Dimensions in Leather Australia...report

[leatheroo]

Well, I am back from leather heaven! A full week of classes with the BEST tutors and students a person could wish for. A wonderful collection of great tutors…Peter Main, Joe Barth, Akiko Akada, Tony Laier and his wife, Merv Rowland just to name a few.

My first class was with Merv, one of australia's best saddle makers. He taught me the finer points in hand stitching as well as a wonderful talk on the value of fine tools…his favourite expression in regards to badly made tools is "they're not worth spit!"…I will be using this expression for ever more.

The next two days were spent with Peter Main…OMG..what a privilege to just see him work…I learnt sooooo much!!!!!! We worked on a carved filigree inlay belt…so many new techniques in just this one piece.

The next day was spent learning turks heads and other knots…my head is still in a knot!!!

Another two days with Peter, this time is was a covered and inlayed bracelet. We finished the bracelet early so we got to spend quite a few hours picking his brain on anything we could think of….. he had his wonderful album with him so we went through it asking "how do you do this?" his answers explained so many techniques and tips and tricks.

In the evenings there were demonstrations and talks and long chats around the bar….did I mention lots of alcohol!!!

I spent too much money….i came home with new skins and new tools. Peter brought a lot of Barry King tools with him that were bought up quickly, as well as his own blades, books and I also got one of his awls.

All the tutors donated pieces of their work for the giant raffle that was drawn at the end of the week….each piece had a bag next to it…you put your tickets in the bag of the item you hoped to win…..i put 30 tickets in the handbag that joe barth had donated…..could you hear me scream when I won????...the poor elder gent next to me nearly had a heart attack!!! What a wonderful way to finish the week!!!

There was also a wonderful display of the tutors and students work…so many wonderful pieces in one room….the inspiration from seeing all that great work will keep me in ideas for along time….

Thanks to Cherryl McIntyre and her helpers for organising such a wonderful event and all the wonderful tutors who shared their knowledge with us.

The teachers

Merv teaching hand stitching

Akiko and student from Japan on party night

Peter Main teaching

The Joe Barth bag i won!!!!

Me with my favorite teachers..joe and peter

Some pictures from the display

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Edited July 28, 2009 by leatheroo

[leatheroo]

A couple more

Edited July 28, 2009 by leatheroo

[tony]

hi - would any of these folk make a gigbag for my guitar thanks tony

Well, I am back from leather heaven! A full week of classes with the BEST tutors and students a person could wish for. A wonderful collection of great tutors…Peter Main, Joe Barth, Akiko Akada, Tony Laier and his wife, Merv Rowland just to name a few.

My first class was with Merv, one of australia's best saddle makers. He taught me the finer points in hand stitching as well as a wonderful talk on the value of fine tools…his favourite expression in regards to badly made tools is "they're not worth spit!"…I will be using this expression for ever more.

The next two days were spent with Peter Main…OMG..what a privilege to just see him work…I learnt sooooo much!!!!!! We worked on a carved filigree inlay belt…so many new techniques in just this one piece.

The next day was spent learning turks heads and other knots…my head is still in a knot!!!

Another two days with Peter, this time is was a covered and inlayed bracelet. We finished the bracelet early so we got to spend quite a few hours picking his brain on anything we could think of….. he had his wonderful album with him so we went through it asking "how do you do this?" his answers explained so many techniques and tips and tricks.

In the evenings there were demonstrations and talks and long chats around the bar….did I mention lots of alcohol!!!

I spent too much money….i came home with new skins and new tools. Peter brought a lot of Barry King tools with him that were bought up quickly, as well as his own blades, books and I also got one of his awls.

All the tutors donated pieces of their work for the giant raffle that was drawn at the end of the week….each piece had a bag next to it…you put your tickets in the bag of the item you hoped to win…..i put 30 tickets in the handbag that joe barth had donated…..could you hear me scream when I won????...the poor elder gent next to me nearly had a heart attack!!! What a wonderful way to finish the week!!!

There was also a wonderful display of the tutors and students work…so many wonderful pieces in one room….the inspiration from seeing all that great work will keep me in ideas for along time….

Thanks to Cherryl McIntyre and her helpers for organising such a wonderful event and all the wonderful tutors who shared their knowledge with us.

The teachers

Merv teaching hand stitching

Akiko and student from Japan on party night

Peter Main teaching

The Joe Barth bag i won!!!!

Me with my favorite teachers..joe and peter

Some pictures from the display

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tachment=28464:music_box.jpg]

[hidepounder]

Roo,

Sounds like a fantastic time! I'm soooooo envious! Thanks for the photos they are great! Congratulations on the bag by the way.

Bob

[CowboyDon]

Wow - Very nice writeup and great pics. That would be so inspirational - Lucky you!

[leatheroo]

a couple more

[daviD A Morris]

Roo,

Great write-up and photos, thanks. In the world of saddlers Merv Rowland does the best, and most consistent welted seams that I have ever seen anywhere, he could teach a lot of saddlers a thing or two!

Just for those who may be wondering what a "welted seam" is:

here is a photo of a Merv Rowland saddle. You can see the seams where the "smooth out" is joined to the Rough-out on the knee pad also where the seat jockey joins to the seat.

Can you tell us who the other teachers in the photo are?

Thanks

dam

Edited July 28, 2009 by daviD A Morris

[leatheroo]

Thanks for showing a merv saddle...the other teachers were Loraine Tinniswood, Joy and John Tonkins, Bill Webb and Robert Witthahn.

If you want to see the conference info, go to www.dimensionsinleather.com.....it is on every 2 years...i am already saving my pennies for the next one in 2011.

[King's X]

Roo:

Great write up. Please share some tips when you get a chance to write them up. Thanks for sharing.

[MickWoolnough]

Hey Roo

glad to see you got home safe. yep a great time was had by all. and yeah we did hear a bit of a scream when you won Joe's bag.

just think only 23 1/2 months till we do it again. im actually spending today finishing off my projects before i start back in the real world.

take care

mick

[MickWoolnough]

Hi Roo,

Micks “other half” here, what a wonderful time we had at Dimensions in Leather, we are still in “Leather Heaven”!! Our minds haven’t touched down yet, it was so great, we don’t want to give it up yet!! Now we have to try to decipher all the info, our brains absorbed in just a short time. Michael and I were so sad when the week came to an end, and having to leave all the old mates, and wonderful new people we met in the week at Dimensions, but really, it is such a full on week, we couldn’t have kept up the pace of classes and socializing for more that a week, and we were especially glad to see that some of the younger ones were as wrecked as the “age challenged” ones like Michael and I..

We just can’t say enough to praise the wonderful people who worked so hard to make sure that we all had a great time. In the whole week, every time I saw Cherryl, she was running somewhere to get something for someone, I can’t remember seeing her sitting down relaxing, chatting, once, the whole weekend. Oh, and not to forget all that weeks of baking that she must have done to provide everyone with homebaked cakes and slices each day for morning and afternoon tea!! Thank you so much to the organizers for all the hard work they put in, it is greatly appreciated.

Like you, I also had courses with Merv Rowland, what a privilege to just sit and listen to that mans stories, what a wealth of information and knowledge he has to share.

And Merv cherishes his leather tools, Michael and I also loved his distain at badly made tools that “weren’t worth spit”, and non Dimensions people will probably think we are odd, when we turn to each other and say that something is “not worth spit”!!

Thanks Merv for that expression, and thanks so much for giving your valuable time and knowledge to share with us.

I also had classes with the Lorraine Tinniswood, a lovely lady with a wealth of knowledge, that she graciously shared with us all, even the “artistically challenged” like me. We made a lovely leather mask, with a leather shawl draped around, a leather bowl, and we had fun dipping moulded leather, and odd bits of leather into a boiling pot, and making bowls, and other fun things…

Michael did classes with Joe Barth, and Peter Main, two great leather artists, and also great blokes !! He had done classes with them at the last Dimensions in Leather, and was so keen to learn more this time. And yes, we also spent heaps on those special tools that you can buy at Dimensions!!

Michael was also very impressed with the demonstration from Tony Laier on Eco-Flow Dyes. (Oh did I mention that as well as classes all day, there were demonstrations most nights )

It was nice to meet Tony Laier and his wife, Kay, lovely, gracious people.

Oh, and I picked Robert Witthann’s brain, on exotic leathers….too many wonderful teachers, and too much to tell of…. this email could turn into a book, all I can say is that if you have the opportunity, don’t miss the next Dimensions in Leather in 2011, the teachers are brilliant, and all the people we met were wonderful!!

best wishes from Kathy and Mick Woolnough