Recommendations for learning. Have someone who knows how to hand sew nearby to ask questions. My local leather shop has classes to help newbies.

That said I didn't take those, as I had a really good idea on what I wanted, and someone nearby that could teach me to sew. Plus I used cutting machines to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

My only advice is to not use a vinyl cutter like from Cricut or Silhouette. The motors are not strong enough to cut actual leather, they fetch and loose steps very easily. Laser is your best bet, though the smell is pungent, ventilation is required.

The other advise is unlike cloth, you need to plan and make your stitch holes before you sew. Leather is too thick to punch through it without significant force. A Sharp knife is your best friend if you missed a hole.

To clarify, this is what my e-reader case looks like

What this replaces is the side without the e-reader. As for overheating, never been an issue since the e-reader is exposed to the air and the heat goes through the screen.