your main problems is the materials, as you said.
so my tip for you, go skin some more.
if you say, you dont get those skins you need.
then my next tip for you, you may be too low level. level up some more so that you start to reach the monsters which will give you the leather you need.
coincidentally, for skinners, i recommend levelling up in STV from 30-45 or so...you fight so many animals, or come upon animals that others dont skin, that you'll get lots. im mid-50 now and i still can get exp from some monsters in STV as well as having 1 or 2 green quests there. so you really can hang around STV for a long time.