I am super excited to talk about the faux leather from Sallie Tomato! I was honored to help once again spread the news about this nifty product that Sallie Tomato offers by stitching up one of the patterns she has created specifically for this medium!
The pattern I chose is called Smith; it’s a fantastic portfolio-type organizer that blends perfectly with the faux leather! I decided to use more unisex colors because I believe many men would love to have this as a gift or make it for themselves. As a sewing teacher, I am ALWAYS looking for something my male students would enjoy making, too, as there are few patterns for them.
I also wanted to approach this post as a teacher, giving you some tips for working with this fabric. It is straightforward to sew with and to cut.
Picking the Faux leather and notions
First, I went to SallieTomato.com to pick out my project and choose the “leather” and notions needed for the pattern. There is so much to choose from I could spend hours on the site dreaming up ideas for using the products.
Choosing the pattern, SMITH; to me, was a no-brainer as it’s so functional and easy to customize. I almost used my embroidery machine to create a cool backing, but as always, I first want to show the beauty of this pattern. I will be shopping for some more to make a few holiday or birthday gifts for friends.
Materials Used – SallieTomato.com
Faux Leather is a fun way to sew up something a little more fancy or high-end without having a leather sewing machine. This leather is soft, malleable, and brightly colored! For full transparency, I also got to choose my products; however, they were all provided for free for me to make this awesome pattern! However, the pattern and products are my own opinion, and it didn’t sway my opinions of the products.
First, I chose the main colors for the organizer. I LOVE mustard yellow and Black together (it also reminds me of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill!), and I know many guys who love that combination.
You will first need the pattern (printed or downloadable version) to make the SMITH.
1/3 Yard of Main (exterior fabric) Mustard Legacy Leather
1/2 Yard Contrast (Strap closure, all pockets, and accessories holder) – Black Pebble Leather
Sew-In Foam – 1/2 Yard
3/4″ wide Fold Over Elastic – 1/2 yard or 14″ – Black
Nylon Coil Zipper – for pocket – Black and Gunmetal #5
#5 Donut Gunmetal zipper pull
I made all of the materials clickable so you can find them easily!
Tips for Sewing Faux Leather
I wanted to let you in on a few tips that made it easy for me to sew with this product. First, I put a new Microtex size 14 needle in my regular sewing machine; I didn’t use my straight stitch machine as I wanted to show how versatile this fabric is. I also sewed this together with Gutmann’s all-purpose polyester thread.
Tip #1 – cut your fabric using a rotary cutter if you are comfortable using one. I found when I cut with the rotary, it had much cleaner lines than when I went in to clean up some spots with scissors after sewing. The rotary cutter sliced through like a warm knife on butter. It was very satisfying.
Tip #2 – Sewing Clips! or binder clips are a must. Any pins will leave holes in your material that will not go away. Make sure to clip your pieces together to avoid this.
Tip #3 – The stitch length is a little longer than the 2.5 standard. I sewed my pieces together using a 3.0 stitch length as it will keep you from sewing too close together, and it can possibly perforate your seam like notebook paper and rip easily. And we do not want that.
Tip #4 – Double-sided 1/4″ sticky tape will help with pieces you can’t clip on the edges like the pockets. It won’t gum up your needle either, but it will make your pockets look good! You can see on mine that I used it on one pocket, not the other. I didn’t.
Tip #5- Take your time. Go slow; don’t pull the material. Enjoy the stitching! I also did deviate from the pattern a little with the zippered pocket. I wanted it on the left instead of inside the closed organizer.
Final thoughts on Faux Leather and SMITH Pattern
I truly enjoyed every bit of sewing with faux leather. I have sewn with cork and other materials like vinyl, but this was a satisfying sew. The feel of the needle through the leather and the soft feel of the material also makes it feel expensive, luxurious, and custom to me!
You defiantly should check out Sallietomato.com and see the huge selection of materials and give them a try, the only way to grow with your sewing is to experiment and I think you will love this material to add to other patterns.
I also want to thank the Sallie Tomato team for asking me to participate again! I love making new things and trying new materials to let my students know what can be used or tried!
