sharp scissors. It is necessary to cut correctly from the suede side. Be careful not to damage the fur. Small villi after circumcision can be removed by wiping the incision site with a damp cloth.
- Details must be basted with thread or pins. With a single line, sweep the details in the direction of the pile on the product. If the fur bothers you, then trim it a little at the cut point. If you have a furrier machine, then use it and the seam "over the edge".
- Restore the pockets and check the length of the sheepskin coat. If necessary, you can shorten it or hem it by processing the hem with curly stitching.
If you have an old “on demand” hanging in your closet, and your hand does not rise to throw away a once expensive thing, think about the fact that you can make a lot of interesting and useful things from an old sheepskin coat with your own hands. Natural sheepskin has fantastic properties, it not only warms, but also helps with joint diseases and back pain. But even an artificial sheepskin coat can be used on the farm - it's still better than taking it to a landfill. Altering a worn thing will give her new life and save you money.
Before proceeding with the alteration, consider whether the coat will remain outerwear or go to the manufacture of smaller items. If most of the thing is saved, the material needs to be put in order - to clean greasy places and remove stains. To do this, use a bread crust, a crumb ball or an ordinary eraser, you can also rub semolina on the problem area, and then vacuum it with a furniture nozzle. So, let's begin. Let's see what you can sew from an old sheepskin coat with your own hands - proposed creative ideas will help determine the direction of future activities.
How to change a sheepskin coat into a jacket?
Before you change a sheepskin coat into a jacket for everyday wear, first decide on the length of the future product. A winter jacket will turn out from a natural sheepskin coat, so it’s better to make it not very short, and feel free to turn an artificial copy into a shortened jacket. To give things a factory look, make the shelves rounded. Trim the shelves and hem with fur, and decorate the lower corners with appliqué. The so-called thermal stickers for every taste are sold in sewing stores for quite affordable prices, and to transfer them to a future jacket, it is enough to go through the fabric with a hot iron. Buttons can be replaced with more original ones, and the zipper can be supplemented with a patch fastener. Try to decorate the product with "fur" from yarn, it is made using the elongated loop technique. This option is suitable for an artificial product - yarn will reduce the price of natural sheepskin.
We sew a sheepskin jacket
If the sleeves of the coat are too worn out and cannot be restored, you can sew a vest from an old sheepskin coat. So, we quickly sew a sheepskin jacket, you just need to flog the sleeves and trim the armhole with fur. Most likely, you want to shorten the product, then the hem will also need to be decorated with fur - this is the easiest way to hide the raw edge with its possible irregularities. The fastener can be removed altogether or limited to a drawstring in the chest area, hidden hooks, a pair of false fasteners. A vest, like a jacket, can be decorated with an appliqué, and if you expect to wear a vest at home and in the yard, deep patch pockets will be useful - use a cut-off hem or sleeves for them.
We make home shoes from an old sheepskin coat with our own hands
In winter, we dream of warm and cozy slippers, so why not sew them from an unnecessary coat? we make comfortable home shoes from an old sheepskin coat with our own hands using ready-made patterns and patterns.
Homemade sheepskin boots will warm your feet and protect you from colds. Use the sleeves as the tops, and make a sole pattern using the example of insoles from any of your shoes. In order not to bother with the search for patterns, try to take soft ones that are your size as a basis and sheathe them with sheepskin coat material. An additional plus of this solution is a durable sole. To some, such house shoes will seem impractical, but sheepskin baby booties will appeal to most parents. Soft and incredibly warm, such booties will take care of the baby's health and will not interfere with his active games.
What can be sewn from an old sheepskin coat for pets?
Do you have a cat or dog that lives in the house? Make them a cozy sheepskin bed. This is not all that can be sewn from an old sheepskin coat for your pets, using skill and imagination.
Having altered a sheepskin coat is a troublesome business, and cutting a circle or a rectangle from a ripped jacket is as easy as shelling pears. Such a rug can be laid directly on the floor, placed in a house or basket where your pet likes to sleep. Walking a dog in a snowstorm and cold, you probably thought about clothes for animals. It is also not difficult to change a sheepskin coat into a blanket for a dog - there is a lot of material, and the size is small, you have the right to make a mistake. A damaged fragment can be replaced with a new, more correctly tailored one.
Furniture accessories
Not only the pet, but also its owner will not refuse soft and warm bedding in winter. in order to make furniture accessories, spread the sheepskin coat and make beautiful covers for stools or a sofa for an armchair out of it. The need for a fur cape on a chair is especially keenly felt by drivers who have to warm up the car for a long time in the cold. Remember how it was once fashionable to decorate the living room with animal skins? But the skin on the floor plays not only a decorative role in the interior - it is so pleasant to walk on it barefoot, feeling warm and soft natural fur. A sheepskin coat will make excellent pillowcases for decorative pillows if one half is sewn from sheepskin and the other from textiles or yarn. The fur can be put on the edge of the pillowcase, as fringes are usually put on.
Still wondering what can be done from an old sheepskin coat? Come back to it after a while, when you decide what you need more - a new jacket or a stylish sofa.
To be always prestigious and stylish is the desire of every lady. If the sheepskin coat does not fit you in size or is out of fashion, you can recycle it. Ateliers for such services often set prices comparable to the price of the latest sheepskin coat, so the ideal option is to sew in a sheepskin coat without the help of others. To do this, you will need an excellent sewing machine capable of stitching a couple of layers of skin.
You will need
- - sewing machine;
- - needle;
- - threads;
- - scissors;
- - construction knife;
- - a tape measure or measuring tape.
Inspect the item and make a work plan. Maybe it will be enough just to sew in a sheepskin coat along the edges, reduce the length of the sleeve, rework the armhole or fastener. If there are frayed or shiny places on the sheepskin coat, try to hide or cut them off. Altering a sheepskin coat is one hundred percent unsafe, especially if you have no experience in this area.
Comfortable if the sheepskin coat has a removable hood. From it you can cut out and sew shreds on worn or warped places: these can be decorative inserts or true pockets.
To shorten a sheepskin coat or sleeves, mark the cut line on the front side with chalk or soap. Then, with a very sharp blade (for example, a construction knife), carefully cut off the excess along the ruler, trying not to destroy the fur. If the other edges of the sheepskin coat are not processed, you can not hem the bottom, while the side seams must be fixed so that they do not begin to bloom.
If you decide to hem the hem of the sheepskin coat or the edge of the sleeves, cut off the edge with a seam allowance of 1.5 cm. Then, from the wrong side, remove the fur with scissors, 3 cm from the edge. As a result, the edge will simply bend, and you can evenly stitch the skin. Be careful that there are no traces of punctures and scuffs on the front side.
To reduce the width of the sheepskin coat, spread the side seams and armhole seams. Cut off excess cm, redraw the armhole. Mark the center in the middle of the sleeve and align it with the shoulder seam. From this point, sew the sleeve to the front and back separately. Trim the details, cut off the excess as needed. Then connect the shelf and back with a side seam.
It will be more convenient to sew the details if, at the distance of the seam allowance, briefly cut off or shave the fur on the wrong side.
Open sections can be sheathed with an oblique trim, stitched with a zigzag seam, processed with an overlock. If the skin is compacted, thick, leave the sections unprocessed - they will retain their shape for many years.
