I found a leather shirt at a flea market. Leather is not the most practical material for a garment which you may want to wash regularly, so it was not a surprise the previous owner had donated the shirt. However, the material was clean, thin, very soft lamb hide in very good condition, thus suitable for re-using.
I cut open all the necessary seams and when I had an overview of the amount of leather there was, I chose to make a newsboy cap for women. I cut the hat pattern pieces and glued them to a piece of thin cardboard (for example a cereal box). I added seam allowances before cutting the cardboard. When pattern pieces are made of cardboard it is easy to press them firmly onto the leather and draw the pattern pieces without using pins which make permanent holes.
This lamb hide was so thin, soft and delicate, that I found it necessary to sew the hat crown pieces toghether with thin fabric to avoid stretching or tearing of the seams, and to make the hat crown a bit more sturdy.
A teflon presser foot makes it easy to make nice, narrow top-stitch.
The hat crown is finished. The seam in the middle is thick with several layers of leather and fabric. I often use a hammer to make such spots flat and easy to sew, but in this case it actually was not necessary.
I made a lining using orange thai silk fabric.
I made the peak using iron-on stiffing fabric and the hat band out of linen blend fabric in matching color. I added a decorative flat band which runs inside the sweatband in the back of the hat and outside in front. The size of the hat can be adjusted by tightening the band. The finished hat is available for purchase in my Etsy shop here. A buyer can lace the decor band as they wish and cut the excess length.
soilevuo art&crafts 