Leathercraft News

Sevigny Studio PDX’s October exhibit features Monty Mickelson of Pale Rider Leather, whose carved purses, wallets and bags draw on Sheridan-style Western leatherwork. The accompanying profile details his design transfer, swivel-knife outlining, stamping, hand stitching and finishing process.

Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered government authorities to respond to a petition seeking rules for tannery siting, hazardous chemicals, wastewater, waste disposal, emissions and worker safety. The petition proposes locating highly polluting leather facilities at least 2 kilometres from densely populated areas and requires treatment plants at every tannery.

In this project video, Don Gonzales makes a leather machete case designed to attach to a side-by-side’s headache rack. The project can use different leathers, and a companion pattern pack is available in printed and large-format digital versions.

Maker’s Leather Supply’s tutorial covers building a bison leather sling bag with a Hermann Oak tooling patch. It walks through pattern layout, casing and tooling, zipper installation, hardware placement, assembly, and edge finishing.

In this instructional video, Corter Leather makes a leather drawstring bag, discussing leather selection and braided cord choices before demonstrating a French seam using French goat chèvre leather.

Brooklyn Shoe Space in New York will offer a six-day, hands-on workshop from January 4 to 9, 2027, covering custom shoe design, pattern-making, leather cutting and sewing, lasting, soling, and finishing. The course is open to beginners and experienced makers, with group and private formats available from $3,500.

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts will host a hands-on leatherworking workshop on October 24 in Little Rock. Participants will practice pattern-making, cutting, lace trimming, tool and punch safety, and assembly while making a laced leather shoulder bag. Admission is $95, or $78 for museum members.

The 2026 International Federation of Leather Guilds show, hosted by the Illinois Valley Leather Guild in East Peoria, Illinois, features hands-on classes with instructors from across the United States, a leathercraft competition, public showroom, awards banquet and swap meet.

The Paper + Craft Pantry in Austin, Texas, will host a three-hour leather bookbinding workshop led by Chelsea Ward of Sketchy Notions. Participants will stitch a leather sketchbook cover, bind mixed-paper inserts, and receive templates, materials, and bookbinding tools; the listing says three tickets remain.

Samuel Schwindt’s exhibition at Moraine Valley Community College’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery examines leather’s links to pleasure, power, sexuality and the meat industry. The free exhibition runs through Dec. 13 in Palos Hills, Illinois, with an artist reception scheduled for Oct. 29.

The platform lets tanneries model recipes operation by operation and compare carbon and water footprints, costs, process performance and leather quality before production changes. Users can vary water, temperature, chemical dosage and processing times, then download results as spreadsheet reports.

IHEA’s two-day Beginning Leatherwork class will guide students through making a pouch, including using a pattern, carving, sewing, stitching and tool handling. Materials and tools are provided, and students will receive an instruction manual and follow-up project instructions.

Weaver Leather Supply will hold a two-hour, in-store class on October 15 in Millersburg, Ohio, focused on edging and sanding leather, burnishing, and using paints, dyes, Edge Kote and other finishing agents. Students will practice the techniques by making a small leather wallet. Entry is $45 per student.

The Los Angeles hackerspace will offer a beginner leatherworking class covering leather types, pattern use and basic tools. Participants will make a small pouch, with all tools and materials supplied; the class will be taught by Cindy and Jo of C & J Goods L.A.

In a new video, Corter Leather demonstrates what it describes as an easy way to give leather edges a glossy shine.

Corter Leather’s video documents making a journal cover from pink vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett & Craig, covering cutting, saddle stitching, burnishing and hardware setting. The description also links to the project’s tools, materials and pattern.

Weaver Leather’s Chuck Dorsett demonstrates how to measure for a spring purse frame, position its hinges and install it in a leather clutch. The tutorial also covers choosing the appropriate rivet and peening the assembly.

The two-hour workshop takes place Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at MakeHaven in New Haven, Connecticut. Instructor Meredith Clark will cover leather preparation, marbling-medium mixing, color transfer, sealing, edge beveling and burnishing, and hardware installation. Materials and equipment are provided, and finished pieces will be available for pickup on Monday after the class.