Sew Luxe Leather

Upscale elegance is always in fashion. UK-based designer Gethin provides more than 20 patterns—the exact number depends on how to count the options offered for cuffs, earphone holders, and other projects—for leather accessories that will fit into almost any style: haute hippie, modern, classic, or otherwise. The objectives themselves have been parsed to the simplest of components: a one-piece glasses case, a three-part envelope clutch, a bold cuff with one Sam Browne stud. All are ordered by level of difficulty, easiest to most complex, and include tools, materials, and numbered directions, with accompanying color photographs. Of particular appeal is an upcycled tote, salvaged from an old leather jacket. Those new to the craft will get lessons up front (all about leather) and, in the back, details about 10-plus techniques along with 7 pages of templates. An easy-to-make-it-a-habit kind of craft. – Barbara Jacobs * Booklist *

Rosanna Gethin sells her own range of leather jewellery and accessories as well as running workshops for leather crafts from her studio and various venues in the UK. She has a Masters in Textile Design, and started working with leather due to her love of upcycling and repurposing. Her designs have a very contemporary feel: many of them feature geometric shapes and patterns as well as pops of brightly coloured and metallic leather alongside the classic neutrals. She has a decade of teaching experience and has built up an extensive range of skills, which she passes on at her workshops.