A sheepskin coat is a classic option for practical and warm winter clothing. Today, clothes made of genuine leather and fur have a considerable cost, so if you notice that the sheepskin coat has become small, it makes sense to try to stretch the product.

The need to increase winter outerwear made of leather and fur by a size may also arise if the item was purchased in the summer and was tried on without taking into account the thickness of the sweater, jacket or other wardrobe items that have to be worn in winter.

It is recommended to entrust the stretching procedure to professionals - this is done in studios whose specialization includes working with leather and fur products. But you can increase the size of the item at home. Let's look at how to stretch a sheepskin coat one size yourself.

Artificial and natural

Today on sale you can find a wide selection of sheepskin coats made from artificial and natural materials. Before you start stretching something that is too small, make sure that it is made of genuine leather. Such products are heavier than artificial ones, they are noticeably warmer and more durable, which accordingly affects their cost.

An artificial sheepskin coat cannot be stretched - the thin material may burst, since its texture does not allow for deformation. With natural leather everything is different, but there are a number of restrictions for such products - it is important to pay attention to the type of leather, its thickness, type of coating, color.

Features of natural material

Let's consider what types of materials are used to make sheepskin coats, and why in some cases it is not recommended to try to expand the item yourself, using improvised means.

• Astrakhan.

The material is the skin of young lambs. The products are distinguished by their original texture, they are lighter than ordinary sheepskin coats and at the same time more expensive due to the specifics of the raw materials and more complex sewing work.

It is not recommended to stretch outerwear made of astrakhan fur, since such leather does not have an appropriate reserve of thickness. The product will burst in the most problematic areas. If your sheepskin coat is made of astrakhan fur, contact the studio to increase its size.

• Sheepskin.

This is the most practical and durable natural material; sheepskin outerwear is not blown through and provides excellent warmth. Manufacturers offer sheepskin coats made from various types of leather:

• interfino - very durable leather, wear-resistant but thin fur;
• merino – the leather is durable, the fur is dense and thick, but wears out relatively quickly due to its short length;
• Tuscany - thick dense leather and long thick fur of a special breed of sheep, the most durable and warm option.

Sheepskin can be stretched well, but doing it yourself can negatively affect the appearance of the product. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the type of coating of genuine leather.

If the coating is shiny, glossy, with the effect of patent leather, or with the effect of “scales,” when the size of the product increases, it will crack and lose its attractiveness. Manipulations with such things should also be entrusted to professionals.

The color of the sheepskin coat is also important. The use of special means, steam, or soap solution can leave stains on the surface of a light leather product that cannot be completely removed. In the best case, the item can be repainted or embroidered with patterns using decorative elements.

Stretch technology

If the sheepskin coat becomes small during use or the wrong size was initially chosen, it is stretched using special equipment or home remedies. The choice of technologies is limited; they are mainly aimed at making the item wider, while it may be necessary to increase the length of the sleeves if they have become small.

• Special means for stretching.

The store sells specialized products designed for stretching leather products. They are gentle on the material. Buy products from well-known brands to protect your item from permanent stains after using special products.

The composition is a spray that is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the product. If the sheepskin coat does not have a lining, it is also processed on the inside. Then you need to put on the item and wear it for several hours, waiting for the composition to dry completely. It is recommended to move quite actively so that the product fits your figure.

If necessary, you can stretch specific areas of the product, then process it and put it on, wearing the sheepskin coat for at least an hour. If the sleeves are shorter than the required length, a special agent is applied to them and pulled out using mechanical forces. It is important to stretch the sleeves carefully and evenly to prevent the skin from bursting.

• Liquid soap.

If it is not possible to purchase a specialized composition for stretching leather products, you can make a soap solution, which will also help the material become softer and more elastic. To prepare the solution, it is allowed to use only colorless liquid soap, as dyes will leave stains.

Work progress:

1. liquid soap and warm water are mixed in a suitable container in a ratio of 1:4;
2. the prepared solution is poured into a sprayer;
3. the composition is applied to the outer surface of the product (in the absence of a lining, also to the inner surface);
4. the treated sheepskin coat is put on and worn for two hours or more.

• Buttons.

If it is not possible to change the size of the sheepskin coat by treating it with products to increase the elasticity of the skin, use this trick: sew another row of buttons parallel to the existing buttons, retreating 1-2 cm closer to the edge, and wear the sheepskin coat buttoned on them for several days. When the item stretches a little to fit your figure, you can fasten it with the original buttons. This advice is not suitable for sheepskin coats with a zipper.

• Steam treatment.

Leather outerwear that has become too small is recommended to be treated with steam. To do this, use an iron with a steam generator, a specialized clothing steamer, or a household steam generator. As a result, the skin will become elastic and pliable.

To increase volume in certain areas, they are carefully stretched by hand. If you need to stretch the entire sheepskin coat to size, put it on immediately after steam treatment and wear it for a couple of hours.

It's no secret that items of clothing such as fur coats and sheepskin coats are designed for long-term wear. And some women can only afford one fur coat in their entire life.

But not only a dress, shirt, T-shirt, shoes and other all-season items of clothing, but also exclusively winter items tend to wear out, deteriorate, tear, go out of fashion in the end and be subject to other troubles over time. In order not to spend a large sum on buying a new winter item, a good idea is to simply find out how to remake an old sheepskin coat into a stylish one.

If you are not sure that you can alter your fur coat yourself, then it is better to take it to a studio and have a professional take care of updating the item. But in this case, remodeling can cost you almost the cost of a new product.

Well forgotten old

In order to change an old sheepskin coat into a fashionable one at home, you will need the following materials:

• Fur, small pieces of suitable fabric;
• Threads and other sewing supplies;
• Lining fabric;
• Accessories to taste.

How to alter an old sheepskin coat

As you work on updating your sheepskin coat, you can apply the following tips:

1. Carefully inspect the sheepskin coat from top to bottom, especially its fur parts. It could have scuff marks or simply be missing pieces. You need to think carefully about how to disguise it. Helpers in this matter will be pieces of fur of the same shade or fabric, for example, suede - it goes very well with fur. You can decorate the erased area with original embroidery. But please note that it should not look like a necessary patch, but rather a stylish design element.
2. A simple replacement of the lining can give an updated look to an old sheepskin coat. Choose a lining fabric of a color that will delight you and lift your spirits during a particularly dark and, for many, depressive winter period.
3. If your sheepskin coat is long, you can simply trim it. It would be good to edge the edge with fur, but if you just leave a cut, it won’t be any worse: raw edges are in fashion now.
4. Even the simplest detail, for example, a belt, can change an old thing beyond recognition. Now you can find a million of its options: any material, color and shape. Even if your sheepskin coat does not include a belt, you should not immediately abandon it: firstly, it can be worn on almost any clothing, and secondly, if necessary, you can sew belt loops to the sheepskin coat so that the belt does not get lost.
5. Another element that will allow you to transform an old sheepskin coat into a stylish one are buttons. They will be the easiest to replace. You can decorate the simplest buttons with fabric or use some other technique (decoupage, acrylic, etc.).
6. To transform an old sheepskin coat into a fashionable one, you can equip it with a stylish hood. Choose a suitable pattern and sew a hood from fur or similar basic sheepskin fabric.
7. A more complicated option is to change the style of the sheepskin coat. It can be narrowed or, on the contrary, embroidered, complemented with inserts from the same fabric or some original colorful one.

If you have a talent for sewing, then most likely an option for you is remaking a sheepskin coat. To do this, you just need to tear open the old one, fit its parts to the new pattern of a stylish item and sew it again.

How to change an old sheepskin coat into a fashionable one - video

You can find a suitable pattern and, taking it along with a sheepskin coat, go to the studio, where they will fulfill your every desire and turn even a model of the last century into a modern new thing.

Remaking an old fur coat or sheepskin coat

How to alter a fur coat

Today we will talk about how to alter a fur coat. I would like to note right away that women’s fur coats can be made from natural or faux fur. You can distinguish faux fur from natural fur by simply holding a fur coat in your hands - a fur coat made from faux fur is much lighter than a fur coat made from natural fur.

Working with furs is different. So, for work with natural fur, special machines are used - furriers. It is clear that you are unlikely to be able to use such a machine in everyday life. Therefore, you will have to work manually. With faux fur, the situation is a little simpler, because faux fur can be sewn on a household machine.

And now I will try to tell you how to alter a fur coat in as much detail as possible.

Let's start with the fact that we need to determine whether the product being remade is natural or artificial. There is a very easy way to check this. You need to take a needle and pierce the product through; if the needle passes through the skin with difficulty (sometimes it may not go through at all), then this product is probably natural. And if the needle passes easily without any difficulty, then your fur coat is most likely made of faux fur.

To alter any fur coat, we will need: a blade, machine needles - spade-shaped No. 120 (for working with natural fur) or a regular needle of the same size (for working with artificial fur), a specialized foot with Teflon coating or fluoroplastic (plastic), polyester threads No. 40 (to match the color of the fur coat), threads and needles for hand robots, pliers (for natural fur) and a thimble.

Let's start with how to alter a fur coat made of natural fur. First you need to rip the fur coat, we rip everything off. That is, we rip along the side seams, along the middle back seam. It may turn out that the entire fur coat is sewn from long, not very wide strips of fur about 15 cm long (they can be of different widths and lengths). That is, we separate the fronts from the back, the sleeves from the armholes, the collar from the back, we rip the lining completely from the inside of the product, we rip the sleeves along the elbow seam, as well as the shoulder seams.

We will need measurements of the size (person) for which the fur coat will be altered. I will describe how measurements are taken from a person in a separate article.

Let's start taking measurements on the fur coat. We will need a ballpoint pen and a measuring tape. Let's start with the shelf. The shelf is in front of us: 1) Width measurements - set aside half chest circumference, half waist circumference and half hip circumference. 2) Length measurements: - front length to waist, chest height, product length. Take the back: - width of the back, length of the back to the waist, length of the product.

Now let's move on to the sleeve. Length measurements: - set aside the length of the sleeve, the width of the sleeve at the top, the width of the sleeve at the bottom (at the wrist). Now, using the measurements set aside on all the details, carefully from the wrong side of the fur coat, we begin to slowly cut out a smaller size using a blade. Never use scissors on the fur, this will damage it and cause bald patches on it.

When we have finished cutting, we begin to assemble the reduced parts. Each detail has its own seam. That is, the side seam of the front to the side seam of the back, the shoulder seam of the front to the shoulder seam of the back. In fur coats made from natural fur, all parts are sewn together using furrier machines. And since such machines are rare in everyday life, the fur coat will have to be sewn by hand.

We collected all the parts in their places (where they were originally), all the seams were sewn, the collar was reduced and also sewn into the neck. We reduce the lining - the width should be the same size as the altered fur coat itself, and the length should be 4 cm longer (to tuck the seam allowance at the bottom).

The lining is already sewn in by machine through the bottom. But it’s better to baste it right away and then sew it in to avoid distortions. Well, the lining has been sewn in, and the bottom is also sewn in (through the sleeve). The fur coat is ready.

Now let’s discuss the nuances when it comes to altering a faux fur coat. I’ll make you happy right away: working on it will be a little easier. We need: machine needle No. 120, polyester thread No. 40, blade, scissors, hand needles, basting thread, pen and measuring tape.

We begin to alter a fur coat made of faux fur by tearing off all the parts from each other (in the same way as in a fur coat made from natural fur). Measurements for reduction were taken in advance.

Let's get to work. We take measurements on the parts in the same way as we did for a natural fur coat. Take the blade and carefully cut along the marks. We cut it out, take scissors and for each part where the machine seam will go, at the distance of the allowance from the cut we cut off the fur along the entire length of the fur coat.

Baste the side seams of the front and back and sew on a machine (allowance - 1-1.5 cm). We move on to the shoulder seams, connecting them (right sides to each other). Folded, you can baste. After basting, we sew it on the machine. Shoulder and side seams are sewn. Next, we sew the sleeve along the elbow seam, the sleeve is ready (the other one is similar).

Now we thread the sleeves one by one into the armholes (each into its own) and sew them on a machine. We first sew the reduced collar into the neckline, then sew it in. After sewing, undo all basting stitches.

Well, the fur coat has been altered. All that remains is to reduce the lining and sew it into the fur coat. We sew in the lining in the same way as we did when altering a natural fur coat. Well, that's all, the fur coat is ready.

Http://youtu.be/-lkNRfonq08

You can remake an old sheepskin coat with your own hands in completely different ways. For example, a men's room can be converted into a women's room, and an adult room into a children's room. But it’s not possible to convert a child’s sheepskin coat into an adult’s one due to a lack of material

What you need

• Sheepskin coat(whole or cut)
• Pattern. Make a sketch of the future model on paper. Take measurements from your figure. Think through all the details and start modeling
• Scraps of leather, fur or knitted parts. Select the necessary material for the job
• Furrier's knife. Tanned leather is always cut with a special furrier's knife (if you don't have such a knife, use a stationery knife). It is not advisable to use scissors
• Tweezers. Needed for filling the pile when working on a furrier machine. But you will need it if you have such a machine and know how to use it. If you don’t have it or you don’t know how to use it, it’s okay - you can sew tanned leather by hand. It is quite possible that the seam from the back will not look perfect, and there will be “sewn-in” hairs, but on the front side of the product everything will be in perfect order
• Lint clipper or any household hair clipper, as well as a special clipper for pets. Turn-ups on a sheepskin coat are made after the fur has been trimmed along the side line. Otherwise the hem will be too thick
• Skin needles (or pins). Leather, including tanned leather, should not be threaded. It is advisable not to sweep away the sheepskin coat at all, but to immediately stitch it clean. But if you still need to baste, use sewing pins
• Triangular needles. If you have to do a lot of manual stitching of tanned leather, purchase special triangular needles. Such needles easily pierce the skin and do not tear it. If cutting a sheepskin coat does not involve a large amount of “hand work,” then ordinary needles are quite suitable.
• Threads No. 180 or No. 200. They are suitable for working with tanned leather. The fact is that thin threads can cut through the skin. If you are sewing an open cut, use reinforced threads.
• Thimble. For safety reasons, do not forget to use a thimble. Leather, even tanned leather, is difficult to sew, so be sure to protect your hands and fingers from sharp needles.

What and how to do

1. Rip out an old sheepskin coat, which you plan to alter, into details. If you think that the material of one product is not enough, use two sheepskin coats or add any other “winter” material to the collar, sleeves and pockets: leather, fur, suede, thick textiles. Combined models are very popular now
2. Lay out the pattern pieces on the front side of the leather in such a way that worn and deformed areas remain outside the future parts of the new item
3. Open the product. Pin the pattern in place with pins or trace the details with chalk. Remember, it is better to cut sheepskin coats with a knife, not scissors. Carefully cut out the pieces, leaving seam allowances
4. Sew the details. You will find detailed instructions for working with leather here.
5. Select finishes and fittings. The sleeves, hem, hood or collar can be trimmed with leather, suede or fur for contrast. Knitted elements are also popular today in combination with tanned leather. To make your sheepskin coat look elegant and stylish, use original accessories: snakes, buttons, shoulder straps, large fasteners of various shapes.

Don't be afraid to experiment! Remember, you are altering an old sheepskin coat, which means you are not losing anything.

• The leather does not tolerate unnecessary punctures, so the sheepskin coat should not be swept away with threads. Ideally, the parts should be sewn together directly on a machine. But if you still doubt that you will connect the parts correctly the first time, pin them together and then stitch them on the machine. Remove the pins after stitching the leather. Use triangular needles and a Teflon foot.
• When you are cutting, cut from the tanned leather side, that is, not the fur side. Do not press the skin to the table. Make sure that when trimming the pile is not cut: the more hairs you cut, the more noticeable the seam will be on the finished product.

As you can see, altering a sheepskin coat does not require any special tools. You can get by with your usual sewing supplies. However, if you doubt that you have properly prepared for the job and cannot recut the sheepskin coat correctly, contact our studio for help.We have been specializing in upholstery, restoration and repair of leather and fur products for more than 10 years.