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!!!

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2018. Please request permission and credit us prior to reproducing. Thank you.

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Cabbage Roses and Frills

As I mentioned in my last post, textiles are the most important element in creating haute couture. When I am looking over the catwalks or the red carpets, with certain styles, I am limited by my access (or lack) of luxury fabrics. I can sometimes get around that limitation with opulent trimming. But even then.....the best is in the fabric shops of Paris..and I am not always in that beloved city when I need them.

Left: dress made using a fancy trim. Right: dress made with my own surface treatment.

For the Fall/Winter ready-to-wear Ermanno Scervino dress I replicated for my doll, I used a very elaborate frilly trim and a super simple pattern: fitted bodice with an attached full skirt. It took, literally no time to do this. Quite naturally, there were details I missed from the original dress, but at the end of the day, the doll was happy because.....all she really wanted was the look!

That said, after fashion month, I took a closer look at the Scervino dresses and I decided to make it again..after recreating the fabric! Upon close scrutiny, what I noticed was that the dress was covered with swirls of ruffles and bows! Recreating this is straightforward and pretty simple. You can use commercial ribbon (which I strongly suggest). But if you don't have access to the right color or desired fabric, you can cut strips of the same fabric as the dress. HOWEVER....for this look I do not want frays....so if you cut your own strips (which I did), be sure to either flame seal the edges or use a fray check product or white craft glue to keep the edges in tact.

CONCEPTIONAL SWATCH #1:

Samples help me to make a game plan for attacking the project. Moreover, I can check to see the scale of my topical decoration in regards to the doll and the design of the garment.

Cut strips or use ribbon. For this sample, I used strips that were about 5/8"(12mm).
With needle and thread, making a simple running stitch and gather each strip into a small cluster.
Tack on to the base.
Check the scale.

THE APPROACH
Now it's time to apply this concept to the garment. Unlike the "Chanel" project, the garment is fully sewn. (If you decide to line the dress, you should add that lining after completing the outside first.

1. I begin with a VERY SIMPLE dress pattern. Remember: the fancier the fabric, the simpler the garment! This one is a basic: fitted bodice and skirt--though I have not stitched the skirt darts. They are softly gathered into the bodice. I've decided to leave the base of the dress pretty sheer so that the dress remains light. I flame sealed all of the edges. For the moment, I leave the center back of the dress open.
2. Looking at the original dress, I noticed there are swirls of ruffles over the bust. This also serves to hide the bust darts! I did not add ruffled to the back bodice.
3. I ruffle my strips to form clusters then take them onto the skirt of the dress. Before I get too close to the center back, I stitch up the back of the dress, leaving it open from the hips up (so the doll can get in and out). You can use snaps or hook and eyes to close. Tack the clusters over the center back of the skirt to hide the seam.

If you look at the photo with the two variations of this dress, they are quite similar. If you are lucky to find this trim (or something close to it), then getting the look is easy. I will tell you that it took me roughly a day to prepare the fabric for this dress. But at the end of the day..it was worth it.

In fact..... looking at the store bought trim inspired me to try my hand at making my own surface treatment! On the left, what I saw were narrow strips of fabric with pinked (zigzag) edges stitched down the center to a tulle base. Some were loops, others were swirls.

There was an Haute Couture Valentino dress (Spring 2017) I had wanted to make, but had no access to either fabric or trim. When you do find similar fabric, I should point out, it is usually out of scale and very expensive! By making your own, you have control over the scale and the look you hope to achieve.
Pictured here....flat cabbage rose motifs in the palest of pinks. The original dress looks to be a lightweight silk...maybe even with satin ribbon roses. For the dress I wanted to make, I used a pale pink sheer nylon (the type found in old nightgowns). This fabric doesn't fray, however, I liked the zigzag texture of roses on the black commercial trim.





CONCEPTUAL SWATCH #2:

1. I cut strips of my nylon fabric using pinking shears. Cut each one on the bias (diagonally). You can fold in half (the long way) and press so that you have a stitching guide, to make it easy.
2. I stitched each strip down to the base with a running stitch down the center. The fabric was against a flat surface and as I worked in circular motion, I turned the fabric. In able to get the edges to stand up, you need to position each row close to the other so that the edges stand up.
3. Again, you can place the swatch to check the scale against that of the doll.

THE APPROACH:

For this garment, I used the pattern for an evening length slip dress. When you look closely at the original dress, the roses are roughly the size of the model's bust. That helps establish the scale of roses you need to pull off the look. However....what I discovered is that making large roses is pretty easy--small ones take a little more time (due to their scale)! The dress calls for small roses that gradually get larger towards the hem.

Sew your garment together. However, leave the back seam open.
Place it flat on a surface. You are going to need two hands to do this treatment.
Prepare the strips: For this dress, I cut 1/2"(7mm) strips using pinking shears. I folded and pressed them to give me a stitching guide. I use a needle and single weight thread.

1. Fold the strip in half, then fold the edge over and stitch down onto the dress.
2. Moving in a circular fashion, wrap the strip around and stitch the folded edge to the garment. Do this about twice.
3. Then slip the needle inside the strip so that you can make running stitches down the middle of the strip directly on the garment.
4. As you are work, lean one edge against the side of the strip that is already in place. This helps the piece to stand up.
5. Note how I use my thumb to hold the lower half of the strip to the surface of the garment as I stitch. With every stitch or two, I give the whole garment a turn and continue on.
6. Here's another view of how this works. You can either clip the edge and tack down or you can leave the ends loose then wrap around other rosettes later as you add additional ones. If, while you are making these little roses, you run out of fabric strip, simple cut another and keep going. If you end up with funny little spaces, you can always take strips and make zigzags or tiny swirls in between the rosettes.

When you are about 1/2" or so away from the center back seam, stop and stitch up the garment (leaving an opening for the doll, of course.) Then carefully finish adding rosettes until the back is complete and the back seam is hidden. You can, instead, cut a strip of tulle and stitch rosettes to that, then tack the strip onto the back of the dress. 

This is A LOT of WORK!!! This took me a good three days!!! Whether or not you make something using this technique will depend on 1) how badly you want the dress for your doll 2) how special the doll is, 3) how much she begs or nags you!!! For whatever reason, should you find yourself tempted to try this technique, perhaps you might want to start off using it as a trim--or on a skirt--or a short dress unless of course you have the time and patience or the doll has blockaded the door to your sewing room until you meet her demands!

Nonetheless...when I finally completed Veronica's dress....both of us were extremely happy as this is a very pretty look!

For more ideas on creating your own interesting fabric treatments, be sure to check out our other posts:
Affaires of the Heart
Applied Arts: Faux Embroidery
Applied Arts: Faux (Beaded) Embroidery
FOILED!
Pucker Up!

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2018. Please credit me and ask me first before reposting!!! Thank you.

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That Special Dress: Valentino

Fashion weeks are underway and while I await my girls' report on New York fashion, I thought I would revisit a dress from last season and use it to illustrate the principle of reinterpreting a design.

To the layman,  making a 1/6 of a designer's dress constitutes "copying." But as I've stated before....no matter how much you know about sewing and pattern making for humans, the tiny proportions of the doll forces you to simplify, stylize and reinterpret. By the time you've worked all of that into the design, the garment becomes your own. Sometimes I can get pretty close to the original but when it comes to embellishment.....that calls for my own interpretation. Also, there might be times when you see something you like, but think it might be cool if other materials were substituted. For those of you who are keeping a croquis book (sketch pad), this is why it is also important to note down garment details.

Last season (Fall/Winter 2016) I saw a Valentino gown I wanted to try. I love the way the feathers stretch out over the body like a bird in flight. For the doll this dress is a challenge. While the dress is simple enough, you will not find flat feathers small enough. (And even if you do, they will be too difficult to handle.) The first thing I did was to look at the photo and decide what it is about this dress I like. It is the texture and the movement of the feathers against the delicate dress. I first bought silver grey feathers with the thought of cutting them down. But I soon discovered the final effect didn't come close to the original. On the contrary, I thought I could get a similar effect using raffia painted silver.

We begin with a dress with lots of flare. I chose a floor length princess line dress. You can also use the basic 2-piece dress (bodice+flared skirt), but I didn't want to take the chance of bulk around the doll's waist. The original dress appears to be tulle--which is not so easy to handle. So I used a sheer nylon (from one of my mom's old nightgowns). I cut a double layer.

1. Baste the two layers together using a running stitch. Then assemble the front, then the back together.
2. Trim within 1/8 inch from the seam and press each seam towards the nearest side. (Don't press flat.)
3. Sew the front to the back at the shoulders. I am adding on sleeves. (Hem them first.) Then stitch up the sides.
4. At this point you can redesign or readjust the neckline. If you decide to line this dress, I would use a simple (sleeveless) sheath dress pattern and attach it at the neckline. In my case, I rolled and stitched the neckline (like a silk scarf). Though you see her body through the dress, remember, we are adding an embellishment which will cover all of her privates.

 

5. The basic dress will be your canvas.

6. Take a good look at the movement of the feathers and make a rough sketch.

7. With that sketch nearby, I begin to pin my raffia (or whatever material you chose to use) on my dress.

 

8. Pin a little at a time onto the dress and then sew it to the dress. Then pin a little more and then sew.
9. Because the top will overlap the bottom. I stopped to add strips around the waist.
10. I use a simple whip stitch to keep the raffia in place. I'm using a silver embroidery thread. The stitches will be visible and using silver thread will add to the decorative edge of this embellishment.

 I've stitched down the strands to a point. But then I frayed the ends so that it forms a ragged edge of fringe. When it's all finished, I add a few auto-adhesive rhinestones to the bodice.

 Here's the finished result. The original is more of a "bird." Mine is more rustic....perhaps the nest! One concept--two completely different interpretations simply by changing up the materials! And that's how some  designs are born!

Up next....the girls are back with their picks from New York Fashion Week!

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Stardust Memories

A few of the girls are in France for the Cannes Film Festival and somehow I got roped into making a few dresses for them! (Yes, they have more than enough clothes already but you know how it is....they say they can't be seen in the same dress twice!) Nonetheless the seeds of this project were originally planted in my mind upon the sight of a black Versace gown Jennifer Garner wore at the last Oscars Award Ceremony.

Jennifer Garner in Versace (center). My rendition using beads (left). The same dress but with black glitter (right). Glitter works better in this case!

The dress had beads over one breast and in my attempt to recreate the look, I added beads to mine. But the scale was off. The beads were simply not small enough. This haunted me which prompted more research as to how I could more faithfully reproduce the look.

In the three and a half years I've been making these tiny clothes, what I've learned is that scale is important, but achieving a look often times involves.....illusion. There's lots of glitter on the streets of Paris. It's mostly contained to sneakers and T-shirts, but looking at it had me thinking that for the doll, the tiny sparkles could be interpreted as...BEADS! And yes, glitter is messy (but not always), and yes it can look really tacky very quickly. But by exploring the possibilities, I discovered that glitter can be used to create a sophisticated high fashion garment for the12 inch glamour girl.

 

 

There are three sizes of glitter: Super fine--just the right scale for doll shoes and accessories; Regular size--usually the cheapest, this is great for giving the illusion of tiny rhinestones--and; Large flakes--not easy to find, not so easy to glue, but gives the illusion of small sequins a doll's dress. There is also a way to work with glitter without the mess...iron-on sheets of fine glitter. It's really best for cutting out shapes or trims than using over large areas of a garment..

To keep glitter looking fashion rather than kiddie crafts, consider using unexpected fabrics like neutral tone wools, cotton or linen or go overboard like I did by putting glitter on shiny or sparkling fabrics. Here, I've used stretch lurex. As for glue, do NOT use craft glue as it will harden the fabric. Textile glue is better. If you can find it, there is a textile glue specifically designed for applying glitter.

For the first dress, I made a sheath dress out of grey wool.

1. I stitched one side of the garment together and turned under the hem. Mark the area of your design with tape.
2. Working quickly, spread the glue over this area.
3. Generously sprinkle the glue.

4. Allow to dry and shake off the excess.
5. Remove the tape. I used a soft brush to remove stray glitter from the body of the dress. Finish sewing the dress together.
6. I made leggings out of lurex to accessorize the dress.

My red carpet gown is both glamorous and easy to make.

1. It begins with a strapless sheath. I have added glitter to the dress down to the top of the hips. And I have added small straps made from glittered lurex strips.
2. I cut a full circle skirt from the lurex. There is only a slit in the middle the size of her waist circumference and it is cut down the back seam. Nothing is hemmed so that the fabric blends in with the dress underneath. Should your lurex fray, use a bit of fray-check product.

3. Create a pleat by grabbing a bit of the fabric from the left side of the doll and wrap it to the right and pin.
4. You can add as many pleats as you want simply by repeating step 3. Here, I've made three pleats. Hand stitch them to the dress underneath.
5. Here is what my dress looks like in the back. You can leave it open or stitch down the center back seam, leaving an opening near the waist, closing it with a hook&eye.

Since Veronique was appearing on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, I added a small rhinestone brooch on her hip.

If you hate the mess but love the sparkle, iron one glitter is worth a try. There is a uniformity to this medium that you will either love or not. Here, I wanted to maintain the purity of line with this tunic and straight skirt.

1. Again, I put together a shortened tent dress, sewing one side then turning under the hem, but leaving it flat. I do the same for the skirt.
2. I try the outfit on the doll to determine how deep the border should be.
3. Using tracing paper, I draw the shape of the border, then put my draping on the back of the glitter sheet and trace. Cut it out.
3b. You can create any sort of design you desire. For the lurex dress to follow, I created this star.

4. Follow directions for your glitter sheet. For the one I bought, the glitter is placed shiny side up on the right side of the garment.
5. It's then flipped over and you iron everything together on the wrong side of the garment. You may have to iron longer than the instructions require.
6. Here is what the skirt looks like. Since you don't see the entire skirt, it is only necessary to put the glitter on part of the skirt.

Voila the result. I've kept it simple. Silver on beige cotton...like sand on the beach!

Here, I was more creative. I drew a huge star which I placed on one side of a lurex shift dress.

When I place to two techniques side by side, you see the difference. The loose glitter has a more "organic" or uneven look (though I could have added a second layer of glitter). It also looks more like tiny rhinestones! The iron-on glitter is finer, sharper, almost as if the design was woven into the fabric.

This is a bra and leggings that I have quickly draped a piece of black satin over Anna's form. The black glitter on black fabric gave me just the right discreet look of beads I was shooting for. I used the wrong (less silver) side of the lurex for the leggings and added a light layer of black glitter.

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