The start of my Leather craft journey

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”
― B.B. King

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As I have said in previous blogs and social media posts, when I originally began working with leather it was purely to have ‘accents of leather’ incorporated into my existing bags designs.
 
Then I attended my first hand stitched leather course with Katherine Pogson!
 
I was introduced to saddle stitching and some of the basic leather tools and techniques.. My face when I discovered there was a tool for cutting straps and how to burnish edges, was an absolute picture! There was me trying to cut straight straps with a ruler “Pah - You know nothing...!”
 
By the end of 2016 I had taken 3 courses with Katherine at City Lit and was regularly practising what I had learnt in my studio with a small selection of tools I had purchased.

Second bag and first of many hand injuries!

​Luckily for me, there are other Leather craft designer-makers based in my studio building. Back then, Candice Lau was just across the corridor from me and was so generous with her knowledge, tools and with scrap leather I could play with. Mark Tallowin was on the ground floor and also, very generous with his knowledge and tools and the loan of a fantastic resource “The Leatherworking Handbook” By Valerie Michael which had been recommended to me by others as well.

My starter Leather craft tool kit

Sidebar.. while all of this leather-learning was taking place, I was also revisiting Bespoke Tailoring techniques with a colleague. Basically, I was cheating on Tailoring with Leather! Leather craft had me completely hooked – sorry Tailoring!
 
...and yes there will be a lot more post about my Leather Craft journey. The learning will never end!!!
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You can see how my leather craft journey has progressed in my Instagram posts.  Click HERE.

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Leather Craft courses taught by Candice Lau and Katherine Pogson.
http://studiocandicelau.com/workshops/
https://www.designercourses.com/