Hello from Azerbaijan

Hi I've just signed up for Leathercraft Masterclass videos.

Although I'm in Azerbaijan, my home is in Aberdeenshire in the UK. I work in Azerbaijan for 6 weeks and then I'm back in the UK for 2 weeks for a field break.

I started in Leathercraft about 4 years ago as a means of having a hobby whilst I was living away from home as an alternative to propping up a bar. Like many others I started out making a sheath for wood carving knives and decided that the leatherwork was more enjoyable. You don't need many tools (at least to start!) or much space.

I signed up to raise my skill level in the making of handbags and luggage especially in the edge finishing and attention to detail. I've watched only a few of the videos so far and already feel that I've learnt a lot. The other very useful aspect of the membership is the leather selection for each video, working on your own it's very difficult to know what to choose, I love the Buttero leather I've used so far but I'd also like to try some exotics and chrome-tanned leathers. The last thing I'd like to improve is in the design process, I think there is something I'd like to change in every bag I've made. I think his has been due to not fully understanding the structure of a well-designed bag before I've started.

I've made a number of weekend bags and handbags. I'm not sure if I shall ever sell anything as so far my output has been fully absorbed by my wife and three daughters.

Here's some bags I've made:

Mexican edge braid backpack, lifting the bag tighten the chains drawing the sides of the bag in, backpack satchel and simple evening bag with Mexican round braid edges. The Chanel counter at Boots in Aberdeen were able to get a perfect match in lipstick and nail varnish to the Walpier Buttero leather I used for these bags.

Camera bag made to fit a Billingham Hadley interior, this is in Stevedore leather from AA Crack. It's a great leather to use for an unlined man's bag, stiffish when your making the bag but softens quickly in use. I wet-moulded the two front pockets which was more successful than my first attempt where I tried to taper them with stitching (like the top flap) and managed to get the geometry completely wrong.

The first bags I made, I started big as I'd not made many small things before hand. There was plenty of stitching practise much of it quite awkward as I made the main outside of the bag in one piece, it seemed a good idea at the time. All in Walpier Buttero with pig suede linings.