Memories are often linked with our five senses. Similar to how a rainy Saturday can be etched into our memories with the musky smell of rain embedded in our heads, the scent of leather filled the memories of 15 alumni who attended the Marble L-Zip Leather Pouch Making Workshop at Maketh Project.
These alumni gathered on a seemingly gloomy morning on Saturday, 19 November 2022, to add colour to their lives by making their own hand-stitched, unique pouches. With guidance from the instructor, these amateur makers were handed their own pieces of leather (to be cut into the desired pouch shape), fork tools, polish (wax), and even tools that allowed them to engrave letters onto their pouches.
Starting off by tracing the pouch shape, it led to the detailed work of cutting it with a pen knife and then using a specific glue to glue the zipper to the leather. Practising with the hammer and engraving tool also took place before being able to do so on the real leather. You could then choose the colour of the thread to be used to sew the edges together. Making a choice took a second for some, but the fickle-minded found it a chore indeed. Those who came with prior sewing knowledge shone at this point as they breezed through the sewing of the edges, while the rest required a tad more assistance from the instructor.
Adding to the smell of leather and the sound of hammers, a whiff of paint was now added to the list of senses evoked. Alumni could choose to either colour their pouches a single colour or a hip, marbled design. This personalisation made the pouch-making experience even more unique and catered to each individual’s taste. Our alumnus’ creativity shone with the choosing of their thread colour and pairing this with the paint on their pouches. It was as if our senses were encouraged to be in touch with our creative side on that fine Saturday.
I have heard that when we are in tune with our senses, our body becomes one, and we heal. Saturday’s session turned out to be a session of therapeutic sounds and smells, paired with a side of creative fun!
