Saving a Vintage Velvet Coat

January 2019:  Q. Smith asked if there was a way to save the pocket of her vintage velvet coat.  The tear was such that it would have to be Frankenstitched.  So, as neatly as I could, I turned under the edges.  

Then, I started mocking up a way to hide the repair.  I came up with a bow.

The next day, Q. went out to B&J Fabrics and bought a velvet in a similar color.

I made the bows by sewing a tube into a circle and gathering at the center. Then I covered over the center with a piece of the velvet

Next, I sewed those bows onto the jacket and Voila!  The repairs are hidden and it's super cute.  If I remember correctly, I then made and replaced the covered buttons with rest of the velvet.

Restoring a Leather Jacket

 In July 2021, one of my pals asked if I could save her vintage leather jacket.  

I checked all the seams for disintegrating thread.  Leather doesn't get pinned, it gets clipped to not puncture the skin.  Clips can be purchased at Wawak or even Amazon.   They are also great for quilting and hems.

Over the next few days, I used old rags, rubber gloves and 2 bottles of  Leather Honey leather conditioner and saved the leather.  The jacket sucked up the 1st bottle!

And here is the almost final reveal, because I did go back and touch up a few spots.