Leather pouches on Etsy

Hi there - I've just been amusing myself making some soft leather pouches to put in my Etsy shop (here). They could be money pouches for Tudor or medieval scenes, or I thought that your witches or wizards may like to keep herbs or amulets or treasures in them. They're designed to sit on a table, and have little 'copper' or 'bone' beads to pull them closed (these are actually glass beads).
They're non-opening, sorry, so you can't peek inside! :)

Tudor money pouch

He likes his new leather money pouch - a pity it's not full of coins, because then he might be able to buy some clothes!

Journals, or What I Do When I Should Be Doing Something More Important

Very therapeutic, these little journals. Easy to make, and a great time waster!
The one with the pencil is made of possum skin. (Possums are a noxious pest in New Zealand - they kill native birds by eating the eggs and chicks, damage native plants and spread tuberculosis to cattle and deer. Here, the only good possum is a dead one!) The leather has the look of woodgrain, it's thin and feels like honey or olivewood.
Then I wasted more time by wondering why English pencils are red and American pencils are yellow. It involves Elizabethan monopolies, and a nineteenth century French gold panner in Siberia. If you're interested, read more in 'Colour' by Victoria Finlay - a fascinating book on the history of pigments.
But I digress, and I'm still avoiding That Work.

Hunting gear for my medieval man

Woke up at 6am with this in mind. I'd tried last year to make leather hawk hoods, but they were thrown in the bin in a fit of frustration. This time it's gone a bit better, and the glove has too. Hawking gloves are great - you only have to make one!!
The hood is 7mm across (.25"). Not something to be attempted with the coffee jitters! No perch or jesses yet, and does anyone know where I can find 3mm or 4mm bells?
And what would any workplace be without a cat sprawled on it? This is Sam.
And my man can't decently go hunting yet as I haven't made him any clothes.

The dapper tudor gentleman

There's more to life than thread

Just so's you don't think I spend all my time with a needle in my hand, here's a pic of a leather jerkin and hat I made a wee while ago. The patterns are from a book by Janet Arnold 'Patterns of Fashion . . .c1560-1620' - it's fascinating. There's history, photos of actual garments, and (best of all) patterns taken from the clothes. I've just got her new book 'Patterns of Fashion 4' with ruffs, shirts and more. Ruffs in 1:12? There's a challenge!