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Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
1950–2026
CSCL·People·People of the Society·Jessie Little
The Society’s Records

Jessie Little

← People of the Society · on record 1957–2000

Everything the Society’s own records say of Jessie Little — the offices held, the standings conferred, and the awards won — gathered on one page. Where the records are silent, so is this one.

This is the Society’s own record of Jessie Little. A biography: Who’s Who in Leathercraft · Spring 1980 →

In memoriam · 26 October 2005

A longtime champion of the Society: Fellow (1972) and Honorary Life Member, longtime Toronto Branch member and executive, judge at Exhibitions and Annuals, and a contributor to the Newsletter. Died in Orillia; survived by son David Little and daughter Margaret Munro.

From Autumn 2005, page 4.

Also recorded as J. Little

Standing

Toronto Branch Member 1979 · Life Member 1989 · Honourary Life Member 1997

Branch

Toronto · listed as a member in 1979

Certification

  • Associate of the CSCL 1957
    The election notice prints the town as “Snelgrove, Ont.”.
  • Fellow of the CSCL 1972
    The register had her Fellowship undated; the Annual Meeting report of 1972 dates it.

An early member of the Society whose articles appeared in its newsletter. She showed four pieces at Leather '74, the Society's exhibition at the Toronto Public Libraries' Learning Resources Centre, 666 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, 3-28 June 1974; three pieces in the Society's exhibition at the Craft Gallery and Resource Centre of the Ontario Crafts Council, 346 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 2-28 March 1976; and four pieces at Leather '78, the Society's exhibition at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 550 Burnhamthorpe Road, November 1978. She served on the Executive Council in 1980, where the printed list gives her as Mrs. J. Little. She showed five pieces at Leather '82, the Society's exhibition at the City of Brampton Library and Art Gallery, Bramalea, 3 July to 1 August 1982, whose catalogue prints her name as Jessie M. Little. She was made a Life Member of the Society in 1982, presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting along with Dorothy Muma and Helen Wheaton. One piece was chosen for the Society’s 1985 Travelling Exhibition, from about sixty entries, by the judges Robert Muma, Paul Williams and Alison Parsons: a wallet with a pine cone design. She showed four pieces in the Society's exhibition at the Etobicoke Art Gallery, 4-29 September 1992. She made a square for the CSCL Leather Quilt. The Society's “Who's Who in Leathercraft” column introduced her in the spring of 1980. She grew up near Brampton, rode, played baseball and canoed as a girl and spent summers counselling at youth camps; she taught in the Toronto school system, left teaching to farm north of Brampton with her husband Neil, and returned to it at Bramalea Secondary School, retiring from its staff in 1971. She studied leathercraft under Jack MacDougall, Robert Muma and Isobel Joyce and went on taking courses and workshops in design and leathercraft with community colleges and branches; a former member of the I.A.L.C. and a long-standing member of the Society, she was granted her Fellowship in 1972 and held a Type A Teaching Certificate. She taught long and short courses from her home, at Central Peel and Bramalea Secondary Schools, in schools in Acton and Caledon East, for Sheridan Community College in Brampton and at Belfountain, and gave a weekend workshop in colouring at Mohawk College.

From Winter 2012–2013, page 8; Leather ’74 — exhibition catalogue, Toronto Public Libraries, page 5; Exhibition catalogue 1976 — Craft Gallery of the Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto, page 6; Leather ’78 — exhibition catalogue, Etobicoke Civic Centre, page 6; Autumn 1980, page 10; Leather ’82 — exhibition catalogue, Brampton Public Library and Art Gallery, page 5; 33rd Annual Meeting 1983 — programme, The Royal Resort, Fenelon Falls, page 5; Fall 1985, page 4; Etobicoke Art Gallery exhibition 1992 — catalogue, page 13; Fall 1998, page 2; and Spring 1980, page 10.

Served the Society as

  • Librarian 1980
  • Executive Council 1958–1975
  • Members at Large 1959
  • Council 1962–1988
  • 11th Assembly Demonstrator 1965
  • Publicity 1972
  • 25th Annual Demonstrator 1975
  • Council of Fellows Secretary 1975
  • Library Committee Chairman 1975–1977
  • 27th Annual Demonstrator 1977
  • Executive Council Member 1980
  • Director 1981–1992
  • Director (withdrew at own request) 1993

Honours

  • Ontario Volunteer Service Award
    Named on the Society's roll of Ontario Volunteer Service Award recipients.
  • Life Membership 1982
    One of three Life Memberships presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting, Toronto, 1 May 1982.
  • Ontario Volunteer Service Award 2000
    One of 6 CSCL members inducted as Ontario Volunteer Service Award recipients at the 50th Annual Meeting for long-time commitment to CSCL, honoured with a short biography read by Membership Chair Madeleine Mitchell.

Awards

  • 1992 Biennial Exhibition — C.S.C.L. Executive Award for Most Functional Piece 1992
  • Anne Hook Memorial Award 1980–1987
  • Bramalea Ribbon, Leather '82 1982
  • C.N.E. Competitions 1962 - Leathercraft 1962
  • Canadian National Exhibition Leathercraft Prize (Women's Division) 1974
  • Canadian National Exhibition Leathercraft Prize (Women's Division) — Chatelaine Award 1974
  • Canadian National Exhibition Women's Division 1972
  • Craftsman Ribbon 1977–1993
  • International Assembly Salon Ribbon 1963
  • Leather '74 Honourable Mention 1974
  • Leather '76 Craftsman Award 1976
  • Leather '76 Honourable Mention 1976
  • Leather '76 Salon Award 1976
  • Leather '82 Honourable Mention 1982
  • Michigan Leather Artisans Award for Best Leather Article 1986
  • Moore-Pearsall Award for Best Carving and/or Toolin, Original Design 1986
  • Robert Muma Award 1993
  • Salon Award 1986
  • Salon Ribbon 1983–1993
  • Special Table 1985

Demonstrations given

Where this comes from

This name in the index of people →