The Leather Maker and Her Village: How TABITHA + CO® INC. Turned Craft into Community
In the charming coastal town of Pictou, Nova Scotia, nestled between historic storefronts and the salty breeze of the Northumberland Strait, sits a workshop like no other. Step inside TABITHA + CO® INC., and you won’t just find handmade leather goods - you’ll find a story in every stitch, a conversation in every corner, and a village that helped bring it all to life.
The brand, which has gained international attention for its slow fashion ethos and “Mindfully Made®” leather accessories, is the creation of Tabitha Co - designer, maker, entrepreneur, and community builder. But if you ask her how she got here, she won’t tell you a story of going it alone or being self-made. She’ll tell you a story of people — the mentor who showed her the ropes, the local business advisor who helped her plan, and the friends and strangers who believed in her vision. “Everybody played a role in me being where I am,” she says. “I feel honoring that is really imperative.”
The Beginning: A Life Change and a Leap of Faith
Tabitha’s journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t part of some master plan. “A personal life change shifted the trajectory of my life in a way I didn’t anticipate — but in a beautiful way,” she shares. Around that time, she reconnected with a master leather craftsman named Paul Marcella, who had run a small business years prior. With persistence and passion, she convinced him to mentor her.
Armed with a background in fashion design and manufacturing, and inspired by the traditions of artisanal craft, Tabitha fused her technical know-how with Paul’s hands-on techniques. The result was something timeless. “I took Paul’s love of leathermaking and how he had done that in the 70s and 80s, and brought it forward into the time we’re at now,” she says.
But crafting leather wasn’t the only thing she had to learn. She needed business support. That’s when she was introduced to CBDC NOBL (Community Business Development Corporation - Northern Opportunities for Business Limited) - and to Shannon Bouchie, who would become one of her most pivotal allies.
Enter the Village
From the very beginning, Shannon saw something unique in Tabitha. “She wasn’t looking to do any kind of mass manufacturing,” Shannon recalls. “It was the fact that each piece was handmade and that she was building something slowly and intentionally - that really impressed me.”
CBDC NOBL helped Tabitha access the Self-Employment Business Program (SEB), a 40-week course that offered more than just financial support. It gave her time and space to grow, resources to tap into, and - perhaps most importantly - connection. “It was like a safety net,” Tabitha says. “A nurturing space that gave me confidence.”
Workshops, peer networks, and mentorships followed. From accounting and branding to leadership and social media, every tool offered by NOBL helped shape the brand Tabitha was building. “I remember taking one of those social media classes, and someone saying, ‘You have to post.’ And I thought, ‘I’m not ready.’ And they said, ‘Just start!.’ It doesn’t have to be perfect,” she says.
Mindfully Made®, Mindfully Grown
Today, TABITHA + CO® INC. is a proud ambassador of the slow fashion movement, a growing global alternative to fast, disposable consumerism. “Slow fashion is about understanding the process of how our things are made,” Tabitha explains. “It’s being mindful about where materials come from, who’s making them, and what the impact is on people and the planet.”
Every item Tabitha creates - from crossbody bags to cardholders - is hand-cut, hand-sewn, and crafted with sustainability in mind. Clients are often part of the process. “I had a couple from Europe come in and handpick the leather for their bag,” she says with a smile. “People love seeing the process. It connects them.”
That transparency and care are central to the brand. Even the phrase “Mindfully Made®” is now a registered trademark. “What it means is exactly what it sounds like,” Tabitha says. “It’s thoughtful, intentional work — respecting the materials, the process, and the people.”
The Boutique Meets the Workshop
A key turning point came when Tabitha opened her combined retail and workshop space in Pictou — a cozy, tactile haven where visitors can shop and watch her work in real time. “When she combined the two, there was a synchronicity that didn’t exist before,” says Shannon. “People expect to walk in and see her working, and they love that.”
The storefront isn’t the only space she’s transformed. The backroom in her building - formerly a restaurant - is now the “Stone House Makers’ Maisonette,” a beautifully renovated guest suite that doubles as a retreat for travelers and tourists. It’s not just a stay — it’s an experience.
Diversification as Survival — and Joy
From the very start, Tabitha planned to diversify. With NOBL’s guidance, she developed an e-commerce site - a move that proved essential when COVID-19 struck shortly after opening. “That online store saved me,” she says. “A lot of craftspeople didn’t have a digital presence at that time, and they couldn’t continue.”
But her growth didn’t stop there. From local workshops to experiential tourism packages – including upcoming collaborations with Cruise Lines - she’s continued to expand the brand in ways that remain authentic. “We call it the Maker’s Experience,” she says. “You can come, stay, make something, and be part of the process.”
This diversification has been central to the company’s success. Although TABITHA + CO® INC. may be based in small-town Nova Scotia, its reach is growing quickly. “My pieces are in Canada, the U.S., Europe,” says Tabitha. “And it’s often through word-of-mouth, or someone traveling with one of my bags and sharing the story.”
Still, she hasn’t forgotten where it all started. “One of my favourite parts of this work is the joy it brings to others,” she says. “When a client sends a photo or returns for a visit, to share how much they love what I made for them - that’s everything.”
The Road Ahead
What’s next? That question gives Tabitha pause. “There’s so much I could say… once it’s out there, you’re accountable to it,” she laughs. “But yes, I want the brand to grow. I want more people to know about it. And I want it to keep supporting my community.”
Shannon sees that future clearly. “The products are just one part of it. There’s a whole mindfulness piece - of learning, connection, sustainability - that will only grow stronger. And Tabitha will keep finding ways to build that.”
For all its beauty, craft, and growth, TABITHA + CO® INC. stands for something even greater: the power of community. “No business survives without people,” Tabitha says. “It’s an ecosystem. It takes clients, it takes mentors, it takes other businesses - it takes a village.”
And that village? It’s thriving - one bag, one workshop, one story at a time.