The New Studio

A new workshop to broaden horizons, create community and dance about in a bigger space!

A few months ago, I decided to it was time to seek out a new workshop. My beautiful workshop has served me so well for three wonderful years and helped to shape this business into what it is today. But working from home has its limitations, and I have been wanting to start opening up my world of leathercraft to teach others for quite sometime, which I couldn’t really do from a spare bedroom! I was also finding myself becoming rather withdrawn at home, it can get quite lonely as a solo maker with only the radio and a woofer for company. I was starting to feel that having other makers around me would help lift the spirits and give me a new found love of my business.

I had driven passed the sign for Kigbeare Pottery for years, but never ventured down the road to have a nosey which is mad considering it is only 3 miles from my cottage. One of those random ‘spare of the moment’ moment’s, when driving home from the coast one day I decided to turn left and followed the signs .. and oh, I am so glad I did.

KIGBEARE POTTERY, FULL OF CHARACTER AND CHARM

Kigbeare Pottery is part of Kigbeare Manor Farm, set in a woodland about 3 miles from Okehampton. The manor dates back to the Doomsday book and the studios dating to possibly the 18 century. Originally outbuildings and a mill for the farm house, the studios are full of character, with old oak beams and stone archways overlooking a beautiful courtyard and surrounded by towering trees full of birdsong.

My new workshop is studio number 2, it is three times the size of my old spare room, has floor to ceiling windows and overlooks the courtyard with a flowerbed full of dahlias and roses that are always full of buzzy insects. I feel so at home in this new space and have really enjoyed meeting the other artists, makers and potters who have studios here.

LEATHER’S GOT A BRAND NEW HOME.

Packing up a workshop is never easy, especially when you have to negotiate a narrow and steep staircase. My poor fella had to do most of the lifting and grunting as I’ve got a horrible shoulder injury (due to have surgery at the end of the year), and I do love to overfill a box with heavy tools – Poor Charlie, although it did save him a gym membership that month.

 We built a new workbench from timber left over from a TV shoot destined for the skip, a new tool board made from local Larch and a new leather storage bench so now finally I can store all my leather flat.

I filled the van just with leather - it’s amazing how much leather one can amass over the years – and after unloading the first lot I made a coffee and sat on the floor of this new space and imagined the lay of my new workshop. It took 10 trips in total to move in, and finally after a couple of weeks of building workbenches and fitting them into place I got my tools out and started to make. The first make was a bespoke dog collar.

TRIALS AND CHALLENGES OF A NEW WORKSHOP

There have definitely been a few challenges in moving to a new workshop. Firstly, money was a big concern. My old workshop was ultimately free, I was already paying the rent to live in my cottage and suddenly having to find extra pennies to rent a workshop was a big conversation I had to have with myself and my business. Knowing I have to find extra money each month actually makes my business more viable as it forces me to really step up and make the business work for itself.

I am not a natural photographer, it takes a huge amount of energy for me to take photographs of my wares, and it took a long time to learn how the light moved in my old workshop. I finally nailed it, and then moved to a new workshop! I’m finding my feet in this new space, it will definitely take me a good few months to really learn how to best capture images and shoot videos.

My fuel costs have definitely gone up! Even though the workshop is only 3 miles away it’s made me realise how little I used my van before moving. I have a bicycle and do cycle there, but on the days when my fella is away (currently for the next 5 months working in London) Murphy comes with me to work and the road to the studio is fast and full of big lorries. Maybe I can make a bicycle trailer and cycle murphy to work with me.

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

If there is one thing that this new space has been amazing for its productivity. Being able to roll out of bed and stumble into the workshop in pyjamas if I so wished was quite lovely, but then the desire to stroll downstairs and find other things to do, like laundry, cleaning, making endless cups of tea or just pressing the button of joy to watch crap on Netflix was easily done. Ultimately procrastination is much easier when at home! My fingers have never been busier since moving, and I have most definitely found a big flare of creativity for leather again and procrastination has vanished. I wake up every morning so excited to venture to work (its not really work if you love it!), open the doors and see what the day has in store in a leathery world.

OFFERINGS FROM WARRINER LEATHER FOR 2023

I will be starting the first wave of workshops in the start of the new year 2023, I am so excited to be able to open my studios doors to you and share the world of leather craft.

One day Belt making, weekend bag making and 1:1 tuition courses will be available from January. For beginners and the more experienced alike, you can come and learn all about leather, and make something truly beautiful with your own two hands.

If you would like to learn more about the workshops and what’s involved head to the workshop page here.

 You can learn more about Kigbeare Pottery Studios and the makers in residence here.

Why not come to the Studios for a visit? We welcome people to pop in and say hello, there is a gallery showcasing all our work and wares which are for sale, and there are also jars of local Kigbeare honey for sale, my personal favourite.

Until the next time
Warmest wishes
Katy