Behind the Scenes - My Workshop

My Workshop in Melrose, Scottish Borders.

Hello everyone,

I find it interesting seeing where people work; the space where the ideas develop; the tools they use and how raw materials are turned into quality products that will last for years.

In this blog I want to share some behind the scenes photos of my small workshop, where all my leather goods are handmade by myself.

My workshop used to be my Dining Room. It started off with just a desk in a corner and now, as you can see, I fill the whole room! It works well for me having the workshop in my home, I am near beautiful walks where I get my inspiration, it's warm in winter and I can still be around for my children. Having my workshop in my home has influenced how I use the space. I like to keep it light and airy and haven't drilled lots of screws into the walls.

Like a lot of makers I would like more space and an area to display my work, but my current workshop works for now.

All my leather goods are made by hand, using traditional methods including hand-stitching and hand-tooling. There is something special about using methods that have been used for hundreds of years.

Using traditional methods of working and vegetable tanned leather (which uses less chemicals than other methods of tanning) is gentler on the environment and makes my carbon footprint smaller. I run my business in a sustainable way as I believe it is important to do our part to look after the environment.

I only have one tool that requires electricity and that’s my burnisher (photo below bottom right). This tool help smooth the edges to protect them and give them a nice finish. I use this tool as it saves my back and elbow, especially when making belts. It takes a lot of elbow grease to get smooth edges!

My workshop is based in Melrose, in the heart of the beautiful Scottish Borders. Visits to my workshop are by appointment only. If you would like to visit my workshop and discuss an order please email me or go to my contact page.

View of the Beautiful Scottish Borders and the Eildons Hills in the background.

Wee note: I will admit my workshop is not always as tidy as this, especially at busy times like leading up to Christmas.

All photos in the blog are taken by Stella Lathangie Photography.