Faux leather, pleather, artificial leather, PVC, leatherette – different names, same thing. I have been working with this material for some time and I kinda fell in love with it. I’m here to share a couple of tips on how to work with and care for your faux leather or pleather. Ready? Listen up. :)
TIP #1
Do not iron it with high heat because the pleather will melt. If you must iron it to get rid of creases, place a cloth on top of the wrong side of the pleather and iron on the cloth using low heat. Make sure you are constantly moving the iron around for even heat distribution. Never, never let your iron get into contact with the right side of the pleather. Disaster!
TIP #2
Do not expose it to harsh sunlight for prolonged periods of time. It would dry up the pleather material and cause cracks.
TIP #3
When working with pleather, ensure that your stitches are not too small or tight because this would perforate the faux leather and cause a rip in the material.
TIP#4
If you have to clean it, wipe with with a damp cloth. The thing I like about this material is that it is pretty low maintenance because it is easy to clean.
TIP #5
Keep the pins to a minimum. The more pins you stick into the material, the more you will “scar” your pleather. If you absolutely have to, use paper clips to help your pleather stay in place.
TIP #6
The stitch unpicker is not your friend. Unlike other fabrics, there are only so many times you can unpick your pleather before it becomes unusable. So, sew slowly and carefully to make less room for error.
Now, go make something exciting with your pleather!
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