Leather by DRAGONFLY

The world's best, custom-made apron is handmade by husband-and-wife team Patrick and Michelle Melchior.

- Logan Wittmer

When I step into my shop, a few things happen each and every time so much that they're nearly primal instincts. In one motion, I flip all the lights on and slip my shop apron off its hook. My apron goes on, and it's off to work.

For the last several years, my go-to apron has been a Calavera, and it's a beautiful apron. However, wearing my apron daily, I knew I was ready for an apron that was custom-made for me. One that fit all the tools I need. One that sits exactly where I want it to. One that simply becomes an extension of how I work instead of just protecting my clothes in the shop. It is my most-used tool, after all. That's when I met Patrick and Michelle Melchior and was introduced to their company, Leather By Dragonfly. Patrick and Michelle custom-tailor each and every apron to fit the customer.

With the Drop of a Square

Leather By Dragonfly came to fruition kind of by accident. Patrick, a woodworker, was working in his shop when his favorite square took a tumble to the floor. Afraid that he had just ruined the best square in his shop (spoiler, he didn't), he ran inside to ask his wife, Michelle, to help him. Together, they talked about and worked up a design for an apron that Patrick could wear in the shop and would house his square and several other tools he used regularly.