DIY: Contrast Leather Sleeve Jumper

I've been lusting after leather sleeves for quite some time now and have since acquired a small collection of contrast leather pieces, both homemade and store bought. 

So for my very first DIY project for Oh Seven Days, I thought I would take a thrifted fine knit jumper and customise it with white leather sleeves. Not only will this be an eagerly welcomed addition to my wardrobe, but hopefully it'll show just how easy it is to execute this trend at home. 

I found this knit at a thrift store for £3. It's made of viscose but has a seemingly cashmere feel to it. For your project I'd suggest you find a fine oversized knit, or even a thick jersey would have a similar effect. 

The tools you'll need:

• Thrift or pre-loved jumper
• White leather, genuine or synthetic (I chose to use genuine leather for mine)
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing Maching or needle and thread 
• ruler and pencil

1. Firstly, cut the sleeve from the bodice of your jumper and cut the seam to flatten. We will use this sleeve as our pattern piece for the leather. Then trace around the pattern piece with a pencil. 

I decided to lengthen my sleeve 3 cm as I felt the original sleeve to be too short. The original fabric was also very stretchy, so to ensure the leather would fit, I extended the width by 1cm. 

I also added a 1cm seam allowance for ease of sewing. After sewing the sleeve, I them trimmed the remaining seam allowance away to minimise bulkiness within the sleeve. 

2. Once you've cut out the leather piece, use your sewing machine to stitch together the side seam. Ensure you are sewing wrong side up. If you do not have a sewing machine, it is possible to hand stitch this. However, it will be time consuming as you must stitch closely together and the leather is tough to get through. 

3. With your sleeve still turned inside out, feed the armhole of the shirt through the sleeve and pin the leather into place. Only pin within the seam allowance to ensure you don't visibly mark the leather. 

4. Sew the leather to the fabric with your sewing machine or needle and thread. Then repeat this process for the second sleeve.  

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