Old Grove – a Felton leather collection
From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of original leather design studies. Volume I-D.
A September study.
Felton, California, where Highway 9 slips beneath the redwoods on its way to the old grove. We drew the valley four ways and pressed each one into leather.
First, the grove itself. Six trunks run clean off the top of the frame, and a single walker keeps to the path below – AMONG GIANTS, because in this forest that is simply your address.
We pressed it into deep forest green and chestnut. The third tag runs honeyed russet, close to fresh-sawn redwood heart.
Next, the banana slug, patron animal of the forest floor. It crawls along the top of TAKE IT SLOW as if the words were a fallen branch, its trail wandering in lazily from the edge behind it.
The black keychain carries the slug in gold foil – only fair, since the animal was born wearing it. The forest green one takes a plain blind press.
On the toiletry bag, warm gray over chestnut, the same advice waits in the corner every morning.
Then, the little steam engine that climbs the valley. We drew it small between two trunks, smoke breaking into the dark above the boiler, TO THE BIG TREES underneath – the only destination that has ever mattered up here.
It sits low in the corner of the journal, once in dark espresso and once in caramel. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.
And finally, the one we liked the most. Seen from above, Highway 9 coils into its own numeral, the loop of the 9 closing around a stand of redwood crowns. It went to the center of the golden tan tray – the tray by the door, where the car keys land when the drive is over.
We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.
If you'd like any of these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.
P.S.
