Meet the mastermind behind AJ Leðursaumur: Anna Jóhannesdóttir. Anna grew up in Skagafjörður and developed a passion for sewing at a young age. She learned the basics sewing in primary school and quickly fell in love with the craft. In 1984, she moved to the farm Hjaltastadir with her late husband where they raised dairy cows, sheep, and horses. As she started her own family, she continued to sew and create beautiful clothing pieces for her children.

In 2002, she suffered a setback when she was run over by a cow and hurt her back. When she could not work much on the farm after that, she remained determined and continued to pursue her passion for sewing. She owned a leather sewing machine and kept herself busy with that afterwards.

 

Six months later, she attended her first course for leather sewing in Blönduos, taught by a clothes designer. The course gave her the self-confidence to create her own designs and put her ideas into being. She learned a lot by trying things on her own and worked out how to create the perfect product by using it herself first. Starting with saddle bags, she tested her own design on her own horses and continued to develop her skills and create new designs.

Anna's journey in the leatherworking industry began when her skills were discovered through word of mouth. She was soon invited to her first trade fair in  Eyjafjörður, where she was welcomed into the network of tradespeople in Iceland.

Throughout the years, Anna collaborated with many skilled individuals and learned from them. In 2008, she purchased a large sewing machine for leather and began repairing saddles, eventually becoming mentored by the best in the business in Iceland. Today, it's common for people to visit her farm and leave their saddle for repair. In 2014, Anna and her family renovated the old farmhouse and turned it into a guest house, where she had a large workshop and a small exhibition. Additionally, she taught for three years in a factory workshop in Sauðurkrokur and provided individual courses in her own workshop. While the guest house is closed now, she continues to work in her workshop and create new designs.

 

Her passion for sewing and dedication to her craft is evident in every piece she creates. Today, she is an experienced and skilled seamstress who creates beautiful and functional leather products.