story

Welcome to Larch Camp, I’m Isabel, and I make these bags. When I started Larch Camp 3 years ago at my kitchen table, my dream was to make an unmatched leather bag that combined quality, beauty, durability, simplicity, and femininity. I love making art and working with my hands, and the combination of rich leather, the slow process of creation, and the utilitarian nature of vessels makes my heart sing. 

Each bag is entirely handmade. Each one is patterned, cut, punched, and hand-stitched in my studio. Hand-stitching is a time-intensive process, and the results it yields are unmatched. Unlike machine sewn stitches, hand-sewn stitches do not rely on their neighbor stitch for integrity, so if one stitch is broken the piece will not unravel. Hand-stitching is also beautiful to look at, which is why I stitch the bags right-side-out.

These bags are made from vegetable tanned leather. Vegetable tanning is a process that uses vegetable matter (such as tree bark) to preserve and color an animal hide and turn it into leather. The process takes 1-2 months! Veg tan leather is known for its depth of color, durability, and the beautiful patina it develops with use and time. 

Transparency in process is important to me, which is why I take pride in sourcing my leather from Wickett and Craig in Pennsylvania and my thread from Maine Thread Company. The beautiful brass leather punch I use was machined in South Korea by Sinabroks. 

Each Larch Camp bag is made to order, with love.