Leather cut and stitched at the bench
Vegetable-tanned hides from a Pennsylvania tannery are cut with steel dies, edges burnished with beeswax and every seam saddle-stitched with waxed linen thread.
A makers' co-op shop · Burlington, Vermont
Made by hand, signed by the maker.
Bramble & Clay is a cooperative of twenty-three Vermont potters, weavers, leatherworkers and candle makers who share one storefront on Pine Street. Each mug, wallet and towel carries a tag with the name of the person who made it, and seventy cents of every dollar goes straight back to their studio.
Open studio afternoons every second Saturday.
The co-op in figures
- Makers share the storefront
- 23
- Of each sale returns to the maker
- 70%
- Of loom time in one linen towel
- 11 hrs
- Burn time in every eight-ounce candle
- 45 hr
Four benches behind the shelves
Most of what you see here was finished within twenty miles of the register, and every one of these studios will let you watch.
Towels woven on a 1940s loom
A rescued floor loom turns out one bath towel in eleven hours, with a herringbone twill that gets softer through the first thirty washes.
Candles poured in small batches
Soy wax is melted, scented and poured in lots of twenty-four, then left to cure for two weeks before wicks are trimmed and labels are stamped.
Linens embroidered by hand
Botanical sprigs are traced from pressed Vermont plants and stitched in cotton floss, one napkin at a time, over about ninety minutes each.
Straight off the shelf
Six pieces from six studios. Each tag names its maker, and each is packed in recycled paper with a card about its care.
Hand-thrown stoneware mug
$38Cherry cutting board
$62Pressed-sprig linen napkins, set of four
$48Woodsmoke and Fig soy candle
$26Handwoven bath towel
$44Saddle-stitched bifold wallet
$78Seen at the Saturday market
The co-op also keeps a booth at the Burlington farmers' market from May to October.
Words from the shop book
“I picked up a mug, turned it over, and the potter's name was stamped right there. I felt bad drinking from it for about a day.”
“The napkins have survived eight dinner parties and one red wine disaster. The embroidery didn't even fray.”
“My wallet looked terrible after two months and now it looks like something I earned. Everyone asks where I found it.”
Sample quotes from fictional customers.
Care, custom work and shipping
Can I commission a custom piece?
Yes. Tell us what you need and which studio's work you admire. Mugs take four weeks, leather goods three weeks and woven textiles up to eight, with a thirty percent deposit.
How should I care for the pottery and boards?
Stoneware is dishwasher-safe, but we suggest a hand wash for glazed rims. Re-oil wooden boards monthly with the mineral-oil bottle on the counter.
Do you ship outside Vermont?
Within the United States, yes, in recycled paper and plant-based tape. Shipping is six dollars on small orders, and ceramics ship double-boxed for ten.
Can I sell my own work here?
The co-op opens applications each winter. A jury of members reviews samples and prefers practiced hands that have sold at markets for at least a year.
Watch a pot being thrown.
On the second Saturday of every month, the studios behind the shop open their doors from one to four o'clock, with tea on the porch.
Visit Bramble & Clay
88 Pine St, Burlington VT
- Wed–Sat 10:00–17:30
- Sun 11:00–16:00
- Mon and Tue closed
+1 802 555 0157