Shortening sleeves of leather jacket

[BrendaP]

I have agreed to have a go at shortening the sleeves of a leather jacket for a friend.

After closely inspecting the lining I could find nowhere that appers to heve been closed from the outside so I can only think that the separating zip at the front would have been the final closure.  Skilled seamstress.

So I've decided to tackle it from the outside.  I've undone the seams around the end of teh sleeve and marked both leather and lining with a cutting line 2.5 inches (the required amount of shortening) from the cut edge.  I theory once cut it will only be a case of hand stitching the lining to the sleeve and turning the sleeve under.  The original had the usual pleat at the end of the lining so it shouldn't be that critical.  I'm planning to run line of machine 'stitching' without any thread along the stitching line so that I have somewhere to put the needle

However the leather inside has been stabilised with what looks like an iron-on interfacing.  Can I iron the back of leather in order to stabilise again?

[Ellabella]

I often iron leather, I use gentle steam, think pressing cloth and a silicon iron shoe.

Can you try on the bit you cut off?

I had a massive fail when I tried to use decovil light on some lightweight leather but I would think something thinner would be ok.

[BrendaP]

Thank you.

Somewhere I have one of those mini irons - made byClover? - with a sole plate smaller than a postage stamp so I'll dig that out and use a strip of regular iron on vilene.  It's on the seam allowance and up to where the sleeve end folds back on itself so I think I should use it.