Touchstone
CENTER FOR CRAFTS

Molly Grant will be teaching two workshops at Touchstone in 2018! ‘Cordwainer Craft: Making Classic Handmade Leather Shoes’ from July 9-13, 2018 AND ‘Leather Bag Design and Sewing’ from July 16-20, 2018

You will be amazed and proud of the work YOU can do in these workshops!



Cordwainer shoes are unique in the world of shoemaking. In this weeklong workshop ‘Making Classic Handmade Leather Shoes’ from July 9-13, using original tin patterns from the 1920s, students will learn about basic pattern making and then move forward from there. You will choose from an array of leathers and make your shoes to your exact foot measurement. From cutting the leather, lacing the uppers together, and then culminating with hand-lacing the soles to the uppers, your final product will leave you with a unique pair of Cordwainer shoes. This workshop is suitable for All Levels.


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In this weeklong workshop ‘Leather Bag Design and Sewing’ from July 16-20, students will discover the basics of pattern making and creative ways to make knots and straps. Learning the beginning steps of sewing with leather on a portable industrial sewing machine, you will make three bags: a small zippered bag, a Molly bag, and a one-of-a-kind bag of your own design. A few of the designs offered are: cell phone purses and iPad and computer covers. This workshop is suitable for All Levels.


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Molly Grant began leatherworking in her early twenties, first by working on her own and then by apprenticing at the Black Swan Leather shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire—where she learned the basic skills of traditional leatherworking. Molly first saw Cordwainer Shoes when she was ten years old at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair, known nationally as the oldest craft fair in the nation. She became a juried member in 1989, and participated by showing her line of handbags. There, she had the opportunity to meet Paul Mathews, owner of the Cordwainer Shop. Within a few months’ time Molly was traveling to craft shows nationally with Paul and learning the Cordwainer art. Molly still makes handbags, but the main business is teaching shoemaking workshops at the Deerfield, New Hampshire shop and at craft schools across the country.


To see more of Molly’s work visit cordwainershop.com and follow her on Instagram @cordwainershop


Mission Statement: Touchstone Center for Crafts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression.

Touchstone Center for Crafts condemns all acts of racism, discrimination, and senseless violence. We firmly believe that everyone has a right to dignity, respect, and equality without fear.  As an organization, we commit to listen and learn and to grow. We will continue to work to empower people to use art as a means of expression, a way to build community, and a powerful voice for change.

Touchstone Center for Crafts · 1049 Wharton Furnace Rd. · Farmington · PA 15437

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