What to do with pleather bjd clothes...

I have successfully resurfaces old pleather a few times and I have a secret weapon. I am thinking about making a tutorial with photos to show the process if anyone is interested. but here is the breakdown.

1st step. Remove the peeling strips. I then brush the entire surface with a stiff bristle brush or sanding sponge to remove the powdery adhesive that is breaking down. make sure to get in the seamlines and behind straps and buckles.

2nd step. the second step is to coat each panel with Liquid Stitch Original fabric glue and let dry. (this fabric glue is waterproof and flexible once dry and will not be affected by humidity) you might have to do this in stages as it is stll a bit tacky and sections can stick together.... yeah big headache! lol. then apply a second coat of glue and stipple it with your finger to give an organic texture and remove brush lines. this will give a more leather look.

3rd step. if the backing material is not the color you need then paint the sections with a good flexible acrylic paint. 2 very thin coats with a stippling application. you can even do metallic or pearlescent colors. if you need a bright color and your fabric is dark do a coat of white first, then your color. let dry completely 24 to 48 hours.

4th step. don't skip this step since the item will be in contact with dolls. coat the panels with a clear Matte or Satin acrylic varnish, again using a stippling application. this will give a nonsticky surface and a clear outer layer to protect the dolls from paint. allow to dry for at least 5 days before dressing the doll.

 

I have a pair of used shoes that condition is awful, it is flaking but in very tiny pieces, and few areas doesn't have pleather anymore. I want to remove the rest of the plastic and use drawing ink or gall ink to dye the fabric. Mostly for effect of well worn garment and to reduce buying new products for one time use. Anyone has experience with dyeing by inks?

 

I have a full-set Arvid with the western style outfit.
The last time I dressed him, the pants just fell apart.

Anyone else have that issue? I might try to use it to
make a pattern and use different fabric for pants.

 

In time and humdity, Pleather dissolves. Using them to pattern a new outfit is clever of you. Then you know it will fit.

 

To quote Nerdy Jackie...

"In the Trash!!!"

 

Yeah... Pleather that has small spots deteriorating can be touched up a little with Angelus Leather and Vinyl Paints. They have a ton of colors or you can mix them to match.

 

I have the problem of an unevenly aged pleather fullset. My Isao Nanjo's jacket, pants and most of his belts are doing pretty damn good for being 19 years old, but his waist belt and shoes fell to pieces.
Guess I'll just try and salvage the belt buckle and find an approximate shoe replacement...

 

Yup. Pleather falls apart. It dries out and flakes.

I hate that.

 

Ugh, I was a cosplayer before I got into BJD’s and pleather is just a nightmare.

I haven’t yet gotten into doll shoes, but I’m curious…aside from pleather and leather, is there any other material they’re typically made of? I’m glad I haven’t gotten any shoes yet because I didn’t even consider this.

 

A cautionary tale: I left my old doll clothes in a box together for 10 years. Without ever being touched or moved, the pleather peeled everywhere and got all over the other doll clothes and ruined them. Pleather pieces are all over my doll stuff and a piece got on one of my dolls and left a smudged their faceup . So needless to say I'm avoiding those pleather outfits like the plague nowadays.

 

This is something I recently learned. One outfit (Heseijinyao) completely fell apart and was unsalvageable, one outfit partially fell apart but the main pieces are still okay (Dollheart) and one pair of boots is near death but I keep trying to make work (also Dollheart). Surprisingly the two Soom pants and boots I have are still fine, as are the Volks coat and boots. The Iplehouse coat is also fine, although a pair of Kon'd shoes are partially falling apart.

NGL I'm peeved that I didn't know this about pleather. Oh well, at least I know now and know to avoid it, or at least not to spend a lot of money on outfits with pleather, since they won't last.

 

This won't help with pleather falling apart, but if you want the look in clothes, black lame looks a lot like leather. Just be sure to test it for colorfastness. I had to soak mine in vinegar and salt to set the dye.

I had an old pleather coat of my own that I was thinking of taking apart to repurpose for my dolls, but when I took it out of the closet, I found a sticky mess glued to the other two coats on either side of it. I really don't like pleather.

 

I have this problem with shoes. What I do once the shoe is extremely peeled is go ahead and peel off the rest of it, leaving behind the canvas under it.
Trace the shape of the shoe with paper or using tape, and once again reupholster them, usually with thicker pleather.
After glueing, sewing what you need to. Is it worth it for another few years? No. But it keeps my mind off those dang doll shoes.