About
HAND CRAFTED LEATHER GOODS CREATED TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME, COMBINING FASHION AND FUNCTION
I've been drawn to leather for as long as I can remember, especially vintage items from the 1960s and '70s. I've always been especially fascinated by and appreciative of the lasting quality of the material, recognizing that with proper care, it can last a lifetime or in some cases, many lifetimes.
I'm a creative person at heart, but it wasn't until 2012 that I began my journey with leather, specifically. I came across a leather punch and some old leather scraps that had been left behind from a previous tenant in a house I used to rent. From those scraps, I made my first pair of leather earrings.
Fast forward several years, and I ventured into other accessories, pushing myself further with each project from designing patterns to stitching everything by hand. Everything I make is a labor of love, and although time consuming, there's beauty found in every step of the process. This craft (gently) forces me to be patient and present.
It wasn't until later in life when I learned that my maternal great grandfather and his family were leatherworkers, specializing in handmade boots, saddles, bridles and reins. They emigrated from Russia (what is now Lithuania), fleeing religious persecution. They settled in the Chicago area, and eventually started the Chicago Tanning Company. Two of their biggest clients were the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. They specialized in sporting goods and outfitted both baseball teams with handmade leather mitts, shoes, hats and belts. Their company was later purchased by Wilson Sporting Goods. It's exciting to me and an honor to realize that this old world tradition in our family is still carried on to this day, albeit on a much smaller scale.
---Katie Ashmore
My grandpa in his custom Chicago White Sox uniform, 1918
Handmade with love in Lawrence, KS
I've been drawn to leather for as long as I can remember, especially vintage items from the 1960s and '70s. I've always been especially fascinated by and appreciative of the lasting quality of the material, recognizing that with proper care, it can last a lifetime or in some cases, many lifetimes.
I'm a creative person at heart, but it wasn't until 2012 that I began my journey with leather, specifically. I came across a leather punch and some old leather scraps that had been left behind from a previous tenant in a house I used to rent. From those scraps, I made my first pair of leather earrings.
Fast forward several years, and I ventured into other accessories, pushing myself further with each project from designing patterns to stitching everything by hand. Everything I make is a labor of love, and although time consuming, there's beauty found in every step of the process. This craft (gently) forces me to be patient and present.
It wasn't until later in life when I learned that my maternal great grandfather and his family were leatherworkers, specializing in handmade boots, saddles, bridles and reins. They emigrated from Russia (what is now Lithuania), fleeing religious persecution. They settled in the Chicago area, and eventually started the Chicago Tanning Company. Two of their biggest clients were the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. They specialized in sporting goods and outfitted both baseball teams with handmade leather mitts, shoes, hats and belts. Their company was later purchased by Wilson Sporting Goods. It's exciting to me and an honor to realize that this old world tradition in our family is still carried on to this day, albeit on a much smaller scale.
---Katie Ashmore
My grandpa in his custom Chicago White Sox uniform, 1918
Handmade with love in Lawrence, KS