Leather has always been the material I know best. It’s what I learnt to work with, what I’ve spent years cutting, stitching, repairing and experimenting with, and naturally it’s the material I keep coming back to when I start thinking about something new. Lately, that “something new” has been toys. Not plastic toys, not highly finished sets with one specific purpose, but simple pieces for open-ended play. Playscapes, crowns, masks, little worlds for peg dolls, bits and pieces children can add...

One of the funny things about handmade products is that the finished piece rarely shows how much work happened before it got there. You see the bag. I see the pattern pieces spread across the cutting table, the leather hides being moved around, this way then that way, looking for the best section. I see the big pile of offcuts on the floor and definitely a coffee somewhere nearby that I've forgotten about. Before I even cut the leather... Buying leather isn't like buying a perfectly uniform...

Leather is pretty forgiving, but it does need a little looking after. Because it’s a natural material, it will change over time. It softens, darkens in places, picks up marks and develops that worn-in look that makes good leather so beautiful. A little care every now and then helps it age well rather than dry out, crack or become neglected. This is how I care for the leather goods I make at Fauna & the Moon. Conditioning and polishing For most of my smooth leather goods, I use Black Dog Honey...