Description
Date: May 23rd – 25th 2025. Class starts at 9am on the 23rd, and finishes 4pm on the 25th.
Instructor: Forrest Gillies
Location: Paonia, Colorado (Groundwork Farm — See map).
Lodging: Rustic camping along the North Fork of the Gunnison River with access to composting toilets. AirBnb/Hotels are available in Paonia.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner are provided during the weekend, with organic ingredients from our educational farm.
Level: Beginner (No experience required)
Join us at the Groundwork Educational Farm for 3 days of immersion into the art and craft of hide tanning! Over the course of a long weekend, we will take raw sheep hides and transform them into soft, supple and durable sheepskin rugs. The class will cover all steps involved with hair-on smoke tanning, with other lectures and demonstrations on topics including tanning hair-off hides(buckskin), bark tanning, and leather sewing/clothing making. You will be able to leave this course with the basic, fundamental understanding of how to transform hides right off the animal into usable textile for clothing, bedding or decor. This course also offers the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, camp for 3 nights along the bank of the North Fork Gunnison River, and eat from the land!
