It’s taken us a minute, but after 4+ years of sharing tables at design markets and travelling around the country together to get there, me and Jude Gove have FINALLY managed to do that collaboration that we’ve always spoken about.

We set ourselves a deadline, announced it on Instagram (no going back after that!) and rustled these up in an absolute flurry of activity in less than a week. It’s possibly the fastest I’ve ever gotten anything from idea to completion!

It was a real treat to turn my hand to something different and adorn a new product (and completely new material) with my bold, playful patterns. We’re both big lovers of the semi-circle and beautiful objects that bring moment of joy to the everyday, and our similar ethos and approach to making is a match made in heaven.

Fancy a glimpse into how they’re made?

Step One
Collect some leather from your collaborator on a busy street in the pouring rain, whilst trying to socially distance from each other and the hoards of teenagers from the nearby high school out on their lunch break.

Step Two
Set up at your dining room table with your fabric and a very professional bit of kitchen roll and let the patterns flow! I had totally free rein on the patterns I was drawing on these which was an absolute treat. I went for a classic grid pattern on the mustard, and a satisfying wave on the dark teal.

Step Three
Once the leather had been painted, it went back to Jude to be sewn up into purses (we managed to do that exchange in the shelter of a coffee shop thankfully!). Jude sews all her purses by hand and, if you’re not familiar with her work already, you’ll be in awe of her precision. Each purse is cut and stitched by hand, with an emphasis on simple practical shapes, beautiful colour combinations and high quality materials. Once the purse is ready, it’s lined with with pure wool felt and a brass stud closure is attached.

Step Four
It’s back out into the rain! Once Jude had sewn the purses they came back to me to be photographed and listed onto my website. We went for a doorstep exchange this time and thankfully it was a quieter day on the street, but the rain was just as heavy.

We’re both beside ourselves with how great the finished product looks. They’re incredibly soft to the touch, and full of little special details that you just don’t get on the high street - handpainted, slightly wonky, lines that make each one unique, and tiny precise hand-sewn stitches that will leave you amazed by Jude’s skills.

They’re available to pre-order from 4.30pm on Monday 5th October right here on my website, and we’ll be making them in limited batches of 10 in each colour way for this first foray into working together.