If you have been a long-time friend of Babylon Leather, you are undoubtedly familiar with the name Lloyd. Whether in the quiet of the early morning or the depth of the night, whenever a question arises about an order or you find yourself overwhelmed by a sea of scattered leather pieces, Lloyd is usually the one on the other side of the screen. He is our guardian behind the scenes—the person who always says, “Please contact me freely,” tirelessly reshipping parts, explaining steps, or simply listening as you share the joy of your latest creation.
Lloyd often says his job is not just about solving problems; it is about serving as the “ears” of Babylon Leather, listening to the voices of crafters from every corner of the globe. But in early 2025, when Lloyd opened an email from Maryland in the United States, he had no idea he was about to embark on a journey that would become a cherished chapter in our brand’s history.
How We Met the “Elf of the West”
In early January 2025, Babylon Leather received an order for a tan Togo Leather Birkin (#7477). This particular order was a gift that a son purchased for his mother. After receiving her gift and successfully completing the assembly, she could hardly wait to contact Lloyd at Babylon Leather and share how happy she was with the outcome.
This maker had some previous experience making handbags with a sewing machine, but she had never tried making one completely by hand. She had admired Hermès Birkin bags for many years, yet their high price had always placed them out of reach. You can imagine her excitement after successfully completing her own handmade, Togo leather-inspired Birkin. The experience completely changed the way she looked at handbag making.
From her enthusiastic note and photos, it was easy to see that this would not be the last we heard from her. We were certain that this new customer would create more of our handbags. What we did not yet know was that she would also become a special part of Babylon Leather. That is how we came to meet Roxanne—or, as we now call her, the “Elf of the West.”
The Missing Puzzle Piece
Our story continued because Roxanne noticed something that could help our customers and decided to write to us with her thoughts. Her suggestion was one we immediately welcomed, and it became the missing puzzle piece in helping makers assemble our products.
Roxanne proposed that written instructions—particularly for more complicated assemblies—would be a valuable addition for any maker. They would naturally benefit someone new to leathercraft, but they could also help those with more experience.
What we did not realize at first was that Roxanne was not only an artisan but also an internationally recognized painter whose designs had been published in magazines around the world. She did not simply create the paintings; she also wrote the accompanying how-to instructions for the magazine articles. That experience made her a perfect—or “seamless”—fit for the work, if you will forgive the pun.
Roxanne sent us a short excerpt to illustrate what she was proposing. The example followed the same sequence shown in our video, which made it easy to follow, but it offered even more. It used a consistent format, suggested alternative ways to approach certain steps, and allowed a more experienced bag maker to skip ahead and find only the information they needed.
Through written explanations, diagrams, and photographs, it also helped bridge communication gaps with a more universal visual language. Written guidance lets a maker slow down the learning process when a video moves too quickly. We immediately knew that these tutorials were something we wanted to incorporate into our work, and the rest is history.
Slow Work, Made to Help Others
Our Birkin Making Guide is the result of more than 100 hours of meticulous work by the “Elf of the West.” It is a true labor of love—what we call “slow work.” To write the tutorial, Roxanne intentionally documented her own crafting process. She stopped at every critical step to adjust the lighting and capture the details in each photograph.
By assembling the product herself as she wrote, she was able to draw on her own experience of working through the bag and provide far more detail. She did not simply explain where to stitch. Using her artistic logic, she also explained why it should be done that way. Sometimes the “why” makes all the difference: once you understand the process, the entire project becomes clearer. The maker can then carry that knowledge forward and create even more wonderful things with confidence.
After completing the Birkin instructions, our first installment, Roxanne wondered whether a Saddle Stitch Tutorial might also be helpful. Saddle stitching is fundamental for anyone who hand-stitches a bag, both for its appearance and for its practical strength. It is a skill that needs to be learned early because the result of the entire project can depend on it.
Although Roxanne already knew how to saddle stitch, she found that the video tutorial moved very quickly and worried that other makers might feel the same way. She mentioned this to Lloyd, and together they agreed that a step-by-step tutorial covering the two saddle-stitching methods shown in the assembly videos would be a valuable addition. That is how the second tutorial—the Babylon Saddle Stitching Guide—came to be.
Find a Hole and Fill It
One of Roxanne’s favorite quotes comes from Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics: “Find a hole and fill it.” In other words, when there is a need, provide a solution. That way of thinking is what brought Roxanne to us, and it has also made us more attentive to the things that may still need a little “filling.” As a young company, we know there are places where we can improve, and we use this same philosophy to keep looking at the bigger picture.
When the beautifully formatted, logically rigorous 14-page PDF arrived in Lloyd’s inbox in late September, the entire team was moved. This was not just a manual. It was a profound act of kindness from Roxanne to makers she might never meet. It is our wish, as well as Roxanne’s, that these tutorials make the journey easier and encourage more people to continue creating beautiful things.
To Every Angel Among Us
In the story of Babylon Leather, the protagonists have never been the leather hides, but people like Roxanne. We are well aware that, as a young brand, we still have many “holes” to fill. But we listen to our customers, respect their thoughts and ideas, and insist on making things the best we possibly can. We feel tremendously blessed to have the world’s best customers.
You are the angels in our story. Your faith, grace, and patience—even when we get something wrong from time to time—inspire us to do better every day. You take the time to write thoughtful reviews, help one another in our community groups, and, like Roxanne, pick up a pen to smooth the path for those who follow.
Today, we share Roxanne’s tutorial with every friend who embarks on the Birkin project, with more tutorials still to come. When you open the guide and thread your needles, please know that a tremendous amount of support comes with the Babylon Leather name, and that your success with our products matters deeply to us.
To Roxanne, and to all of our wonderful customers, we say: thank you for filling our hearts.
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