leather
Combining my passion for craft, quality, and fashion
cardholders
I began taking a leather-making course over the summer after my sophomore year of college. I had been raised by a mom who had put me in arts & crafts camps since I was old enough to walk, so it made sense to continue the tradition. Some of the first pieces I made were cardholders. These were easy to make, were small enough pieces that I could practice technique without ruining a large hide, and extremely cost efficient. I ended up with about 30 of them by the end of the summer, most of which have now been gifted to friends, family, and occasionally the paying customer!
Metallic pig-skin, textured cowhide, nylon | hand-stitched
Vegetable-tanned cowhide, nylon | hand-stitched
structured tote
As I gained more confidence in the work, I took on bigger projects. I patterned and made this tote, which has remained one of my favorite pieces to date.
Oversized clutch with external pocket
My final project, which I designed and patterned that summer, was creating an over-sized clutch that included internal and external pockets, and a zipper (it turns out zippers are a pain).
Vegetable-tanned cowhide, nylon, zipper // hand-stitched
Metallic pig-skin, fashion-hide (lamb), laser-cut, nylon | hand-stitched
Ok, Fine
My senior year of undergrad, I decided to create a series of leather bags. I wanted to play with different shapes, materials, and tools. Each bag has a unique story, if you're curious, I'm happy to share!
Fashion-hide (lamb), deconstructed bracelet | hand-stitched
miniatures
Something else that I am passionate about - proportionately-disproportionate to-scale items. This has been a fascination of mine since I was a young girl (my mom has always said it's because I am a smaller human and I feel less lonely surrounded by tiny things).
Black Cowhide, nylon | hand-stitched
slouch shoulder bag
I wanted a new bag for my last year of school, but also couldn't afford to drop $300+ on a nice leather tote. I decided to make my own bag, and was able to get it exactly how I wanted it for half the cost. The cowhide is soft and durable, the straps are wider than most for better support, and the dimensions fit my belongings perfectly. An element I include on certain pieces is my signature tassel - decorative or functional depending on how it is used.
my process
Personalizing my work is important to me - with the tassel, combining different leathers, or creating a specialized pattern. I take joy in creating something new with leather. While machines can be used to sew and build a leather piece, I choose to do everything by hand, the traditional way. I like the control of placing each hole, the craft of sewing each stitch, and the satisfaction of having completed a piece.
Waxed-nylon thread, chisel, rawhide mallet, X-Acto knife, white pen, leather needles, self-healing mat, fabric scissors, ruler
extras
I have found with leather that I create for the joy of creating. The next pattern, the next texture, the next piece - each piece opens the door to a new idea.
