Leatherwork: 25 Practical Ideas for Hand-Crafted Leather Projects

by Mary Maguire

This book offers a unique collection of 25 projects aimed at all levels of skill, from the novice to the experienced. Illustrated with stunningly beautiful color photographs, the book provides a fresh look at a highly traditional craft.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative brief history of leatherwork, 13 photos of contemporary leather work in the "Gallery" section, and a good overview of materials and tools. The section on basic techniques is much too short (3 paragraphs for dyeing, only 2 for describing the back stitch!) as there are a lot of nuances in using the tools that would make leather working easier if they were more fully explained. The plentiful photos are helpful. Many of the projects hardly look durable enough for real use (summer sandals, shopping bag) but the leather satchel actually looks like a professionally made leather case! I guess that means there's something for everyone and at all skill levels. This is a good book to start learning about leatherwork.

[Yvonne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Projects I wouldn’t make. A lot of kid crafts? Not very descriptive steps.

[A. Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacking in basics and many of the projects listed have no practical applications-- there are three different types of shoes and two different cozies (one for eggs and one for a teapot). The instructions at the beginning were basically 'this is a back stitch and this is a saddle stitch go'. Two stars are given for the history and gallery at the front of the book.