How to Alter the Sleeves on a Leather Jacket

Leather jackets are an old-timed fashion still worn by many people today. They usually look great on just about anyone. They can be worn for any number of occasions ranging from motorcycle riding to dinner parties to a night on the town. But what is not stylish is when the sleeves on your leather jacket are too long. Most of the time, tailors want nothing to do with leather because it is a delicate fabric. Fortunately, it is quite simple to alter sleeve lengths yourself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Sewing machine or needle and thread

1. Measure the sleeves on your jacket. You will need to do this no matter what kind of alteration you are performing on your sleeves. Also, measure your own arms; any mistakes with this job will be hard to fix.

2. Mark the spots on your leather jacket where you want to cut, on the sleeves or wrists, with masking tape or a washable marker. Tape is recommended, because it will come off easily without damaging your jacket.

3. Cut the jacket at the markings you made in Step 2 very carefully and slowly with scissors. If you want to make the sleeves longer, cut the sleeves neatly at the shoulders (you will need replacement sleeves at the right length). Next, you will do lining replacement at the shoulder by sewing the lining neatly into shoulder. Only replace the lining on this step.

4. Check that your length measurements are still correct. Roll the sleeves back and cut the lining to about one and a half inch shorter than the new sleeve length and re-sew at the wrist using a needle and thread or a sewing machine and a single-stitch.

5. Replace sleeves by sewing and hemming at the shoulder (if you cut and replaced with longer ones). Now, make sure the lining is at the correct length and sew into wrist of the sleeve.

Resources

• Contribute to a forum on altering the sleeves on a leather jacket
• Read what others are saying about altering leather jackets