On the hunt for leather

Today I travelled to Yeovil to visit the long serving Leather Tannery, Pittards. With one thing on my list, some beautiful black leather for an exciting new product I'm looking to launch in the next few weeks! So keep your beady eyes peeled. 

Pretty exciting as well as it wont be like my signature Absurd Design dyed leather dog collars, it's going to be something very different !! 

I think my new favourite thing to do, weird I know, since launching Absurd Design is visiting leather tanneries and leather shops.  Firstly it's that hit when you walk through the door of wonderfully smelling leather. Just makes you feel like you're in the presence of something really special. I love leather and the fabulous things that are made using it, Pittards had a beautiful range of gloves and bags available in their shop. 

But... That is not where I was headed. 

Down the stairs lies a magical place full of hides and skins of all rainbow colours. 

This was where I spent the next hour!! Making my way along the tables piled high with different leather hides ranging from chrome to veg tanned to even some that had been printed.  I'm not going to lie, it was hard to keep focussed on the plan of just finding my black leather hide. I nearly walked out of there with about 6 leather hides and had to keep reminding myself that I am not a walking bank and that I can not afford that much leather... EVER! 

Let's say there was quite a few black hides to choose from, but after pulling all of them out and rolling them out to check the skin I finally found my piece. 

As a cup of tea is always on the cards for me,  I enjoyed a little sit down in the Pittards cafe after my purchase, with a wall of historical information about Pittards I managed to gleam some pretty cool information.  Amazingly it started life in 1826, when Charles Pittard began operating as a local leather dresser.  Apparently during the Second World War, Pittards produced the 'pilots' leather that made gloves for RAF servicemen. 

There was even a replica of the mask used in Phantom of the Opera which apparently was made using Pittards white leather.  Who knew it was even made of leather?!  Pretty Absurd I would say! 

So long story short I got out of my workroom today and have some really exciting projects I'm working on for Absurd Design. Looking forward to show you all soon ! 

Kate x