Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Fletcher
Hi Jessie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well let’s see. I started out working professionally in higher education after earning my Master’s Degree from Appalachian State University. I worked in higher education for approximately 15 years before going full time with my leather work. My husband spent a great deal of time in a harness shop when he was younger so he had a background in leatherwork, which is where my interest sparked.
About 12 years ago, he made me a leather purse, stitched by hand. When I saw him sewing, I thought to myself, “I bet I could do that!” At the time, it would be a great distraction from the current high-stress career position I found myself in and there was something so appealing to me about leather; the organic smell, the texture and its usefulness. I loved the idea that the leather between my hands was, at some point, roaming on the range somewhere out west and now, I get to preserve that for years to come through my creations.
The first time I stuck the needle through the leather, I fell in love with leatherwork. I would stay up late every night after the kids were asleep and work on my craft on weekends. After a year or so of learning the craft, I started doing festivals and street shows. And I started praying. Praying for God to make a way for me to do this full time and for the opportunity to spend more time with my family on our little farm. I knew the Lord had shown me my gift and I and I was ready to do whatever it took for me to see it to fruition. After 2 very hard years, the Lord saw me through it and now I get to live my dream everyday.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With that being said, learning leatherwork is not for the faint of heart! It’s hours upon hours of practice and messing up and starting over. This part of the country doesn’t have the same learning resources as out west so you spend A LOT of time watching videos and basically teaching yourself. If one of my sewing machines has an issue, it’s very difficult to find someone who can work on them because they’re so big, so I learned to work on them myself, So, lots of learning curves regarding machinery and leather and also just how to run a business. I was also working full time with two young kiddos that need me, which taught me to be an expert in time management. And I also had to come to terms with the idea that I would no longer be putting those college degrees to work. Knowing how hard I had worked for my education made it challenging for me to walk away from my career at the time.
But, I believe that anything worth doing is hard work and hard decisions. And all of those things, the stressful job, having a young family, walking away from an established career and learning to do this craft; I used it all as motivation to push forward. Once I knew that this was the plan that the Lord had for me, I couldn’t see myself anywhere but my leather shop and I didn’t let anything blur that vision.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I own Down South Leather. I am a leatherworker who specializes in women’s totes, crossbody bags, wallets, travel and work accessories. I use only high quality leather which has been tanned in the USA and all solid brass or solid copper hardware.
I am known for my simple but functional designs as well as my high standards for not only my leather but also my quality of work. I’m constantly striving to perfect my craft and learn new techniques but also believe that you don’t need to do a lot to leather to make it beautiful. Most notably, I’m know for my logo(which I created myself), that features my beloved rescue dog, Maggie. Maggie and I found each other when I was 21 years old and I had her for 17 sweet years. We went everywhere together, from the grocery store to vacation. When I started my business, Maggie was 15 and I knew she wouldn’t live forever. I decided that she should be the brand for my business, since she spent more time in my shop with me than anyone, patiently laying at my feet, just happy to be where I was. Now, ol’ Maggie has traveled the world. She was my best friend.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I’m not sure I can name just one! I think my love for the craft, my work ethic and my ability to communicate with people have been most important to my success thus far. You can be passionate about something, but unless you’re ready to roll your sleeves up and work/fight for it, nothing will ever happen. With all that being said, I know that none of this would be possible without Jesus. Without him, I don’t have any of those things. He brought purpose to my life in a way I never saw coming!
Pricing:
- Range from $5-500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.downsouthleather.com
- Instagram: @downsouthleather
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downsouthleather
