The Maker

The Maker

I started leatherworking in 2021 out of a desire to make custom tack for my horses. I have always loved leather - the smell and feel always take me back to the saddle in my mind; no matter if it is a rich leather couch or well worn jacket or an actual piece of tack!

Leather is sustainable - no cow is slaughtered for its leather, and leather products can last multiple lifetimes if it is cared for properly. I feel strongly about using natural products like leather over plastics as well as not contributing to the "fast fashion" waste of our era.

I live in an old house (c. 1840's) with an old barn (early 1900's) and love the authentic charm that old materials offers. I often use reclaimed wood for various projects like picture frames and cutting boards, and we utilized barn wood when we rebuilt our deck on our house.

In the same theme, I started making handbags out of old saddles that were no longer useful for riding - either due to a broken tree or other damage - and my favorite way to use them is by adding high quality new leather alongside the old. This method breathes new life into the old leather and strengthens the bag for added longevity.

The Process

Every bag I make is completely handmade. I select saddles, hides, and parts of hides based on the character I am looking for in the finished product - sometimes I want it to be clean and "perfect", other times I want to showcase the items natural flaws or well-loved patina. I then design the piece from scratch: for some bags I use a pattern repeatedly that I love, making only minor adjustments. For other designs, I work around the leather that I have - this is often the case with the saddle purses, as every saddle is different so each bag is slightly different. I cut out each piece by hand in my workshop, bevel and burnish edges, punch holes, and then finally hand stitch the entire piece using the saddle stitch. The end result is a piece of art that you can use every day for the next 20+ years.