2 Day Deep Dive 1-on-1 Beginners Course in Leathercraft
Description
In this intensive 2 day deep dive course, I introduce the following skills, provide you with plenty of practice, and then tackle 2 projects (1 per day) that apply these skills. These skills would be the following: - Everything involved in producing beautiful saddle-stitching (marking stitch lines, best use of pricking irons, needle & thread locking, efficient and consistent stitching technique, back stitching, secrets to perfect front & backside angled stitching). - Skiving (thinning) leather edges for minimising compounding edge thickness and producing rolled edges. - Edge finishing techniques (burnishing, edge painting, rolled edges, edge creasing). - Hot foil stamping for branding and monogramming. Don’t worry if these terms are a little confusing to you, I assure you, you will know what it all means after I’m done. We will also cover quite a bit of peripheral information that is highly relevant to leather craft, stuff like leather types, glues used, tool information, etc. Broadly speaking, you would be getting a deep dive into the world of leather craft, and a significant head start on your journey. My aim is to have you confident in your ability to tackle the projects we work on during the course again on your own and also feel like you could try entirely new projects yourself.
What's included in the price?
My 1-on-1 tuition, all materials to practice on, as well as the material for both projects, usage of all required tools, coffee/tea as required.
Duration
2 days
Cancellation policy
Medium - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts
Maker
I started my leather craft journey almost 15 years ago. At the time I was working for a famous luxury retail company. This brand is known mostly for their apparel which was, for the most part, of a very high standard. Their handbags and small leather goods on the other hand were mediocre. Over the years I’ve handled leather goods from pretty much all the well known luxury houses and have found them lacking almost across the board. Materials, craftsmanship and customer experience have all been declining while their prices increase. They promise luxury but deliver only the veneer of it to a clientele who lack discernment. While small and mostly unknown, there does still exist a tradition of leather craft. There are a few different camps in this leather craft world. My particular style follows the French tradition which emphasises precision and fine detail. We’re very much in the minority but our pieces are in high demand. I am entirely self-taught and have spent years honing my craft through a lot of trial and error. I use hand tools almost exclusively, saddle stitching everything by hand. In a past life, I worked as an English teacher abroad for 5 years. I learned a lot about how best to break down complexities of a subject and pass them on to students
Suitable for
- Adults
- Suitable for beginners
- Intermediate level
- Public transport
FAQs
It's quite difficult to find the materials I use in the UK (or even the EU for that matter). As such, I do also sell all the materials and tools myself. I'll get into this at the end of course
I do indeed have the equipment for monogramming. If this is something you would like to have, leave me a note when you make your booking
At the moment, unfortunately not. My studio is not on the ground floor of the building. Wellington House is an old mill building, while it does have a service lift, it is old and frequently out of order. This is not ideal and I am actively looking into other options for a studio that would solve this issue.
There will be a 1 hour break for lunch. I do not provide food however. There is a wonderful Sicilian street food vendor called Marleo in Pollard Yard next to my studio which is amazing
The building my studio is located in (Wellington House) does not, unfortunately, have it's own secure parking. While there is on road parking outside, this is very limited and fills up quickly. There is a pay and display car park a 5 min walk down the road which is more reliable for space availability. Metrolink is probably a better option however. Holt Town is just a 3 min walk from my studio.
