Leather Care Project: Restoration with Stitching Challenge

We are so glad to have joined the cross-stitching bandwagon back in its heyday, but we wouldn't dare announce the exact year.  Those were the days when every project was a true test of patience and perseverance...and it was, in a way therapeutic.

 

Now we leveled up in stitching, as it becomes an important component of some of our restoration efforts at Leather Care Project.  Stitching becomes more tedious with bags, because we have to deal with hard-to-reach areas (like corners and interior lining).  If we are to open existing stitches to make room for repairs, we need to assess the most optimal section to cut - all these steps are being performed with utmost care; with the primary goal of maintaining or reinforcing the sturdiness of the bag, while being especially mindful of its overall aesthetic value (or appearance). 

 

Here are two of our recent projects that mandated high quality hand stitches. 

 

1.  Gucci small denim bag with soft leather trim and handle - this is a 14-year old bag, and it has been a constant favorite of a client among her extensive collection of designer bags.  This is her usual out-to-lunch bag. It must be sturdy enough to hold a phone, coins and bills, keys, power bank, and some beauty must-haves. 

2.  Coach fabric bag with patent leather trim and straps - the 'before' photo says it all.  All strap edges were badly damaged due to a combination of stress (heavy load) and humidity (from storage).  Good thing our client did not give up on this bag, and brought it to us for repair.  It could have ended up in the trash bin.  We do not have to be hardcore environmentalists to at least attempt in helping our clients save their bags (from destruction).  Now we are looking forward to her OOTD photos with this arm candy.  The repair process that we followed is a green one - we did not use any electrical machine to fix the bag, it was all manual process. 

 

For more information, please visit (and share) our Facebook and Instagram accounts @leathercareproject.  Thank you. 

 

Leather Care Project, a Vintage LV, and a Gucci Boston

Gone are the days when I used to bring my bags to handbag spas.  Over time, I felt like I was no longer getting my money's worth, and also the time consumed for a take 2 due to sub-par cleaning.  It prompted me to clean my bags at home, and I've been doing it for a while now.  

I was never in the business of ranting, and not doing anything to understand and solve the issue.  So here is a significant snapshot of my handbag restoration story.  

There was a case when I had to bring my Gucci Boston to bag spas in two countries, and the people I spoke with wanted to know none of it.  That bag is barely four years old, and I sent it to a bag spa 2x a year for cleaning - but there are environmental factors like heat and humidity that seem to shorten the 'life' of my bag.  The stains in the (interior) lining were never addressed by any of the shops I sent it to.  The coated canvas started to peel - and no one would offer me a clear solution. I started to do some research on cleaning and restoration, specifically for Gucci Boston coated canvas with fabric lining and soft leather trims.  I can probably restore it myself.  

I started buying reputable leather care products as starter.  Most of the first batch of supplies I bought were from Europe.  I tested the products on several  bags and shoes from my closet, aided by application techniques that I learned through understanding the structure of my shoes and bags.  My experiments worked nicely.  Family and friends were pleased with the results.  Then I thought, why not offer it as a service?  If I am to do it professionally, I have to make sure that I offer only the best.  So I went ahead to obtain a professional certification for handbag and shoes restoration.  The quality of cleaning and restoration that I do require some artistic ability and creativity (resourcefulness), that's why I treat every bag as a project.  I've started accepting bags and shoes for cleaning and restoration.  As expected, my first customers are family and friends. 😊

Here is another batch from days of restoration effort.  These are my outputs from a couple of days spent outside of my usual corporate concrete jungle environment.  

❤  The toughest so far is restoring a (very) vintage Louis Vuitton purse WITHOUT a single drop of leather paint.  Every step was rendered manually. No shortcuts.  

Before:  Old and weak cowhide leather, scuff marks, loose stitches in some areas, dull and dirty canvas, tarnished hardware, smelly interior

After:  Reinforced cowhide leather with rich honey patina color,  no visible scuff marks, fine stitches, clean canvas, shiny hardware, clean and disinfected interior 

Note:  

1.  Painting a piece of cowhide leather is easy to do, but it makes sensitive cowhide highly susceptible to cracks.

2.  The first output showed a very light patina, but I chose to buff the cowhide to achieve a rich honey patina for a more vintage look. 

❤❤ I was also able to clean the fabric lining of my Gucci Boston bag without harsh chemicals like chlorine.  

Before:  Stained fabric lining - trips to handbag spas did not make these stains disappear.  They would just tell me 'best effort only'.  

After:  Clean fabric lining, a reshaped Boston bag form, reshaped pockets with starch-like hold.