Hi, I’m Tress. T for short, which turned into Tbird by the time I was 8 by my family. It stuck, but you can still call me Tress.

I grew up in an artistic family in the Sonoran Desert and fell in love with sewing, textiles and working with my hands at a very young age. I learned most of my sewing skills the traditional ways; through my mom and trial/error experimentation. In my spare time throughout my young years, you could find me in front of my mom’s old trusty Singer sewing machine with my imagination running wild as I sewed costumes, clothing, pillows and handbags.

It wasn’t until I uprooted to Northwest Montana in 2001 that my love and curiosity of working with leather began. Because of its strength, timelessness and natural beauty it became my new favorite textile to create with. Much of my inspiration comes from time worn western cowboy tack like saddles, gun holsters, boots and saddle bags. Not only do these items seamlessly blend function and simple beauty, they have a story to tell.

I design and make every item with the intention of creating something that is clean, classic and allows the beauty of the leather to be the focal point. I create items that hold up over time & that you'll cherish for many years to come.  

Every leather hide is hand-­selected, cut, stitched and finished by me in my cozy & bright home studio in the mountains of Northwest Montana. I select the best solid brass hardware, strongest thread & sturdiest American cow & bison hides. T Bird Leather items are top quality and no two are ever exactly the same.

When I am not in my studio stitching up my latest best idea, I am exploring Big Sky Country with my husband Chris and our Aussies, Rocky and Oscar.

Other things that set my heart ablaze are snowboarding, hiking, cross­country skiing, rafting, road trips, live music, dogs, a good hearty handshake, laughing til it hurts, old trucks, admiring other people’s hands, a good hat, foraging for mushrooms, the moon, the sun, beads, stacks of fabric, coffee, watching any wild animal in its natural habitat, campfires, warm garden dirt, skirts, good tequila, the smell of rain, my mom’s tacos, a good story, sterling silver, functional clothing, elbow room and the smell of leather.