2020 Plans for Log Cabin Leather by Jan
I plan is to write a weekly blog that will tell you all about how I got my start with leather, what inspires me, how I create my projects, new upcoming product lines and other information I think might be interesting to you.
How Log Cabin Leather by Jan Began
My adventure with leather began way back in 1977. I had dabbled in many crafts as a child, but when I discovered leather as a medium, I fell in love. I began to explore the amazing properties of leather. I began to create items for family and friends. I taught myself to carve leather. Books by Paul Burnette were my inspiration.
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Jan Hibbard was born and raised in Wakefield, Mass. My love of animals and my interest in crafts developed as a child. My journey with leather began 42 years ago as I working on my teaching degree in Boston. Barnes & Noble opened in downtown Boston and I found a book on leatherwork. It mentioned 2 leather companies located in Boston. I went there the next day and I purchased my first hide of leather and a few tools. I made a leather vest which I still wear today. My LOVE of leather was born andJan Hibbard was born and raised in Wakefield, Mass. My love of animals and my interest in crafts developed as a child. My journey with leather began 42 years ago as I working on my teaching degree in Boston. Barnes & Noble opened in downtown Boston and I found a book on leatherwork. It mentioned 2 leather companies located in Boston. I went there the next day and I purchased my first hide of leather and a few tools. I made a leather vest which I still wear today. My LOVE of leather was born and it continues to grow.
Leather is such an amazing material, it is a true sensory experience. For most people the aroma of the leather will take you back to joyful memories of times gone by. Embrace more sensory experiences as you see and feel the detail of the hand tooled pictures. Most of them are inspired by New Hampshire’s beautiful scenery- the majestic mountains, rushing rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, fall foliage, sunsets, lakes and amazing wildlife. I hope they will inspire you to chase your own dreams!
My goal is to create enduring high quality leather accessories that will inspire you to pursue your adventures as you travel on your journey through life. I hope they will become lifelong keepsakes that will be used to record, remember and inspire your dreams and inspirations. I hope my journey will continue for many years to come. Please join me on my adventure it continues to grow.
I fell in love with loons which frequented Lake Winnipesaukee where I spent my summers. My family also loved loons and they became the subject of many of my earliest carvings. The loon became the mascot and is pictured on both of my catalogs. To the Passamaquody Indians the loon was a messenger between humans, animals and the great spirit. When people became greedy, they stopped listening and learning from the animals. This made the loon sad which is why to this day he has such a sad call, different from any other.
Through my carving I hope to inspire an appreciation for nature’s creatures great and small. Each is an essential component in the circle of life and what we do to the Earth has an impact on them. We all must work to take care of the Earth if we want it to thrive.
I discovered leather as a medium in 1977, when I was a college student in Boston, and I fell in love. My journey with leather began and as my skills improved, my product line increased.
To find out more about me, my inspirations, my creation process Join My Email Follow me on Facebook
Maker Monday
In this series I will tell the stories behind the products I create: Why I make what I make; how I come up with my ideas; and what inspires my creations. For the rest of that week my posts and Live events will reveal more info on the topic discussed here.
Tool Trivia Tuesday
Do you like guessing games? How much do you know about Leather working tools?
This weekly post will highlight a different tool. I will encourage viewers to guess it’s name and function!
Later in the day I will reveal the tools name and how it is used for leather work.
TOOL TRIVIA
Do you like guessing games? Then this series may interest you. Have a little fun guessing the use for the tools posted and then learn how they are used to create my leather products.
Let’s begin! What is this tool?
Leather is sold by the hide rather than a bolt like fabric. Hide are thinned to different thicknesses. Different weight leathers are used to create a variety of items.
Belts are made from the thickest leather I purchase-9/10 ounce. I use 4/5 ounce leather for my carvings. Jewelry is made from 2-4 ounce leather.
The THICKNESS GUAGE is used to determine the thickness of the hide. The piece of leather is slid into the slot as much as it will go. The markings will show the thickness of the hide.
Behind the Scenes
This is a behind the scenes look at my creation process. Each week I will focus on specific product and show you in a LIVE video how it is created. This series will be LIVE on my Facebook page every Wednesday. This blog will include the written version of this series.
Flashback Friday
This weekly blog series will take you back in time to the beginnings of Log Cabin Leather by Jan. I’ll show you some of my original projects that are still in use today.
This is my original catalog, one of my first laced projects, made from an original pattern in 1978. I still have the catalog and take it to all my shows.
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Please feel free to leave comments and I will try to answer any questions that you have. If you have purchased a product from me, I would love to hear how it is holding up.
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Jan Hibbard was born and raised in Wakefield, Mass. My love of animals and my interest in crafts developed as a child. My journey with leather began 42 years ago as I working on my teaching degree in Boston. Barnes & Noble opened in downtown Boston and I found a book on leather work. It mentioned 2 leather companies located in Boston. I went there the next day and I purchased my first hide of leather and a few tools. I made a leather vest which I still wear today. My LOVE of leather was born and it continues to grow.
Leather is such an amazing material, it is a true sensory experience. For most people the aroma of the leather will take you back to joyful memories of times gone by. Embrace more sensory experiences as you see and feel the detail of the hand tooled pictures. Most of them are inspired by New Hampshire’s beautiful scenery- the majestic mountains, rushing rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, fall foliage, sunsets, lakes and amazing wildlife. I hope they will inspire you to chase your own dreams!
My goal is to create enduring high quality leather accessories that will inspire you to pursue your adventures as you travel on your journey through life. I hope they will become lifelong keepsakes that will be used to record, remember and inspire your dreams and inspirations. I hope my journey will continue for many years to come. Please join me on my adventure it continues to grow.