I had a cozy, lounging sweater that was on it’s last life. It was too oversized and kept falling off. But I couldn’t let go of it.

In comes two sources of inspiration.

One- This sweater I saw on pinterest. I just loved it.

via middlechildcomplex.tumblr.com

Second- this bondage trend I saw in Elle this month.

So here’s what I did with my sweater. I cut the back into a deep v. Then I sewed it wround the opening so it wouldn’t fray.

Then I just added three leather straps to the back.

(ps- do you know this is me? I think a lot of people think the blonde that I have modeling all the time for me is Lex. But it’s actually my sister. She is living close by in San Francisco so she can’t model at my disposal anymore. I have to do it myself a little now. yikes!)

I love the edginess of it.  To do it over, I wouldn’t have cut it so low. But it stretched FAR more than I thought it would, so keep that in mind if you try it.

I love the ease  of oversized sweaters.  They’re so versatile because you can wear them as loungewear or style them up a bit for an “I-don’t-care” kind of look.

Hope you all like this one!

And don’t forget my fall line of scarves is 25% off for a bit longer. 

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I sewed it then slipped it on my bottle. Then I used the rhinestone kit that MJ Trimming sent me. I started glueing the rhinestones down the center in straight lines. I was going for high impact glam.

I just kept on gluing them until I got one solid, sparkly strip!

How great is this water bottle cover?!

I’m keeping this one in mind for gifts. I think it would be a great one!

They’re such an easy way to incorporate a great trend into your wardrobe. Check out my tutorial on bright leather tassels over at one of my favorite websites,  Mode Bay Area. I’ll show you how to make them and different ideas for adding them to your accessories.

Before you begin:

I recommend using a heavy needle. They make leather needles, but I actually used a denim needle because it’s what I had. I have a button that automatically changes my tension and stitching for leather. ( I know. Thank you Husqvarna:) ) But you can check your machine for the recommendations.

Also, good leather jackets also have a lining. Don’t let that intimidate you! All you have to do is remember that whatever you do to the leather, do to the lining. It’s just on the inside.

Let us begin…

First what I did is cut off the sleeves at the seam. I needed to bring the shoulder line in.

To tell where you want the shoulder seams, you can by either try it on or use a dress form. When you figure out where you want it to be, mark it with chalk. Then trim to the new line.

Now, my sides also needed to be taken in to give it a little more shape and make it not so boxy.

I detached the jacket at the side seams, leather and lining.  I measured how much I wanted to bring it in and I stitched the leather then the lining to make it the right size.

After that step, I wanted to add some details. At the front of mine I decided to add some texture to it by stitching some lines. I just marked with chalk where I wanted to stitch, then sewed right on top of my markings.

I really love the way this detail came out.

Ok, now for my final step, reattaching the sleeve. With all your alterations, the sleeve might be too big now. You could either add a little ruching at the top to make it puff sleeves, or take the sleeve in. I wanted a really classic look, so I decided to take the sleeve in an inch. I detached it at the underarm seam, then took it in. Then all you need to do is reattach your jacket and lining.

And it’s ready to wear!

Here’s a closeup of the front detail.

I love when the sleeves are rolled up.

I’m so happy with this jacket! I can’t believe I found it for $7! I hope you’re inspired to do your own leather reinvention! If any of the details were a little confusing, just send me an email and I can explain anything in more length!

I already sold one of the long skirts and only have a couple left, so if you were thinking about getting one- hurry up to my etsy shop!

I also added a striped maxi dress!

Her leather goods are named Nuala.  It’s an old, classic Irish name, and an ode to McInerney’s roots—she is originally from Ireland and moved to the United States when she was 21. You can read more about her in an article written about her here. We’ve been creating and working on the fashion show together and I just had to tell you all about her things! She hand cuts, hand sews and hand dyes all of her bags, jewelry and accessories.

Here are a couple of my favorite clutches from her etsy store.

This is MY nuala leather bag in grey.

Check out the gorgeous hardware!

I love thinking about how she makes these by hand! And it just gets better with time because the leather becomes broken in as you use it.

Ok. Hold your breaths. Wait till you see what I got from her next!! AAAHHHHH!! (music playing in my head)

How amazing is this watch! She added a vintage watch to this leather cuff.  Go ahead. Keep staring. It’s what I do all day.

I love the raw edge of leather with the snaps on the underside.

Isn’t it even ore gorgeous on? What I love about it is that I wear really feminine clothing and dainty jewelry. I love how masculine this sis. It’s a huge impact piece. It goes perfect with my CocoBijou gold bangles.

Terry is doing some UNBELIEVABLE things for our fashion show. She has a wonderful etsy store for those of you that don’t live in Santa Cruz County and she also sells at Stripe. You can contact her for custom orders, too.  CHECK HER OUT!!

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