Traditional Leatherwork Retreat for  Beginners

18th to 20th September, 2026

9th to 11th October, 2026

The Black Swan, 21 High Street, Marton,
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 5AH
Near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

If you’ve ever admired beautiful handmade tooled leatherwork but thought you could never do it yourself, this Retreat is ideal for you. Over the weekend you’ll make an amazing hand-crafted belt bag in veg-tanned leather and can choose from lots of different coloured leather dyes, leather paints and tooling patterns to create something totally unique.

**This retreat is a little different from many others in that making a bag isn’t the point of the weekend, although you will indeed make a beautiful one. The focus is on learning new transferable techniques and skills that you will be able to use on so many handcrafted leatherwork bags and other items you make in the future.

During the weekend you will learn – 

• Some background on the different types of leather and what is suitable for leathersmithing and tooling;
• How to mark and cut leather with a pattern and small knife;
• Transferring stitch-hole marks and punching them;
• How to prepare the leather edges;
• How to prepare the leather to allow transfer of tooling details from the pattern;
• How to use a swivel knife to incise the design;
• Using various tools and/or stamps to tool the leather;
• How to dye the leather successfully and seal the surface;
• The use of leather paints to define your tooled design (optional);
• How to saddle-stitch your bag together and add necessary rivets and hardware if required by the design.

Plus, lots of tips and tricks gained over nearly 30 years of leathersmithing.

We have our own ground-floor ‘Retreat Suite’ of rooms, including a work room which is equipped with a display screen so everyone can easily see demonstrations from a working viewpoint. We also have our own bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you wish, you are free to continue work after dinner and until as late (or early!) as you like.

You will need to bring a small pair of thread cutting scissors, an apron and probably a notebook and pen, but everything else is provided. Gloves are provided for the messy bits but do be aware that leather dyes are intended to dye skin and will dye yours too! (Although it washes off over a few days 😀)

If you have dietary or accommodation requirements (e.g. ground floor needed)  please tell me before you book, so I can be sure we can meet your needs.

All evening meals are included in the retreat fee, as are Saturday and Sunday lunches and breakfasts. Tea and coffee is available all day, but you do have to make it yourself! 

If you’d like to stay an extra night or two, maybe to arrive on Thursday or leave on Monday if you have a long drive, let me know and I’ll check availability with our host.

If you’d prefer to travel by train, we are happy to ferry you to and from the station, just ask.

Please aim to arrive no later than 1pm as we have a lot of pattern and leather cutting to get through on Friday!

Friday

The fun starts here as you arrive at your weekend home-from-home – a beautifully refurbished, 3-star 18th century coaching inn with all the comforts you would expect. You’ll have time to settle into your own delightfully comfortable en-suite room before the first get-together with me and your companions in the work room at 1pm.

You’ll be given your own copy of your bag pattern. It’s very beginner-friendly but incorporates most of the features and techniques that are also in much more complex designs, making this an excellent springboard to any handmade leatherwork you want to make.

After a superbly-cooked and substantial evening meal at around 6pm or so, you are welcome to continue in the workroom if you wish, or to simply relax and chat there before bed.

Saturday

After an excellent breakfast, we can really start work on your bag. You’ll work at your own pace from around 9am with no pressure – I want your weekend to be fun and not stressful! We will walk through all of the techniques together and I will be there the whole time to answer questions and troubleshoot any tricky bits. This is not a race to keep up or a time to worry that you’re getting behind – I don’t allow either of those feelings in the workroom!! I am very happy to say or demonstrate the same thing as often as needed, so never be afraid to ask.

Refreshments are freely available all day and you can take a break whenever you wish. A light lunch (often with homemade cake!!) is also provided and we’ll have a short break in the middle of the day.

The rest of the day will be similar to Friday – working, dinner at 6ish and more leatherwork if you wish to before bed. Do feel free to have a walk or just sit outside for a breather if the weather is kind.

Sunday

How can it be Sunday already??

Breakfast over, we’ll get back to work. You will need to allow a few minutes to pack and check out of your room, as it has to be made ready for Monday’s guests. Apart from that, it’s uninterrupted leather (with refreshments and lunch breaks!) until your bag is finished. We’ll be breaking for a lunch similar to yesterday’s at 1pm. We have the sewing room for the rest of the day.  If you don’t quite get done, there’s absolutely no need to worry as you’ll easily be able to complete your bag at home. If you finish earlier feel free to head home whenever you’re ready.

And I hope you have a lot of fun and make new friends while you learn!! 

I never abandon my students at the end of the course so if you get stuck on anything at home, you are welcome to give me a shout on Messenger and we’ll sort out your problem together.

The not-so-small print

Book your place using the simple booking system below – just click on your choice of dates and go from there. The full price is £485.00. The deposit of £50 is non- refundable  but can be credited towards a future retreat booked within the next 6 months. The balance will be invoiced before the start date and is only refundable if your place can be filled. In certain circumstances, this can be credited to another date. However, if you cancel within 2 days of the start date, the hotel requires a £50 late cancellation fee which will be payable before you can attend your replacement retreat. Your whole payment  is completely refundable if I or the venue cancel. The booking page only shows the Friday, but the course is running until Sunday.

*Don’t worry that your booking confirmation may be headed Unicorn Studios –  it’s just the site that I’ve run my booking system from for years… it’s not a scam!! *