3 Handbag Making courses

rj leather sewing school

Sewing is in my blood. My mum is a dressmaker and I was sewing in her home studio by the age of 5. Once I was slightly older I went to The University of the West of England and I received first class honours BA in fashion women’s wear. Upon graduating I’ve been lucky enough to work for Givenchy, Stuart Vevers, Luella Bartley, Giles Deacon and Paul Seville. In 2008 inspired by my love of upcycling and leather I started my own label and have sold over 5000 bags to boutiques and shops worldwide. In 2012 I started the RJ Leather Studio Sewing School and have taught thousands of students and helped launch hundreds of small businesses. I absolutely love teaching and seeing students ideas come to life. Whether you're a new or experienced sewer, there is always something to learn. As well as our online courses we continue to offer our in person courses down on the south cost of England, just outside of Brighton.

keith kilt & textile centre

Why not 'BE CREATIVE' have fun and learn how to make a Traditional Hand Sewn, made to measure Bespoke Kilt - (The Course description is available on our 'about us' page) Why not sign up for our SQA Approved Customised Award Kiltmaking Course or a Textile related course.

hoop & fred

Hi, I'm Stephie (not Fred), An embroidery artist and creative based in Manchester. I'm inspired by the natural and the man(chester) made, and passionate about encouraging others to explore and express their creativity. I LOVE running workshops and sharing the joy of stitching and creating with others. I want people to leave a Hoop & Fred workshop feeling better than when they walked in and empowered to create. Maybe they’ll fall head over heels with embroidery as I did, or perhaps they will simply feel better for having spent a couple of hours trying their hand at something arty and leave feeling confident enough to try other new things.  All my workshops are suitable for beginners. I  ensure everyone gets the time they need to ask questions, and they leave with all the materials and knowledge required to finish their project at home.

green spiral willow

leather needle thread

I set up Leather Needle Thread in 2016 teaching handbag making workshops in Bristol, UK. Having guided over 300 people to make their own DIY leather bags (and the odd espadrille and leather sneaker!) from scratch I learnt what they found challenging, what they enjoyed and how they developed a sense of pride in their abilities. I have been a leatherworker for over 10 years and studied bag design and construction at the London College of Fashion before going on to work in the industry as a leatherworker and sample maker. The bag making kits were dreamed up because I wanted to give people a way to easily make covetable leather bags from beautiful materials, minimal tools and pared-back techniques in their own home.