Image credit: Melissa Coulier
Hola friends! I am Jessi Konley, owner, designer, creator, seamstress, boss lady, and mess maker at Red Dog Leather Goods. Born and raised in Montana, I currently reside in Livingston, MT.
My cozy house is made a home by my handsome Minnesota husband, one dang cute toddler and his new little brother, two cats and our labradoodle.
I truly believe that Montana leaves an impression; it creates forever deepening grooves full of memories and experiences on those of us who are fortunate enough to call her home. I am no exception to this and currently I am working in 34 years of being molded by my home state. I try to pinpoint the moments that made me who I am, the minutes in time that forged my values and beliefs, and the memories that are called upon while creating art.
Maybe it was the art kits gifted to me by my great grandmother, who was instrumental in starting the Water Works Museum in Miles City, MT. It certainly could’ve been the hours spent at garage sales and thrift stores with my frugal and hard working mother. Or the hours we spent working shoulder to shoulder into the night sewing clothing projects for 4-H that were due the next day. It may have been my father’s affinity for rusty old automobiles, or his wheeler and dealer ways, always bringing home different old cars for us girls to romp around in. I remember vividly taking in the smell of the upholstery, the intricate detail on the radio knobs, the patina of the paint and the roaring sound of the motor running as he drove us around town in the back of the car, three giggling girls sitting on giant gold, tasseled, velour floor pillows. There is no one moment but instead they all meld together, sometimes it’s just a blur of scents and sounds. They all created me; Montana has formed me and ultimately my art.
I am obsessed with the texture and daydreaming about the former life of vintage fabrics, the whirl of the sewing machine, the tink of pins, the smell of leather and the satisfaction of cutting a big buttery piece to create the bottom of a backpack. Afternoon drives to small town Montana in order to thrift fabric sets my soul on fire. The rolling hills, jagged snow capped mountains, the powerful Yellowstone River and fields, upon fields of cattle, deer, horses and pivot lines.
At the end of the day I do what I do because I come from a long line of seamstresses, because I was born to create, because I have so much to give, simply because I have to.
Hola friends! I am Jessi Konley, owner, designer, creator, seamstress, boss lady, and mess maker at Red Dog Leather Goods. Born and raised in Montana, I currently reside in Livingston, MT.
My cozy house is made a home by my handsome Minnesota husband, one dang cute toddler and his new little brother, two cats and our labradoodle.
I truly believe that Montana leaves an impression; it creates forever deepening grooves full of memories and experiences on those of us who are fortunate enough to call her home. I am no exception to this and currently I am working in 34 years of being molded by my home state. I try to pinpoint the moments that made me who I am, the minutes in time that forged my values and beliefs, and the memories that are called upon while creating art.
Maybe it was the art kits gifted to me by my great grandmother, who was instrumental in starting the Water Works Museum in Miles City, MT. It certainly could’ve been the hours spent at garage sales and thrift stores with my frugal and hard working mother. Or the hours we spent working shoulder to shoulder into the night sewing clothing projects for 4-H that were due the next day. It may have been my father’s affinity for rusty old automobiles, or his wheeler and dealer ways, always bringing home different old cars for us girls to romp around in. I remember vividly taking in the smell of the upholstery, the intricate detail on the radio knobs, the patina of the paint and the roaring sound of the motor running as he drove us around town in the back of the car, three giggling girls sitting on giant gold, tasseled, velour floor pillows. There is no one moment but instead they all meld together, sometimes it’s just a blur of scents and sounds. They all created me; Montana has formed me and ultimately my art.
I am obsessed with the texture and daydreaming about the former life of vintage fabrics, the whirl of the sewing machine, the tink of pins, the smell of leather and the satisfaction of cutting a big buttery piece to create the bottom of a backpack. Afternoon drives to small town Montana in order to thrift fabric sets my soul on fire. The rolling hills, jagged snow capped mountains, the powerful Yellowstone River and fields, upon fields of cattle, deer, horses and pivot lines.
At the end of the day I do what I do because I come from a long line of seamstresses, because I was born to create, because I have so much to give, simply because I have to.
