All About The Hillbilly Bougie by Kimmikj

About my family and the name, The Hillbilly Bougie. I grew up on an orange ranch; my dad was a farmer whose dad was a farmer, whose dad was a farmer. My mom was raised by Dust Bowl immigrants; her father was a migrant farm worker who worked on oil rigs in Texas. Grandpa Rufus had a twin brother who fell from a rig and was killed. He then traveled to Kern County, where he became a foreman working the fields. Both my grandmas sewed. Grandma G. sewed clothing for her family, made dish towels, pillowcases, crazy gifts for us kids (which I didn’t really appreciate at the time) and home items. Grandmother H. worked the fields with her husband, picking cotton and potatoes. Later, she cleaned banks and finally had a custom drapery business.

I come from people who didn’t waste anything. I’m sure a lot of that had to do with the Great Depression. And so, I have always been committed to reusing and making things new again.  Anyway, back to the name The Hillbilly Bougie: the hillbilly part comes from my mom’s side, and, to us, it is not derogatory. Sometimes it was actually used as a point of pride. Interestingly enough, my dad’s side was a bit more bougie, although not as bougie as me. They were farmers and landowners who hired migrant workers. If you have ever read The Grapes of Wrath, both sides of my family are represented. The common denominator between both families was “waste not, want not,” which is one reason why I like working with leather: it is durable, gets better with age, and lasts a long time. 

Which brings me to my leather journey.

I started by recovering a few bar stools for my house with a purchased black and white cowhide.  Of course, I couldn’t just waste what was leftover Which led me to create my first leather bag.  I didn’t have much in the way of a pattern, but I knew what I wanted it to look like. It’s still my favorite bag to carry and to make.  I even craft this bag out of old mink stoles and coats.  I call it the State Street.

This summer has seen me embark on yet another leather journey.  As some of you know last summer I traveled to the East Coast and took a Pathfinder, shoe class.  It was fun and I learned a lot and have great memories from that trip.  But I literally thought that would be the end of the shoe making journey!  Little did I know that I would come across the practically ancient craft of Italian Sandal Making.