This course is designed to teach you how to pattern and tailor bespoke/custom leather clothing of your own design!

Please be aware.......This course is taught in English, but I will have a French translator there as my assistant!

Don’t miss this unique chance to make your own garment under the supervision of Theresa! She has years of experience making custom clothing both for private individuals and museum replications. In addition to her talent for tailoring, she is an expert tanner, specializing in prehistoric traditional tanning technologies.

This course will cover all you need to know to begin patterning and making your own well-fitted leather garments!

The course will begin with an overview of the possibilities when tailoring and designing leather clothing. You will have the opportunity to view a large collection of sample garments for inspiration. We will discuss the options and uses for different types of leathers for different types of clothing and utilitarian items.

You will learn a variety of stitches used for sewing fat tanned leather, as well as which stitch is best used for which type of seam or part of the garment. Each person will make a stitch card to get used to the different stitches and sewing with leather lace.

Of course, the most important step for making well fitted clothing is good tailoring! This course will help you overcome the difficulties typical of your first time sewing with leather. We promise you will leave the course with a garment that fits!

It is often difficult to visualize a 2 dimensional pattern fitting a 3 dimensional body. Theresa will walk you through this process so that you create a pattern unique to you!

After patterning how to lay the pattern out on the leather will be covered. This is important to do well so the garment stays the same shape though out washing and wearing.

You will work with lovely soft fat tanned skins which while commercially produced are the closest equivalent to hand tanned brain-tan/buckskin.

The sewing will be done with either leather lace and/or artificial sinew.

The course aim is to have everyone’s garment at least halfway finished by the end of the course. How far you progress on your item will greatly depend on what you chose to sew, how complicated of stitching you chose and how fast you sew.

Though you will not finish a complete garment in the 3 days, by the end of this course you will have the skills and confidence to complete the garment on your own, as well as produce future functional works of art!

The options for type of clothing you can make are:

· Skirt

· Shorts

· Tank top/Vest top

· Short Sleeve T-Shirt

To give you an idea of the skins needed for each garment type:

· 2 - 3 for a sleeveless top

· 2 - 4 for a short sleeve shirt

· 2 - 4 for shorts

· 2 - 3 for a skirt (depending on length)

The Price of the leather is €22.00 per skin

*The price of the leather is NOT included in the course price due to the variation in the number of skins needed for different garment types and sizes. We ask for your choice of garment in advance, as well as your basic measurements.

* Due to the time frame of the course and the complexity of some clothing we limit the kind of garments you can choose from.

*The leather we buy is commercially tanned grain-off fat tanned roe deer, red deer or sheep skin.

*You can of course, bring and use your own leather if this is grain-off fat tanned leather (buckskin/brain tan).

*We ask you to bring your own fastenings (buttons and alike) as those are a personal taste.

Additional Information:

Total Cost of Course: €355.00 + the leather cost

The €100.00 deposit payable now is to hold your space on the course!

The remainder of the balance (€255.00) is due at the start of the course. 

Cancelation policy: Deposit refunded up to 4 weeks before the course start date. After this the deposit is forfeit.

Duration: 3 days (Friday 10:00 am - Sunday ± 17:00 pm)

Group size: Min 6 - Max 10

Prerequisites: Basic sewing skills needed (not necessarily with leather, but we want to make sure you have worked with a needle before to make it possible for you to get as much done on your garment as possible)

Catering: All courses are self-catered, please bring your own food!

Included: Accomodation at the Gîtes, all sewing tools, and coffee/tea and snacks

Not included: The leather, meals

Location: 

Gîtes de la grotte au lion, 31160 Arbon, France

https://www.lagrotteaulion-pyrenees.fr/