In my series titled Hidden Gems I would like to introduce you to Joe the owner of  Whip Stitch Wallets!!

Joe would you share with my readers a little bit about yourself and your Etsy shop.

I started my wallet shop because I saw a legitimate void that I could fill. I only noticed it because I was shopping for a wallet myself, and couldn’t find what I was looking for. When I set my sites on making my own, I began obsessively collecting every resource I could and spent all my free time after work experimenting in my garage. Years later, wallets are still the only thing I make.

What first got you interested in your craft…..

I used to be obsessed with origami, so one year my wife got me an “origami wallet;” a wallet folded from a single piece of leather with no stitching. I reverse engineered the wallet and made one myself, which was a big part of why I was confident that I could make top quality pieces if I put the time and effort into researching and practicing.

Please describe your creative process….

All of my products are made from the same 2-3 oz veg-tanned leather. I use polyester thread and cotton thread, but I am now transitioning to making all my products with Irish linen thread. I like working with set materials like this because I can anticipate what will and won’t work more easily when designing. My creative process, honestly, is keeping up with suggestions I get from people. For example, before I had any designs for women, My wife’s cousin asked for a simple wallet with a snap. I designed it in about half an hour, and it is one of my best-selling designs. Now, my wife’s best friend wants me to add a pocket and decorative stitching to that design, so when I get that worked out I’m sure it will sell well also. Another example is when my friend told me he wanted something more secure than my fisherman wallet, so now I am working on something similar with an extra flap and stitched-in money clip. I just make what people ask for; that’s how I know I’m making something people want.

Apart from creating things, what do you do…..

I have way too many hobbies, I don’t have nearly enough time for any of them. I collect old pennies, play guitar,and fold origami. But more commonly outside of wallet making I’ll just hang out with my wife and friends.

Check out Joe’s shop at Etsy and his about page to learn more about the man behind these GREAT creations: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhipstitchWallets/about

Where can people find you on the internet…..

You can find Joe at:

www.etsy.com/shop/whipstitchwallets  www.facebook.com/whipstitchwallets  

I would like to thank Joe of Whip Stitch Wallets for allowing me to share his shop and his creative mind!!