I first started making tiny books 11 years ago to give my favourite itty bitty leather scraps a proper home. Tiny beckons. The mini books lured people in at craft shows and fueled conversation. Soon after I added chains and the useable book necklace came to life!

We continue to make new book necklaces with our favourite vintage leather scraps, adding new collections into the mix as the small batches of the olde are used up! We are also psyched to present some new classics using our brown and black veg tanned scraps – Harper and Jackson Book Necklaces and Mini Artist Sketchbook!

Over the years people have shared the mini projects they have created with their book necklaces or mini sketchbooks with us, ranging from exquisite tiny drawings to collecting signatures and doodles at concerts, to gathering kids’ fingerprints – one woman even wrote her will on the pages of her Library necklace!

With the launch of our Harper and Jackson Book Necklaces and Mini Sketchbooks, Walter and I decided to embark on our own mini project that we’ve entitled The Tiny Portrait Project! Join us or follow along @pegandawlbuilt and @thebrotherskent, and of course @pegandawl on Instagram.

We cannot wait to see what you come up with! Share your work with #pegandawlmini and #pegandawlbinds and we’ll pick a few to share every week!

Harper and Jackson Book Necklaces

New book necklaces made with our popular vegetable-tanned leather.

The Harper Book Necklace with Tie	The Jackson Book Necklace

Of a Kinds Book Necklaces

Refreshed Of a Kind book necklaces made with reclaimed leather.

Book Necklace: Shale	Book Necklace: Squill

Mini Artist Sketchbook

Reintroducing a niche favourite from Peg and Awl’s early years.

Mini Artist Sketchbook	Mini Artist Sketchbook

Better Homes & Gardens’ Do It Yourself magazine featured our Anselm Bookbinding Kit in their Fall 2018 issue! Click here to see the feature.

Last week’s Birthday and Father’s Day adventuring led us to a farm house in PA built in the 1700s. I must confess, while the art of slow living sounds delightful, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I just spent 5 days with my family shuffling from one adventure to another. We all love moving – seeing all that we can see and doing all that we can do – until we collapse.

Our work is often disguised as adventure and vacation, or the other way around. I cannot quite tell which way is up, but it gives me purpose. And, of course, everything in life is how you frame it. I believe we divide too much in our modern world. We’ve got time for work and time for school, and if we are lucky – time for family and if we are REALLY lucky, time for ourselves. So happy that I can call drawing and journaling with Søren, Silas, and Walter in Kempton, PA – along with fossil finding, kayaking, flea marketing, Crystal Caving and concert going – work, school, AND family time.

Small Hunter Satchel	Leather Journals
Anselm Bookbinding Kit	Little Rogue Backpack
The Sendak Artist Roll	Weekender

We have always been inspired by nature and are so happy to have begun transforming our Philadelphia acre of concrete jungle into green space filled with life! So far we’ve planted veggies and herbs and flowers, and introduced two honey bee hives (and Walter and Silas have fallen in love with Bee Daddying!). Slowly but surely, each little change is brightening up our space and the neighborhood! Neighbors have been stopping by to chat, ask questions, or simply say “hello!”

The Peg and Awl gardens will no doubt influence future products, but until then, find inspiration in some of our nature-inspired classics!

Bloom Pouches	Botanical Coptic Journal
Botanical Jewelry	Botanical Desk Caddies

For most of my life I’ve carried things to keep me occupied – often in the form of books. They offered entertainment when stuck in a line or having arrived somewhere early – which I always did. I was pleased to be lost in a story or scribbling in a journal – unaware of the wait.

So, when the idea for The Sendak took hold, I was excited at the thought of bringing more organized ‘things to do’ on outings. And we’ve discovered, whilst perfect for the solo artist, The Sendak also turns out to be a sensational family centerpiece! For us it’s been fun way to engage with hungry boys during The Waiting at a restaurant, a lifesaver on long car rides, and ever-exciting to unfold and repack for each excursion.

The more often we open our Sendak, the less often we get caught ‘Blue-facing’ – our family name for phone and tablet excess. Our hands criss-cross as we reach for coloured pencils, pens, erasers, and our minds ignite – pass your paper to the right, a round of exquisite corpse anyone?

Whether your Sendak brings your own family together or accompanies you on solo en plein air excursions we know one thing: People dig ’em, ’cause we’ve been sending them out as quickly as we can make them!

The Sendak Artist Roll	All Black Sendak Artist Roll

We’ve been delighted to see everyone sharing their Sendaks in the wild and are psyched to share some of the amazing artists + makers who have put theirs to good use!

Don’t forget to #pegandawl so we can share yours!

Darla’s work is among my very favourite! I love seeing her All Black Sendak all clay-y and Darla-style. See a video of her and her latest project here and visit her website here!

Thanks to Luna Howell for this thorough and beautifully photographed review of the Sendak! So nice to see her work and read her feedback!

Lovely Samantha Dion Baker, whom I met this winter at the Philadelphia Flower Show (I knew her via IG only prior!) never ceases to amaze with her Sketch Journal pages. And she has a new book coming out called Draw Your Day! Preorders are awesome for artists, so if this sounds awesome, get yours here!

Yulia, one of the most enthusiastic Peg and Awl supporters was invited to Japan to participate in New York Fair and her and her husband are exploring Japan for the month completely bedecked Peg and Awl!

I always enjoy following along with fellow daily journaler Catharine MiSook and her endless stream of analog love!

It is always a delight to converse with Moneeza, Founder of Lotus Blu Book Art, A small family run artisan bindery based in West Yorkshire England. The Sendak looks right at home here!

Thanks to everyone who is sharing photograph of their Sendaks in use! Use #pegandawl or tag us @pegandawl ! I LOVE sharing your beautiful photographs and spaces in my stories and feed and am always on the lookout for more!

May 15, 2018

Luna Howell wrote an excellent review and took beautiful photographs of our Sendak Artist Roll. Read the review on her blog!

“Not only is it beautiful, but it is also sturdy! The waxed canvas feels very durable, like it will age well. I also enjoy the fact that the Sendak has a big carrying capacity compared to most rolls I’ve seen around. It keeps my favorite art supplies organized, which is a big relief for a messy person like me. That means that it also makes the art making process easier. Now, when I draw or paint I always know where everything is! It’s a wonderful feeling!”

Read Luna’s full review here.

Mountain of Ink wrote an in-depth review of our Sendak Artist Roll! Read their full review on their website!

“It’s been a while since I’ve done a pen case review, so I thought I’d share one I’ve been using lately. The Sendak is made by Peg and Awl, I have the truffle waxed duck canvas with brown leather version.

Peg and Awl is a family-run company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They collect pre-owned and vintage materials and re-work them into new items. I love that they focus on recycling. I have their medium waxed canvas pouch as well, and use it daily.

…

I really like this case. It holds a lot and is very durable. Give it a try, you might love it.”

Read the full review here.

Spring is finally here and as we look out of our kitchen window we see our happy city boys, country-like, on our Olde-Fashioned Tree Swing, spinning, piling-up, climbing and sometimes even swinging!

We love looking at simple useful objects from the past for the stories they contain and the stories and life they can give. Our Tree Swing is exactly that, and a perfect example of an object we used to make for ourselves and now we make for everyone!

We have sent our swings across the world where they hang in backyards, grandparents’ homes, porches, offices, living rooms, and historic parks like Bartram’s Garden. They’ve made beautiful props for weddings and all kinds of photoshoots. With our Tree Swings, we have been able to share the joy that we saw in our boys’ eyes when we made the first 8 years ago!

Olde-Fashioned Tree Swing	Tree Swing for One

May 11, 2018

Etsy visited our new Philadelphia shoppe and filmed this beautiful video as part of their Seller Stories series!

This time of year has our hearts yearning for elsewhere. We packed our Weekenders – the first with the new veg tanned leather* – with journals, books, stuffed Sendaks and clothes and took off for Italy - first to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, then to Venice! We spent our days wandering the city streets – playing, sketching, and indulging in pizza and gelato. The new sounds and fresh perspective ignited a spark that our long winter had snuffed out. Our purpose for 11 days was to just be.

Companions Harper + Jackson	Weekender with Veg Tanned Leather

I bought my first big journal in Venice after graduating from high school. It fell apart fairly quickly and its undoing revealed to me the secrets of bookbinding. I was determined to make a book that could withstand the abuse of everyday use and stuffing.

After a lot of trial and error I did it – and I’ve made a lot of journals since. At Peg and Awl we’ve offered a variety of sizes but the request for large journals is persistent. Finally – our Companion size, the first of our big journals is here!

Silas in my Rogue	Bologna, view from a tower!
Walking in Venice	Søren with Little Rogue
Weekender	“No More Cameras!”

This morning in Philadelphia, the sun shines brightly, the birds are singing, and the flowers are bursting out of the dirt. I’m content to find a spot in the woods, open a Sendak and draw all day long… I am documenting the flowers I see in my #100dayproject on Instagram @thebrotherskent – ’tis a yearly project that begins April 3rd – it’s not too late to jump in!

*we have a few Antique Leather Weekenders remaining on the site – if you’ve been wanting one now is the time as these and all of the rest of our antique leather bags are finding fast homes all over the world!