the king's speech

a couple weeks ago, puu ("the ringleader") sent a shout out to me ("the drunk") and clio ("the one with the husband that likes to judge people and give them snappy titles") about another new york hang out.  the debonair and ever entertaining kenneth king shared his knowledge of working with leather and suede with a group of sewists in a class at Mood's NY locale, and we we happy to listen.  what.  a.  TREAT.  leave aside the fact that i could listen to this man talk about cardboard for ninety minutes.  he covered enough about this enormous topic to make us all feel like paying dmitry in leathers a visit straight after. 

i had no idea leather was so...manipulable.  is that a word?  i don't feel i should call it manipulative, as i don't think it's trying to control my actions behind my back.  unless you count the fact that the mantra I MUST HAZ LEATHER is now on repeat in my head, that could possibly be considered thought control.  there are so many ways to mold and shape this material.  for example, the dart.  you can slice that jammy open and slide it over rather than folding it.  besides making up samples right there and then, kenneth had a glorious handful of leather samples with different seam finishes--just look at that slot seam.  i want a full length leather duster, slot seamed from shoulder to floor.  how cool would that be?!  

several times, kenneth suggested using an acid green contrast leather, peeking out of a white bodice.  and how about a blood red leather paint on the edges of the seam?

GET OUT OF MY HEAD KENNETH KING.

you can hammer this stuff.  glue it.  tape it.  shave it.  (seriously... with a callus shaver.  hello tools!)  and oh, so many new notions to play with...my sewing desk would be like a mechanic shop!  mechanics, they hold a special place in my heart.  my dad owned a gas station, and taught me, to the point where i could diagram it, how a combustible engine worked.  i floored my 7th grade english teacher by presenting this information in a paper, and then lecturing the class on it without looking at said paper.   ah, mr. schultz.  he knew how to push my feminist buttons, and i knew how to wreck his chauvinist view of the world.  but i digress. 

he brought his droolworthy vintage bernina, and his hyper organized kit.  this is where the magic of the rolling chalk pen was brought to my attention!  (and if you want in on the giveaway, jump on that, yo.  tomorrow's the day.)  as my cohorts noted, every time he pulled out a tool, it went back in exactly as it was.  i can only imagine the order of his studio.  one brave attendee asked to borrow a pencil from his kit to make notes.  i almost fell over as i watched her grab a red waxy pencil with which to scribble, before the words of permission were barely (and haltingly) out of kenneth's mouth.  i have to wonder what would have happened if she'd asked to touch his bernina... 

now that coat, i DID touch.  that's the lining you're looking at.  THE LINING.  the outer shell is made from... wait for it... hair weave.  the leather collar is handstitched with great big thick diagonal swaths.  it's glorious.  clio was wholly unsurprised at my lust.

i've worked with leather before, in fact i had a successful etsy shop where i sold a bunch of very wacky, free form leather obis and belts like the one below, with weird descriptions having to do with the music i listened to whilst hammering them out.  i say successful; if you count success as selling all the wares you had in said shop (which was 18), then call me trump.  awoohoo!  i don't know what possessed me to make them; they weren't my style. but that helped me sell them--i liked them, yet didn't mind seeing them leave when they were scooped up. 

i've gone back and forth over the use of leather.  those belts were made with remnants (which i've since learned, via kenneth, are truly the discards of the hides.  but so cool!)  somehow i felt that since they were scraps, it was okay.  but look.  the shoes in my closet, at least the quality pairs, are leather.   as are several jackets.  and they weren't made from remnants.  i probably won't go gung ho and sew up a leather wardrobe, but, i'm okay with using it for a chic tank top or a skirt.  hell, i'm not vegan in the kitchen, why start in the closet?  and, i do very much believe in using every part of your source.  so i guess even back when i was feeling mildly guilty, i was sticking to my principles.

what say you?  would you work in leather?

i was Mood's guest at this class, with no expectation of review or mention. obviously i had a great time!