Leatherwork with Doe Handcrafted

by Cameron

 Have you ever wondered how to work with leather? To be truthful, I had never thought about it much. It seemed like leather required too many specific tools and very strong hands and an interest in old fashioned  hobbies like pipe smoking and knot tying and whittling. I felt like I had missed my chance to understand leather right around the same time I decided that I didn't need to really understand electricity or the tax code. 

Despite my apathetic attitude, a couple of weeks ago I took a class with my dear friend Hannah, who many of you may remember from her time at Bolt. My mind was totally changed about leather! She's a patient teacher who made leather accessible and she really knows her stuff.

We made a beautiful large envelope clutch. It's a good project for beginners because it's simple but covers many basics. We cut the leather, installed hardware, and hand stitched the seams. After finishing, not only was I totally in love with my elegant purse, but I also felt like I had enough knowledge to work on simple  projects of my own devising.

It turns out that leather is not as mysterious as I had imagined. In reality, it's straightforward and very satisfying. I was right, however, about leatherwork requiring strong hands and at least a few specific tools but nearly as many as you might imagine.

Hannah will be teaching more classes soon, so keep your eyes on her Instagram and website. She held this class at Good Hand Studios beautiful, light filled space, and she offers classes in different spaces around town.  I can't recommend her classes enough! I had a wonderful time with a group of funny and kind makers, and I can't wait to dive further into leatherwork.