Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: leather craft

Put a Cog In It

It's been a long, long time since I have made anything. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever craft again. I really missed making things but I didn't have a reason to – there was nothing in particular that I really needed or wanted. And I have to admit, I've fallen into the habit of buying things at the shops in recent times because I've been time poor. It always seems like a good idea but I end up feeling a little empty when all I am doing is consuming.

All it took to break my crafting drought was to spend time with creative, crafty people. Being surrounded by materials and handmade objects got my imagination going and before long I was asking my friend if I could use some of this leather to make a wrist cuff. It was so good to be working with leather again. Designing a pattern and using graph paper for the first time to make it symmetrical was awesome. Although the advice I had was that once the pattern was transferred to paper and cut out, it would no longer be perfect. And it was true! But I love the finished piece anyway.

Part of the reason I chose to make this particular piece was that it looked super simple – no sewing! Like most things, looks can be deceiving and although this project was relatively straight forward, it did take up more time than I anticipated. Partly because I embellished the original simple design by adding a line all around the edges.

I also decided to stamp some designs on the leather so we headed into the nearby town of Deloraine to find some antique clock pieces. I've had a thing for those steampunk gears for years and had a hankering to add them on to this project. My original idea was to heat the cogs and then place them on the leather to brand it. Apparently this can be super tricky so my friend's mum suggested I wet the leather and stamp it instead. It was a great idea and I am super happy with how it turned out.

Once the cuff was scribed, stamped and all the edges bevelled, it was time to dye the leather. Another first for me – I usually leave my pieces raw and let time leave it's mark on the surface of the project. Finally, I conditioned the leather wth a beeswax polish so it wouldn't dry out my skin when I wear it.

I shouldn't stress about not crafting but I do. I always forget that there are times of rest followed by times of action. The lesson here is to trust in the process. In the moment. In where you are and what you need. And sometimes, what you need is to be with other people who are doing the things your soul is longing to do. At least that's how I feel about it!

May 3, 2023
The Travelling Bookshop

When I was making and selling organic perfumes at markets around Melbourne, I longed for a super contained set-up that would be easy to set up and pack down. Having to lug around a heavy table, chair, products, props and all the other necessary paraphernalia is exhausting. It's also disheartening as you create a fabulous stall and then have to take it down again at the end of each day.

I dreamt of being able to pack everything into a single suitcase that I could open up and start selling from. Being me, the suitcase has to be vintage of course! So when I heard I was being featured at Girls on Key in Northcote, I decided to make this dream a reality!

I scored this vintage leather suitcase at Camberwell Market (Melbourne's best flea market) for the bargain price of $5 because it was so battered and beaten up. The stitching around the edges was coming undone, paper was peeling from the interior and one of the the leather hinges propping open the lid was broken. I figured that with my leather working skills I could restore it to some of its former glory. And hello, $5? Once I got it home, however, I got a daunted by the enormity of the task and shoved it on top of a cupboard for a while. My two cats loved the suitcase and started siting on it, bowing the lid so I had to move it somewhere else!

I forgot to take before photos of the suitcase – I've almost finished restoring it in this photo. I really must remember to do that – take before and after shots. It's so easy to forget how much work you've done. If I had a before shot, I would have been able to track my process and get more of a sense of satisfaction as I went along.

The first thing I did was to repair the seams. Years of use had worn away the thread on the top, bottom and edges of the suitcase. Stitching the seams of the suitcase was especially tricky as the leather is so old and fragile that in some places the new stitches would tear right through the leather or it would crumble as I tried to insert the needle. I used PVA glue to stick the leather back on to the suitcase and linen thread from my stash to sew the seams. I definitely got better at it as I went.

The next thing I had to do was to bust out the rivets that were holding the broken lid straps in place. This step almost broke me and I put it in the too-hard basket for ages. After all my hard work of painstakingly stitching the seams back together, I was terrified of messing it up. I bought some tools online that turned out to not be quite the right thing then got some pliers from Bunnings to chop off the head of the rivets only to find I already had a pair in the toolbox at home! After the rivets came off, I repaired the broken straps by stitching new pieces of leather on to the ends.

Note to self: always remember to check what you already have before going out and buying new stuff!

Once that was done, I used some stiff brown paper that a package had been wrapped in to line the inside of the box and cover up the original peeling paper. I cut it all down to size and used PVA glue again to stick it on. I bought a series of little clamps to hold the paper in place while the glue was drying with scraps of leather under the ends of the clamps to stop them damaging the suitcase. I let each section dry for 24 hours before moving on to the next one.

The final step was to attach new rivets to the leather straps and hope that my measurements were right and the lid would stay open.

As I was working on bringing this suitcase back to life I imagined what it would have been like to have the skills to make it in the first place. I pictured a workshop in the 1930s filled with tools, cardboard, leather and fastenings. I could almost smell the leather and hear the sounds of a busy workshop filled with people making suitcases. I would love to be able to make something like this from scratch.

The things we make are precious. We need to treat them with respect and take care of them because the resources on our planet are finite. The amount of waste we create breaks my heart. Instead of throwing things out, we should be repairing them and breathing new life into them. And if we can't repair them, salvage what ew can from them. Cut off the old buttons from a shirt and use the fabric for rags. You know, all that thrifty stuff our nanas used to do because they couldn't just order a new one online.

This project was my first ever restoration job and it really tested my ingenuity and skills. I had to keep reminding myself that I only paid $5 for the suitcase and that if I messed it up it wouldn't be big deal. Except of course I knew it would be because of the time and love I had already invested in it. In bringing it back to life, I became attached to it and couldn't imagine throwing it out or failing. It was the thought of having to throw it out that kept me going.

Imagine a world where we all repaired the things that were broken (including ourselves) instead of throwing them away.

July 28, 2021
Leather Journal

When I make things, they need to have a purpose. I might want a leather pouch to store an almanack for example. Or else I get consumed with the desire to possess something beautiful and feel compelled to make it myself.

The latter was the case with this beautiful hand bound journal. My friend Kate came over to visit recently and she was sewing a journal to use at Uni. I fell in love immediately. The veg tanned cow hide was beautiful as was the stitch on the spine binding the pages to the cover. I was filled with must make!

Luckily for me Kate was happy to barter some leather for an avocado button I had made. You can turn avocado pips into pendants, buttons and earrings with a small knife and a bit of imagination.

When I first started making the journal I got very excited. I was having so much fun and it was so easy. I'd already ear marked money from next pay to buy some leather and was trying to figure out which paper would be the best to use for the pages. Not too heavy and not too light. Something with texture and durability. I imagines making lots of journals and selling them.

And then it took longer than I anticipated. And it got trickier that I first thought. And after that I decided maybe one was enough after all 🙂

April 7, 2020
Sew Slow

I've been spending a lot of time lately creating in the digital space using my thoughts and ideas. If I'm honest I have to admit I'm a bit burnt out. There's only so much staring at a screen (no matter how creative I'm being) I can tolerate before my brain starts to turn to mush.

In the last couple of weeks I've been making a tentative return to hand crafts. It's a strange process. Because it's been so long since I've made anything I feel a bit like a rusty old motor that's finding it hard to kick over. Sure I can produce a spark but getting the engine to rev and catch hold has been more challenging. At first I was feeling frustrated with myself for not being able to dive straight back in. Now that I've realised what's happening I can be easier with myself and take it slowly.

The wonderful things with craft is you can take it with you wherever you go. I did just that with this leather pouch I'm hand sewing. I have a thing for bags and pouches. Especially custom made ones with hidden inner pockets. I'm making this pouch to store copies of the Pocktery Almanack. Next up is a pouch to store my leather tools so I can take them anywhere I need to go. An awl, overstitch wheel, divider, ruler, needle, thread and scissors are all in my basic kit.

What are you making?

March 27, 2020
A Few Of My Favourite Things

I thought I'd pop on the other side of the camera for a change and say "Hi! How are you doing?" I really hope you are well as we dive into the darkest, coldest part of the year.

It's time for me to slow down and reflect on my journey so far. I find it so easy to look forward to the next project, the next creation, the next challenge. I rarely look behind and take the time to say, "Wow! Look at all the amazing things I have done, the places I have been and the people I have met." In this post I'm going to share some of my favourite things with you; most of them I have made myself.

In the first photo I'm wearing a cardigan made for me by my wonderful friend, Catriona the crochet queen. Trina does incredible things with wool and a crochet hook. I'm in awe of her talents. And very warm when wearing one of her handmade pieces! I'm also wearing a pendant I carved from bone during a bone carving workshop held here in Melbourne a couple of years ago. The bone is from a cow and was prepared by the teacher prior to the class. Using bone as a material fits with my ethos of using the whole of an animal we have killed to eat and wasting none of its precious gift.

The green bag you can see in the second photo is from The Village Continuum festival where I have taught shoe making and Introduction to Leather Craft to lots of lovely folk. I got the bag the year I was part of the crew organising the festival and it was a wonderful experience to be co-creating such an amazing event. The bag holds some of my favourite pieces.

Peeping out of the bag on the right are a pair of orange leather shoes. I was inspired to make them after teaching shoe making and seeing the amazing designs created by my students, They're a little scuffed and worn but I love them just them the same. They are my favourite pair of soft soled moccasins. When I wear them my feet feel so loved and held.

Next to the shoes is a wool scarf I dyed at the very first Wild By Nature Village Camp run by Firekeepers. It was my first time teaching eco-dyeing to a large group of people and the first time I dyed wool on an open fire. Lots of firsts! There's been a lot of scarves since then (you can never have too many scarves, right?) but this one is still my favourite!

The basket at the back of the bag is made from raffia given to me by Meli, a very dear friend. Learning a new craft is always a wonderful experience and basket weaving is the most recent addition to my craft skill set.

All these handmade items are wrapped up with memories, song, laughter and love. It's wonderful to have things to wear and use that I have made with other people. Using them connects me to my past, the people I shared it with and the place where we made beautiful and useful objects together.

The third photo is a tiny Australian wildflower. I love the way our native flowers are unobtrusive. To see them you really have to look closely or you will miss them. Like a lot of beauty in life – sit still and look and you will see.

I hope you're well and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my musings on the creative process. Thanks for joining me on my adventures!

June 18, 2018
A Few Of My Favourite Things

I thought I'd pop on the other side of the camera for a change and say "Hi! How are you doing?" I really hope you are well as we dive into the darkest, coldest part of the year.

It's time for me to slow down and reflect on my journey so far. I find it so easy to look forward to the next project, the next creation, the next challenge. I rarely look behind and take the time to say, "Wow! Look at all the amazing things I have done, the places I have been and the people I have met." In this post I'm going to share some of my favourite things with you; most of them I have made myself.

In the first photo I'm wearing a cardigan made for me by my wonderful friend, Catriona the crochet queen. Trina does incredible things with wool and a crochet hook. I'm in awe of her talents. And very warm when wearing one of her handmade pieces! I'm also wearing a pendant I carved from bone during a bone carving workshop held here in Melbourne a couple of years ago. The bone is from a cow and was prepared by the teacher prior to the class. Using bone as a material fits with my ethos of using the whole of an animal we have killed to eat and wasting none of its precious gift.

The green bag you can see in the second photo is from The Village Continuum festival where I have taught shoe making and Introduction to Leather Craft to lots of lovely folk. I got the bag the year I was part of the crew organising the festival and it was a wonderful experience to be co-creating such an amazing event. The bag holds some of my favourite pieces.

Peeping out of the bag on the right are a pair of orange leather shoes. I was inspired to make them after teaching shoe making and seeing the amazing designs created by my students, They're a little scuffed and worn but I love them just them the same. They are my favourite pair of soft soled moccasins. When I wear them my feet feel so loved and held.

Next to the shoes is a wool scarf I dyed at the very first Wild By Nature Village Camp run by Firekeepers. It was my first time teaching eco-dyeing to a large group of people and the first time I dyed wool on an open fire. Lots of firsts! There's been a lot of scarves since then (you can never have too many scarves, right?) but this one is still my favourite!

The basket at the back of the bag is made from raffia given to me by Meli, a very dear friend. Learning a new craft is always a wonderful experience and basket weaving is the most recent addition to my craft skill set.

All these handmade items are wrapped up with memories, song, laughter and love. It's wonderful to have things to wear and use that I have made with other people. Using them connects me to my past, the people I shared it with and the place where we made beautiful and useful objects together.

The third photo is a tiny Australian wildflower. I love the way our native flowers are unobtrusive. To see them you really have to look closely or you will miss them. Like a lot of beauty in life – sit still and look and you will see.

I hope you're well and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my musings on the creative process. Thanks for joining me on my adventures!

June 18, 2018
Leather Craft

A couple of weekends ago I was back at the Village Continuum Festival, teaching a lovely and keen group of people the basics of leather craft. It's my third year of teaching at the festival and the second time I've run the Introduction to Leather Craft workshop. At my first Village Continuum Festival I taught a two day shoe making workshop.

It was lovely to be running the same workshop again – I felt as if I had a much better idea of what I was doing, how I wanted to run the workshop and what I wanted to teach. Of course the things I was teaching aren't necessarily the same as the things that the people in the class wanted or needed to learn from me. Sometimes a chance remark can spark a huge realisation and we don't even know.

I love seeing people mastering a new skill. Megan from Canberra didn't have any sewing or crafting experience before the workshop. She chose to do the most difficult stitch and she nailed it. It was a good lesson for me in letting people do what they want to do without too much emphasis on how hard it is – sometimes if we don't know something is meant to be difficult we do it without any trouble at all!

As usual, all the finished pouches were gorgeous and reflected the unique personalities of their owners. My favourite part of any workshop is seeing what people come up with using the same basic raw materials. There's always such a variety in the finished product even though everyone started with the same two pieces of kangaroo skin leather.

We even had some cross crafting going on again with the calendula balm made by Sue in the Herbalism workshop being used to oil some of the pouches. Other pouches were burnished or waxed and some were left natural. Over time the oils from their owner's fingers will darken the leather.

Thanks to all the lovely people who came to the workshop. It was such a joy to be working with you all!

November 16, 2017
Sharing Passions

A couple of weeks ago I packed up my leather scraps and tools and took them to a friend’s house for an afternoon of craft. She had expressed an interest in learning leather craft and I was more than happy to spend the afternoon in her gorgeous garden, crafting together.

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and after munching on dips and fresh fruit we headed out into the garden and the big old picnic table. I love this old, weathered table with patches of lichen and signs of years of use from a loving family. The stories that this table could tell! Now it has a story of mamas and children learning to craft together.

I had expected that we mamas would craft together while the children played in the huge garden filled with tree house, veggie patch, bee hives and bell tent. But no, they wanted to be with us, gathered around the table, playing with leather. And of course everyone wanted their very own leather pouch!

The littlest crafter was just three years old and he had a great time cutting up scraps of leather with a pair of scissors. His big sister wanted to be part of everything and using all the tools, even the sharp awls for punching holes. My oldest girl was keen to trace patterns on the leather and cut out her pieces. She’s done leather craft in the past and has a fair idea of what to do. My youngest girl was more interested in playing but was happy to sit with the group and watch while we made our pouches.

Eventually the children ran off, their need for craft satisfied while we mamas sat in the sunshine, sewing, chatting and drinking cups of tea. The peacefulness of quiet hand work with the shouts of children playing in the distance filled my soul right up. The chance to share a passion with someone I know was wonderful. I love to craft and create and it’s even better when I get to do it with good friends. Having the kids pop in and out as well was an unexpected bonus. Get ’em while they’re young I say!

Now that’s what I call a perfect afternoon – crafting outdoors with friends and children.

May 1, 2017
Crafting Lessons Learnt At The Village Continuum

{Basket woven by my ten year old daughter, at The Village Continuum festival.}

We're wired to create. It's in our DNA. I just know it. It's why there are cities and spoons, buildings and blankets, stained glass window and shoes. We just can't help ourselves, we make. The Village Continuum festival was maker's paradise for me with so many amazing traditional craft workshops on offer. If you didn't make it this year and you love craft, you should seriously think about going next year.

{Stringy bark rope made in Josh's workshop and dyed in Heather's natural dye pot. L: eucalyptus R:onion skin with iron mordant}

{Dye pots simmering over the open fire. Onion, eucalyptus and cherry ballart.}

Cross Crafting

One of the really exciting things about the Village Continuum festival was the cross crafting that occurred. There was a steady stream of people going from the rope making workshop across to the fire and the natural dye pots to make their stringy bark rope colourful. Shoes and leg warmers from the felting workshop went into the dye pots too. We even had one facilitator who was chucking whatever she could find into the dye pots- old thermals, socks and bags that needed livening up.

There was also butter made in one of the workshops served the next morning at breakfast time.

{Top: Max's wallet. Bottom: the workshop template}

Creativity

When you put a bunch of people together, show them some skills and give them the tools and materials they need, amazing things can happen. In my leather craft workshop at the Village Continuum, nine year old Max took the card and note wallet prototype and flipped it on its head. He took the middle piece of leather, attached it to the top and turned the whole thing into a little pouch. I love it! Especially the button detail with the loop (the button has been sewn on backwards as well!).

This little pouch tells you everything you need to know about creativity. Age doesn't matter – young kids and old people can do it. Step outside the box (or in this case the pattern). Turn things over. Go backwards. Do it your way. Make it what you want. Be different. You are unique. You can do it.

{Basket weavers weaving their baskets}

Collaborative Crafting

I think there's nothing better than crafting with a bunch of other people. It's why I love doing craft workshops and attending awesome festivals. You get to chat, learn and be inspired. You get to swap stories, talk about your loves and for just a little while feel connected to each other as you share your stories, hopes and dreams. It's amazing how people open up when their hands are busy doing something else.

Sitting together in a workshop chatting as we carve, sew, cook, learn and teach fills my soul right up. I learn as much from the other students as the teachers when I do a workshop and the Village Continuum was no exception. When I was doing the Coal Burn Spoon making workshop, one of the other students, Art, taught me so much about branch wood and choosing a good piece.

{Speedy running an impromptu razor sharpening demo}

Spontaneous Crafting

You just couldn't stop the passionate folks at the Village Continuum from sharing their skills and knowledge with each other. This is Speedy teaching an impromptu razor sharpening workshop during the festival. Speedy is a goldmine of traditional craft knowledge and can turn his hand to just abut anything. From blacksmithing to cheese making, he's done it.

Festivals like The Village Continuum are so important for slowing down and bringing together creative people who are happy to share their skills and knowledge. It was an honour and a privilege to be part of creating something so beautiful. If I had my way, I'd be gong to a festival like this every weekend!

December 2, 2016
I’m Still Here!

Hello? … Hello!

Oh good. You’re still there. And I’m still here! Although it may have looked like I was doing a disappearing act, I’m still here at the other end of this keyboard. Being part of the crew organising the Village Continuum festival was huge and it kind of took over my whole life. Actually, it did take over my whole life! All my keyboard time was spent working on the festival.

While there was still some crafting going on (there’s always some crafting going on!), I didn’t have any spare time to share it here. I know, terrible isn’t it? No time to write and share. But the festival is over and I’m back! Although for how long, who knows? The warmer weather always gets me about and about more…

I did manage to keep posting on Instagram so if you want to check out what I’ve been making for the last few months you can – @indraniperera.

As well as being part of the organising crew, I also ran a leather craft workshop at the festival. I was so pleased and humbled at the number of people who turned up to do my workshop. Before the workshop I had cut out 20 pouches and I was thinking that I would be going home with some. Boy was I wrong. There were over thirty kids and adults crammed into the tiny tent, all eager to learn about leather craft and make their very own vegetable tanned kangaroo skin pouch!

I'm grateful to the lovely Kate Horne for coming to help and cut out more pouches for all the people patiently waiting for their leather. The time went by so quickly as they all sat and crafted. Marking stitches, making holes and sewing leather. Watching them teach other what they already knew or had just learnt was wonderful. The synergy and energy of workshops and people creating together is always inspiring. A community of crafters – that’s the world I want to live in.

These are some of the pouches that were made. The others went off with their very excited owners before I could get a snap!

I love giving people a template and the basic skills needed to complete a project and then sitting back and watching them unleash their creativity. Options – it’s all about having different options and allowing people to have some choice. It’s so empowering to be able to customise something and make it truly your own. Looking at the pouches, you can see the owner’s personalities and style peeping though.

There were two choices of pouch – the round coin purse and the note & card wallet. A few simple choices such as coloured cotton thread for embroidery, black or white waxed linen for sewing and some coconut shell buttons made 27 very unique pouches.

It's so rewarding to be teaching people so hungry for traditional crafts and mindful making. I've still got a big grin from ear to ear and a bounce in my walk!

November 17, 2016