Hello, and welcome to my busy little corner of the world, where I use wild furs to create accessories for anyone and everyone to enjoy! Sewing was part of my family growing up. Since 2016, I’ve slowly turned a family hobby into a thriving business by working with various furs to make mittens, hats, blankets, and more.
That’s me in a nutshell. Let me fill in some blanks on how I got to where I am now.
I hail from Southeastern Michigan, where my mom taught me to sew as a little girl. I grew up watching her sew clothes, and she handed down the tradition, but I only really put it to use once I started having my own kids. And since I married a long-time muskrat trapper, I was eventually able to put his furs to good use too.
So, I recalled the memories of watching my mom sew clothes. I dug out her 1970’s hand-me-down Kenmore sewing machine and started sewing maternity clothes for me and outfits for the new baby on the way. Once I started sewing again, I branched out into furs by making my first pair of muskrat mittens. Let me tell you! That Kenmore was great for fabric, but a home sewing machine is NOT made for sewing fur! It was a struggle, and required some hand sewing too, but I ended up with a wearable pair of mittens!
After showing them to my family and friends, they wanted a pair, so I went off to the old Kenmore and started making some for friends and family. I only made a few pairs those first couple of years, and I fought with that Kenmore the whole time!
When I realized more and more people were making requests for fur hats and mittens, I decided it was time to get a serious fur sewing machine and get down to business…starting a business, that is. I researched, got myself a Techsew 202, and officially started taking orders under my new business name: Darling Leather and Fur.
The Techsew 202 was a BIG improvement on the Kenmore, but I still had a lot to learn. Using what little information I was able to find on the internet, and my general sewing knowledge I began sewing on my new machine, making plenty of mistakes along the way. Eventually, I was also able to connect with some experienced furriers around the world who were willing to answer some of my questions. One gentleman, Chris Courtenay Williams, even taught me via video calls from England! Between finding mentors and purchasing a Techsew 202, I was off to a good start!
Why the Techsew 202? I’m glad you asked… Click the link below to read the next blog post.