Queers for Hides 2026
June 12-14, 2026 | Vancouver, BC
Turn a sheep hide into your own sheepskin rug.
Be changed by the process of hide tanning.
Immerse in a three-day tactile experience organized just for you, sweet queer who loves craft + community.
Learn the process of hide tanning: the original textile handicraft. Walk away with your hand-made, ethical sheepskin rug.
Special Offer:
Choose your sheepskin fleece colour
We rarely get the chance to offer this!
Choose from a Suffolk white fleece or a Romney/Romanov brown fleece for your sheepskin..
Details:
Time:
11am sharp to 4pm each day
feel free to arrive 15 min earlier to start at 11am
we will clean up for 20 min at the end of each day
Address:
4411 Patterdale Drive, North Vancouver, BC
Parking:
there is ample street parking on Patterdale Drive. Please don’t park in the driveway – anywhere else is perfectly fine!
Outdoor setup:
There is a driveway with a gentle slope and a covered carport where the concrete is level, and a front lawn and garden. We may use this space for meals if the back yard is too crowded with hides.
The back yard is where we’ll be working for the most part – it is also level with a mix of lawn/moss and tiles.
The outdoor access to the backyard includes a mix of paving stones, moss, and gravel, with two shallow steps.
Inside setup:
The house is all on one level
To access the bathroom in the house, there is a small ledge and step at the front door, and vinyl flooring on the route to the bathroom
Etiquette:
Hide camp will be held outdoors at Lara and Luna’s home. They live with Lara’s mom Elyse, who may be around during camp.
Please wear a mask when in the house
A cat lives in this house. She is an indoor cat who yearns to be free – please keep the doors to the outside world closed!
Accessibility:
Please email Lara at laratboulos@gmail.com with any access needs or questions you have, so that we have plenty of lead time to meet your needs.
Potluck lunches and ride shares:
Closer to the hide camp, Al and Lara will reach out to the group via email to coordinate potluck lunches, snacks, and carpooling. Stay tuned!
Covid-19 / illness mitigation protocols:
Queer folks have a long shared history of enacting mutual care in pandemics, and sadly Covid-19 is here to stay and is more likely to impact marginalized folks. Let’s take care of each other through the following illness mitigation protocols:
Be up-to-date on Covid vaccinations as much as possible
Take the highest degree of precaution possible if you are traveling to attend hide camp – for example, staying in your car during a ferry ride, wearing a high quality KN95/N95 mask in all public places including planes, airports, etc.
Take a rapid test on the first morning before coming to camp, prior to the gathering but following the last place of possible Covid exposure – including being in travel-related areas such as ferries or airplanes and terminals, attending other group events or in-person work, or any contact with people you share a home with. We will have Covid-19 tests available upon arrival if you haven’t taken one yet!
Wear a KN95/N95 mask over your mouth and nose when you are indoors during hide camp (i.e., using the bathroom, kitchen, etc.). We will have masks available too :)
Cancel your attendance If you or members of your household are feeling unwell. If you start to feel unwell during hide camp, we can collectively assess the best way forward
If you are unable to meet these precautions, we kindly ask you not to join us for this camp.
In addition to the above, we ask that if possible, you limit other unmasked in-person events in the week leading up to hide camp, and wear a mask in your workplace and/or when in contact with other people. We know this is not possible for everyone and that is OK.
The Hide Tanning Process
11am to 4pm daily
.Day One:
Choose your sheepskin. Find the one that calls to you.
Learn to work with a traditional hide frame; weave the hide into the frame
Use scrapers + dowels to begin drying the leather
Day Two:
Learn the science of mineral-tanning (alum-tawing), our hide tanning method for this course
Soften your sheepskin leather with softening + dry-scraping tools
Add the finishing work of pumicing + sanding your dried sheepskin leather
Day Three:
Clean + comb the wool of your sheepskin
Shape + cut the leather rug
Hide Tanning is a skill
It’s also an embodiment practice.
I’m Mara and I will be your lead on this hide tanning course - affectionately known as a hide camp - where you’ll receive a fresh + prepared hide from us and turn it into natural, sustainable leather yourself. Even as a beginner, you’ll be the one to make it happen. You’ll leave hide camp with your own sheepskin rug, the knowledge to tan more hides, and unique lessons that three days of ancient movement + hard work brought to you.
I am thrilled to welcome new tanners into the craft + to see what you’ll make of hide tanning. Whether this will be your only hide that you tan and cherish forever, or whether this will become a craft you pursue, hide tanning is for everyone.
Words from our hide tanning students
“I tried tanning on my own and never understood it. After coming to one of the hide courses, I understand the process, and what went wrong with my previous attempts.”
Dallas
“Mara’s gentle guidance made me feel at home in hide camp.”
Tahlia
“I tanned my first hide with Fern + Roe. I didn’t know how much depth there would be in the course, beyond just the hide tanning itself. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a serious retreat/getaway.”
Skylar
