The Spice Line – a Springfield, Missouri leather collection

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies.

A September study. Volume II.

In 1870 the railroad raised six brick blocks on the north side of Springfield, Missouri, and freight has been turning into neighborhood there ever since – lately as loose tea and whole spice, weighed out a little at a time. We pressed that long arrival into leather and named the collection The Spice Line – luggage tags and journals up front, smaller goods coupled behind.

First, the arrival itself. We put an 1870s locomotive at the head of a short train and loaded the freight honestly – a teapot rides the first car, a spice jar and a tea tin follow – with THE WORLD STOPS HERE written beneath the rail. It runs lengthwise along the luggage tags, in deep green and in a honeyed russet the shade of the street's own brick.

Black-and-white die artwork of the pantry freight train and THE WORLD STOPS HERE lettering for The Spice Line leather collection in Springfield, Missouri.

The black tag carries it in gold.

A black leather luggage tags stamped with the pantry freight train and THE WORLD STOPS HERE lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A forest green leather luggage tags stamped with the pantry freight train and THE WORLD STOPS HERE lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A indian summer leather luggage tags stamped with the pantry freight train and THE WORLD STOPS HERE lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

Next, we bent two branches of bay into the crown they have been since antiquity and set EVERYDAY LAURELS in the middle – the same leaf that goes into the pot goes onto the head of whoever cooked. It sits in the corner of the journals, one wine-dark and one deep green, where the recipes and the tasting notes get written down.

Black-and-white die artwork of the bay wreath and EVERYDAY LAURELS lettering for The Spice Line leather collection in Springfield, Missouri.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

A sangria leather leather journals stamped with the bay wreath and EVERYDAY LAURELS lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A forest green leather leather journals stamped with the bay wreath and EVERYDAY LAURELS lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

Then, the unit of measure. A single teaspoon, heaped, with the whole spices still in orbit around it, and BY THE SPOONFUL underneath – because that is how both cooking and this street do business. We hung it on keychains in golden tan and in dusty lavender.

Black-and-white die artwork of the spice teaspoon and BY THE SPOONFUL lettering for The Spice Line leather collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A arizona leather keychains stamped with the spice teaspoon and BY THE SPOONFUL lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A lilac leather keychains stamped with the spice teaspoon and BY THE SPOONFUL lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

We also centered it on the golden tan tray – the keys land there while the kettle works.

A arizona leather catchall trays stamped with the spice teaspoon and BY THE SPOONFUL lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

And finally, a round tea caddy with one curl of scent escaping the lid, above THE ESSENTIALS – pressed small into the corner of the toiletry bag, caramel over chestnut. Anyone who has packed for a trip knows the tea goes in first.

Black-and-white die artwork of the tea caddy and THE ESSENTIALS lettering for The Spice Line leather collection in Springfield, Missouri.

A caramel sicilian leather dopp kits stamped with the tea caddy and THE ESSENTIALS lettering from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

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.

An alternate black leather luggage tag with a pantry freight train from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

An alternate forest green leather luggage tag with a pantry freight train from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.

An alternate indian summer leather luggage tag with a pantry freight train from The Spice Line collection in Springfield, Missouri.