Welcome to jeffdsmakes! My name is Jeff, and I am the sole force behind this creative endeavor. With over 30 years of experience as a retired structural engineer, my love for craftsmanship and creating with my own hands has led me to embark on this exciting journey.
My maker’s mark, an intertwined circle and triangle, symbolizes my belief in the importance of making. The triangle represents the trinity of body, mind and soul, and the circle represents creation.
I find balance in life through the act of creating.
My Craft
Jeffdsmakes is a small Canadian business dedicated to creating leather goods that are beautiful and long-lasting.
I make each piece by hand, using traditional leather techniques. The only machinery I use is a bell skiver or beveller, which reduces the thickness of a piece of leather by shaving a slice out of the leather's edge. This edge is made thinner than the rest of the leather so that when it is folded over and sewn, it gives a nice finished edge.
I use high quality leathers and threads to ensure that my products are unique, functional, durable and beautiful.
I use traditional saddle stitching in all my projects.
Saddle stitching is a method for hand sewing that uses two needles and a single thread. By passing the needles over each other, the thread interlocks. This method requires extra time but provides durability. If the thread breaks, the locking thread would hold it in place, making repairs easy.
Check it out here!
A project from beginning to end
