Who We Are
A Well Worn Story is a sewing studio based in New Glarus, Wisconsin creating handcrafted leather and canvas goods. Run by husband and wife team, Tim and Morgann Boettner, A Well Worn Story focuses on making beautiful products from natural, high quality materials that will get better with age, telling your unique story.
We believe God created the world and man in his image, so humans are uniquely designed to create beautiful products that reflect His glory. That’s our goal everyday.
welcome to a well worn story
In many ways, sewing has become a lost art in America. We are passionate about bringing back quality made goods that are beautiful, timeless in style, and crafted by people you know. Therefore, we take time to create each product with care for the person who will use it. The opposite of the “instant gratification” model we see from many clothing companies today.
What does it mean to be “well-worn”? It’s a lifestyle in which we honor our wrinkles and scars. Each one brings to life a glorious patina, telling a story of how we live our lives abundantly to serve others. Much like a perfectly worn-in pair of jeans, we hope our work will become heirloom goods; the items you want to use everyday, enjoy to the fullest, then pass down to the next generation.
Use it. Wear it in. Pass on the story.
God bless you and thanks for being here!
Tim + Morgann
Our Makers Mark
We often get asked, “why is your logo a pine tree?” A white pine tree is an evergreen tree, meaning it does not shed its needles in the winter. They are specifically known for growing straight and strong with a great ability to withstand harsh weather. Our maker's mark is a white pine tree and you’ll be able to find it on many of our products, as well as in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, one of our favorite places. It represents steadfastness and longevity. We hope it reminds you to “take the narrow path”.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
It all started with a little Etsy shop that Morgann began as a side hustle in 2013. A Well Worn Story began by using all reclaimed and vintage textiles to create one-of-a-kind goods. After years of salvaging old fabrics and finding vintage leather bags at flea markets, Morgann felt inspired to design and make similar bags from new, quality materials that would eventually become heirloom goods. Years later she met Tim, a woodworker with a dream of opening a storefront featuring handcrafted and locally made goods. They got married, had a baby, and, with a lot of love and perseverance, it has become the family business it is today.
Her love of textiles began as a child while watching her grandma and mother sew. Morgann quickly became interested in fashion, specifically the way clothing held good memories - grandpa’s wool hunting jacket, grandma’s floral dress, or dad’s leather briefcase. She attended Iowa State University where she received a degree in Fashion Design, Merchandising and Production. While in college, she studied abroad at The London College of Fashion where she fell in love with leather-work, quality craftsmanship, and English architecture. She loves being a mother, living in small town Wisconsin, and hanging at a lake in the Northwoods every chance she gets.
Tim grew up camping and taking family vacations to National Parks. He’s always had a love of the outdoors and building things. After serving in the US Army, Tim started working at a company making tactical gear. There he learned how to sew on an industrial sewing machine, rekindling his interest in building quality things with his hands. He pursued a creative career in woodworking, working on everything from kitchen cabinets to milling lumber. He eventually met Morgann where they put their skills together to grow A Well Worn Story into a family business. He loves being a father, drinking a good old-fashioned, and dinner at a Wisconsin supper club.
our story
morgann
tim
Every step of the making process is done in our New Glarus, WI sewing studio. Each product is designed, patterned, cut, beveled, burnished, and sewn by us. There is no outsourcing or cutting corners. Visit our mercantile and studio to take a peek into our process and watch us sew your leather goods!
Our Process
how it works
Shop our products in person at our mercantile where we have many different styles in stock and ready to purchase. Or customize your product by purchasing it online where you can pick your style and color combination, then we will make it in 4-6 weeks and ship it to your door. Local pick up is also an option online.
Materials
We use full-grain leather cowhide sourced from mostly USA tanneries like Seidel, Wickett & Craig, and Horween. We love being able to support these tanneries, and are especially excited to have found Seidel tannery in Milwaukee, WI, where we can source leather just an hour from our sewing studio. Bags made from Seidel leather are 100% Wisconsin made!
We source 100% cotton canvas from a historic USA textile mill in Georgia, Mount Vernon Mills. They use cotton grown in America for all of their canvas, duck, and denim. We finish the cotton canvas with a natural beeswax from Otterwax, giving the canvas a water resistant layer and added durability. After about a year of consistent wear, the beeswax will start to wear off. You can continue using the bag as just canvas, or re-wax it with a bar of beeswax, which you can find in the care section of our shop.
A few times a year, we create custom bags using one-of-a-kind fabrics that we source from Midwest farms, flea markets, and antique shops. We use vintage feed sacks, lumber aprons, old tents, and any other cool canvas we can find. We love giving these storied textiles a new life.
leather
waxed canvas
vintage textiles
visit our
Mercantile
+ Sewing Studio
Located in the heart of New Glarus, Wisconsin - “America’s Little Switzerland”
Look, feel, and smell the goodness of leather and quality textiles. Shop our own handcrafted goods, local art, and our favorite made-in-the-USA apparel and home goods. Take a peek into the back sewing studio to see our leather-crafting in action!
Open every Friday + Saturday from 10am - 5pm, Sunday 1pm - 4pm or by appointment
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Be the first to know about new products + upcoming events! Bonus: we’ll include supper club reviews, hiking adventures, our favorite Wisconsin cabins, and whatever else we’re loving right now! Tim + Morgann
