Hey There!
I'm Jen and I've been a maker most of my life, since I learned to sew when I was in elementary school.
I learned woodworking in junior high and took a stained glass class in college (sooo much fun, but not practical when little ones are running around).
While I dabbled in leatherwork as a teenager, I didn't focus on it till I was an adult. I started out making baby shoes for our daughter from thrifted leather jackets and skirts, then moved on to leather bound notebooks, leather totes, and bags made of leather and waxed canvas. I've enjoyed selling them online and in a local shop and am looking at expanding even more this year.
These days, I'm a leatherworking, homeschooling, trail running mama of three who lives out in the country and doesn't have time to run into town to find missing materials for school projects.
After a friend asked me to teach her teenagers leatherworking, I spent a lot of time thinking about how best to do it. I also thought about the confusion I'd had when I started working with leather. Which tools did I need? Which ones weren't needed? What kind of leather is best for which project, and I have to buy how big a piece?
I considered what I wanted in a course for my own teenage daughter, and came up with Leatherwork 101. All the tools, materials, and hardware needed for the course are shipped straight to your door (except for a lighter, since I can't ship those). No hassle, no running to the store or searching online to find stuff and wondering if you're buying the right items.
Detailed video and written tutorials mean you don't have to know anything about leatherworking. You just need to provide appropriate supervision. And maybe an extra hand or some additional muscles if needed (hammering a stitching chisel uses more muscles than you'd think!).
I hope to get to know you and your child while I help them learn a new skill. 😊
~ Jenifer Smith