The life of an island leatherworker

Having never visited Fetlar before, the Sumners arrived on the island with four horses, two dogs, two rabbits and a bucket-load of optimism to start a new life away from the busy Lake District.

“It was just getting busier and busier” in Cumbria, Lisa says. “To end up with, we just stayed at home, even on bank holidays, as it was just so busy.”

Struggling to get a foothold back in their native Cumbria after spending 13 years living in America, the family felt a move to Shetland would give them more house for their money and a slower pace of life.

“The idea of living on a remote rural island has always appealed to me. We did loads of research before we came here. We had visited Shetland before and really liked it – so we had a good idea of what life would be like here.”

The family rented a property in Fetlar for the first couple of years before buying a croft last August.

“We enjoy the crofting way of life andthe scenery. I love the sea and the cliffs and getting the chance to walk the dogs and ride the ponies.”

Life isn't without its challenges and, Lisa admits, it has been “somewhat overwhelming at times.” The traditional but-an’-ben house that they live in has been uninhabited for 11 years. “There’s a tremendous amount of work to be done, but we do have hot water now!” says Lisa.

Producing hand-crafted bags, belts, wallets, purses, journals, knitting belts, pet and equestrian items, Lisa also carries out repairs and takes commissions for bespoke pieces. “My products are made to be long-lasting and practical,” she explains.

Lisa uses British where possible, importing the leather from Yorkshire and using creative techniques to give a unique dye effect on the finished pieces. Her processes are traditional, and she rarely uses machines, favouring hand-stitching where possible. She uses natural vegetable tanned leather, using natural materials like tree bark, which is more environmentally friendly than chrome tanned leather.

Adapting to her new environment, Lisa creates traditional leather knitting belts, which are an integral part of creating knitted garments in Shetland. She supplies them to several local shops.

It’s easy to see why she is inspired by living in Fetlar. The view from her workshop window looks across to the sandy beach at Tresta and Papil Water, both framed by the dominating cliffs of Lambhoga behind. The light in the workshop is natural and pure, creating the ideal space to work and create.

Shetland’s thriving arts and crafts scene was one of the things that appealed to Lisa when the family were considering a move to Shetland.

“The creative arts are really well supported here, so I wanted to be somewhere that I can expand my creative business,” says Lisa.

Although traditional jobs are hard to come by in places like Fetlar, it is a good place to have a creative business.

“If you can work from home and sell online, using your online tools, then it’s as good as anywhere else. There are shops that I can get my work out to, and there are lots of events going on so you can get out to these events with your work.

“There are also visitors to the isle, they’ll often pop into the workshop, and there are lots of other creative people here. We have a makers’ group where we talk about what we’re making, how to improve things, how to sell things, how to market things.

“The greatest challenge that I face here is just getting things delivered, but other than that – and maybe the poor broadband connection sometimes – it’s a good place to work.”

Lisa enjoys the freedom and flexibility of living in a rural community and of being her own boss. On nice days she can choose to take a longer dog walk or go for a hike along the coast, and work later at night, or, if it’s a rainy weekend, “I just work through the weekend – it’s the flexibility that I enjoy,” she says.