Elizabeth Bond Leather Making Tutor

I didn’t intend to work with leather when I changed career nearly 20 years ago. My intention was to move into the field of high-end embroidery after completing a three-year apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework. I finished the apprenticeship, trained as a teacher, and found myself wondering what my next challenge would be.

I signed up for a belt-making course out of interest and the tutor showed me how to hand-stitch leather. That was it for me. My leather-working journey had begun. More training and belts led to bags, accessories, shoes, and gloves. I was hooked. Recently, I’ve been exploring digital printing on leather too. I enjoy the discipline of working with leather using traditional techniques and exploring the variety of ways leather can be used (with a few modern twists). My own practice involves a combination of teaching, design, and bespoke work. I love sharing my knowledge and teaching students how to work with this wonderful material.