Project: Folio Cover

I was approached by Hamish to build him a folio cover for his final presentation. He has ordered this beautiful aluminium folio for his presentation. He wanted something different to set it apart from the other student's folios.

After a number of exchanged emails and a visit to my workshop, a black coloured leather with white stitching was decided. This is to reflect his portfolio which has a black & white theme. An internal pocket, wrap-around strap and a removable handle will also be added to the folio for a more distinct look.

Originally I had planned to use 1.5mm tooling leather for the cover body. To achieve the black colour it would receive a full strength vinegaroon treatment. Unfortunately, due to the acidic solution, the grain on the leather tightened, as a result the leather pieces shrunk. It shrunk by about 2mm, enough to make the pieces unusable. At this stage I decided to use different leather all together.

I settled for a waxed vegetable tanned leather, it's been coloured black from the tannery, which is a bonus. It's slightly thicker at 2.5mm. The texture and thickness is perfect for the theme of the folio.

The strapping is build using the 4mm leather I bought earlier for Project Messenger. These also received full strength Vinegaroon treatment. No noticeable shrinkage with this pieces. The thickness really complement the overall look.

The final product is fantastic, I couldn't be any happier so does Hamish. It really gives the folio that extra appeal.

It's been an amazing experience building the cover for someone as talented as Hamish and pulling an all- nighter to meet the deadline for the folio is an awesome experience.

I'm looking forward for more collaboration with Hamish in the future.

Photos courtesy of Hamish:

Cutting the leather out

Stitching the cut out