Intense sensory deprivation hood

After the not-so happy ending with my last hood project I decided to make another version of the same model hood using some leather I got a while ago. It is a thick, soft leather with a highly-polished surface. Not quite a patent leather, but with a great shine and a pliable feel. I thought it would make an incredible-looking and super intense-feeling hood.



I don't know if you can tell from the picture below, but this leather has a bit of stiffness to it, but still feels soft - hard to convey online, I know. When it comes to making hoods - especially one like this where the goal is sensory-deprivation, the thicker the leather, the more intense the isolation for the wearer. The problem I find is when the leather gets too heavy, it doesn't give - so you end up with an uncomfortable hood that can't be worn very long. Also, the heavy leather isn't usually as stretchy, so you don't have that "conform-to-the-face" feeling that a thinner leather might give. This leather will offer the best of both worlds.


I covered the making of in the last few posts, so I won't go over every detail here, but you can see the side panel clipped together for sewing below:
Here's after sewing. Can you see how much the leather is trying to hold it's shape?
Here is another picture with the seams flattened:
I decided to go ahead with the internal ear pads, just to ensure the "complete enclosure" aspect of the hood. Even without, this would be an intense hood to experience.

Here's an image of the outside after the ear pad is sewn in. I love the way it popped out the shape of the pad.

And now I'll skip ahead to the finished product. I ended up putting in nose grommets only, and the rear lacing is the smallest size grommet I have (the 00 from Osbourne) - all in black for a real sleek look. I am really happy with the way it turned out, and even better: no bonus holes! Yeah!









When I first started making leather gear many years ago, it was because I couldn't find things that fit or were well made or that I could afford. I must say at the time I had no idea how far I would come and am so happy to be able to make dream gear like this. I hope that my sharing of tips and techniques online will help others to make things of their dreams as well.