Hello everyone! It’s been some time since my last blog post. Back in August, I shared a little bit of personal news over on Instagram and took a bit of an unexpected, but necessary break from posting sewing projects.
Over the past few years I’ve been dealing with headaches and migraines on a pretty consistent basis. The past several months they’ve been getting worse and I’ve been struggling with them. I’ve been seeing a Neurologist, and gotten blood work done, as well as had MRI’s and a CT Scan, which have all come back normal/clear. While this is a relief, it’s a bit frustrating to not have a more immediate answer.
I’ve been searching for a solution before going on any medication, and have spent the last month, to month and a half working on my health. I’ve been working on my eating habits and general nutrition, my exercise regimen, and I have been working hard on my mental health. While I don’t have an exact solution, I have been able to decrease many of my daily headaches by focusing on overall wellness.
I’ve been cooking, reading, cleaning, and exercising so much more that sewing hasn’t been my main priority. Although I did sew some new bags for Etsy, I didn’t work on any apparel projects. At first, I felt horrible about not having projects to share, but taking time to work on myself and a new daily routine has been preparing me to return to this space.
And now, I am so excited to get back to sewing! I have several projects that I’m ready to dive into – and a few to share here now! As mentioned above, I’ve been working on some new bags for Etsy, and here they are!
Fall Floral Backpack and Crossbody Bag
I’ve worked so hard on both my backpack and crossbody bag patterns over the years, and I am so proud of them! Each bag features a push lock (tongue lock) close, back zipper pocket, and side snaps to expand the bag. This is the first collection where I’ve used gold hardware and I love the look against this beautiful floral print. Each bag is made with secondhand floral upholstery cotton, and they are lined with reclaimed khaki cotton from FabScrap.
Here’s a little behind the scenes making the backpacks!
More new bags in my shop:
This bold floral collection is made from a secondhand 70’s print! (I also used this fabric for another project – a future tutorial to share with you!)
And some adorable zipper pouches made with reclaimed fabric swatches! Each bag is made with two coordinating fabrics, one print on each side, and are perfect for makeup, sewing supplies, toiletries for travel, etc.
Speaking of fabric swatches…for anyone interested in sewing with swatches, my Swatch Shop is finally up and running on Etsy! I’m selling both pre-opened swatch books and complete swatch books, as well as curated sets of swatches.
Hello, hello! In the past few months my apparel sewing has slowed down quite a bit and my bag making as been taking over! I’ve been working hard to add new bags to my Etsy shop, and finally designed and created my dream bag! (I’ll share more at the end of this post!)
But as the title says, my main reason for blogging today is to share my latest refashion! This piece has been several months in the making. I started dreaming about this project back in December! I wanted to share a little of my thought process, because it really was an idea that bounced around a bit before landing! One of the most common questions I get asked is where my ideas come from, so here’s how this one formed!
I had a pair of corduroy pants in my refashion pile, that I was stuck on what to do with. I started looking online for corduroy dresses, or jackets to gather some inspiration. I came across this adorable pinafore from Show Me Your Mumu, and started going down the pinafore rabbit hole!
I do quite a bit of fabric Tetris in my mind when figuring out if I can realistically make a refashion work. I knew if the pants were long enough, and I was able to cut them off with enough fabric to spare, this project would work.
I sat with the idea for a bit (some other projects got in the way of starting) and before I knew it the weather was warming up. I wasn’t motivated to sew with corduroy anymore, but the idea was still taking over in my mind. I started searching on ThredUP to find a replacement garment to bring the idea to life. Thankfully the perfect pair popped up in my search and the project was back on!
I started searching for a pattern for the bodice. (This is something that can be self drafted!) I came across the Amber Pinafore Dress from Named Clothing. I’ve had great luck with Named Patterns in the past so I knew it would be reliable for me. I tested the bodice with cotton fabric before cutting so I could work out any fit issues beforehand.
Now onto the tutorial! Sorry for the photo quality, I realized I was taking more video than photos for this project so some of these are from screenshots.
First, with the jeans on, mark knee length. This was my starting point to cut because I didn’t want to make my skirt too short. (I cut off an additional 2” once I had a better idea of length.)
Seam rip open each cut pant leg, leaving one side seam intact. Undo hem as well.
Cut bodice out of each pant leg. (For a better fit, the top of my bodice lined with the jean hem, and the bottom of the bodice lined up with my original pant cut line.) I traced my bodice piece onto each leg, making sure to match where the Jean seam line was for a consistent look. (Tip: mark on your pattern piece where seams need to hit!) Try to keep the bodice towards the ends of the leg to be sure you get the most use out of your fabric.
Once your bodice is cut, you can see how much fabric you have left to work with.
Next step is to turn the remaining jeans into the skirt. Going back to the top portion of your jeans, seam rip the inner legs.
On the front of the jeans, seam rip the fly section a few inches up, until the jeans can lay flat, and you can see the triangle start to form on the bottom. Don’t seam rip too far up, and don’t hit the fly zipper. This part of the project you may have to play around with a bit to get the right fit. Pin the triangle in place before adding any fabric, and try the skirt on to test the opening width.
Thankfully my front triangle didn’t need much fabric, so only a small portion of my fabric went into this section.
Continue this process for the skirt back as well. Seam rip the center back seam a few inches, and lay back flat. You may have to seam rip more on the back than the front. My opening was wider in the back, and I didn’t have enough material from one pant leg to properly fit. I stitched my remaining fabric together for a bigger insert. You can see I placed my new seam in the center of my insert, which takes extra time to pin and stitch properly, but creates a more finished look. I also folded the pant leg triangle sides in more to create a flatter piece.
The back was a bit harder for me to fit. I recommend pinning in place, then trying the skirt on to be sure it lays nicely.
After the inserts are finished, the rest of the material is for the straps! Now, on my pants, since I cut off an extra 2” from my original pants, I was able to use most of that for my straps. (You may not have that material to work with, but you can always make the back straps out of a coordinating fabric if you don’t have enough!) I had to add some length from my remaining fabric to extend the straps, as you can see with my seam lines.
My entire bodice is lined with cotton muslin. For reference, my straps were cut 2” wide and stitched with a 3/8” seam allowance.
Try your skirt on and pin bodice in place. I started by pinning the front, making sure to get my bodice pieces close to each other. Once front is pinned, pin back straps, making sure straps are comfortably tight. These will be pinned on an angle. Remove pinafore and double check the back straps to make sure their distance is even. If your jeans have belt loops, the back loop is a great center point to measure from. I hand stitched my bodice down, but you can certainly sew by machine.
To finish the skirt, I evened out my hem, serged the edge and hand stitched up 3/8”. I didn’t want to make my skirt any shorter, but this part is all personal preference!
What made this project work: mid-rise jeans. With the type of bodice I added, the waist of my jeans needed to come up, so starting with mid rise jeans meant they didn’t have to come up that much higher. This is something to consider if you want to make this style pinafore yourself, mid rise or high rise jeans would work best. If you have a pair of low rise jeans, you may have to re-fit the waist altogether and may not have enough material for the entire bodice (or you may have to build a different bodice. Search for “overall dresses” for another idea!)
Another tip, if you want more material to work with, use boot cut or flare jeans! My original jeans were technically a “crop pant” but because of my height, they were normal length skinny jean on me.
Want to go a step further? Add a little extra length to the bodice front and strap ends, and make the entire top removable with buttons! I did this for my skirt to overall pinafore refashion a few years back. It’s a great way to get more wear out of the garment! (Post here!)
And a quick note: here are the new bags I’ve been working on! These little crossbody bags have been in the works for years and I’m so incredibly excited with how they turned out! The exteriors are made from reclaimed and secondhand fabrics! Shop Crossbody’s on my Etsy!
Hello and welcome back to another blog post where I’ve scoured the internet for businesses doing things different and shared them with you! I really love putting resources like this together, and I hope you get something out of it like I do when finding these amazing companies.
This year has been a whirlwind. I think everyone feels that way. Holidays and gifts are very possibly the last thing on your mind. And if you aren’t gifting this year, consider treating yourself, supporting a small, sustainable business or sharing this post with a friend who may find a new company to love and support. And as always, if there is a business you think should be included in this list, let me know!
(please note different shipping times and each individual shop policy.)
Apparel:
Zero Waste Daniel (US): One of my favorite sustainable apparel companies! Zero Waste Daniel is leading the force for sustainable clothing, using fabric scraps in their apparel collections, and most recently, their mask collection!
Silly Girls Club (International): I’ve been following Silly Girl’s Club on Instagram for a while now and love the company’s fun fashion! This shop specializes in making clothes, fanny packs and other fun accessories from upcycled kids cartoon bed sheets!
Wasi Clothing (US): I found Wasi Clothing from a video on TikTok talking about working with deastock fabric! Their clothing is so cute and I really love the commitment to using deadstock fabrics and sustainable sources!
Grant BLVD (US): Apparel company where all the garments are made using reclaimed and deadstock fabrics! I really love their reclaimed screen-printed collection!
Archivist (International): Looking for a new classic button up to add to your wardrobe? These are made from upcycled luxury hotel linens! It looks like there’s more to come for this company – so keep an eye out!
Miracle Eye (US): An amazing business selling handmade clothes, and straight from their site, “We work with vintage deadstock recycled fabrics as much as possible to remain as sustainable & waste-free as we can”. I got lost by all the fantastic photos on their site!
Psychic Outlaw (US): These upcycled quilt jackets and bandana dresses have been inspiring sewists all over Instagram! You can send in a quilt of your own to be transformed or purchase one of their found quilts!
Nothing New Shoes (US): Classic style sneakers made with up-cycled plastic. The uppers, laces, tongue label, and footbed liner are all made of 100% recycled post-consumer plastic!
Erin Elsie (US): Really fun handmade apparel and accessories made with reclaimed apparel and fabrics!
Bags/Accessories:
Scenery Bags (US): So I don’t like to have favorites, but this one tops it for me with creativity and sustainability. Scenery Bags takes retired theatrical materials and turns them into bags based on the show they are from! They also make jewelry from stage floors! And to make this company even cooler, 10% of proceeds from every sale is donated to TDF to take kids to see theatre!
Off Chutes (US): Upcycled parachute and paraglider accessories! Wallets, key fobs, tote bags and more!
Friends International (Part of the Global Goods Partners) : Fair trade bags made from recycled tires! From their site, “Friends International aims to reduce the number of children living or working on the streets by providing stable jobs and sufficient incomes to their parents.”
The Upcycled Movement: (Ireland): Bags and accessories made from wetsuits! This collection of upcycled pieces also gives back – 10% goes to Seal Rescue Ireland!
Rareform (US): Rareform upcycles billboards into bags and accessories! Their upcycled products include surf board bags, cooler bags, laptop sleeves and more!
Honey Darlin (US): Amy, seamstress behind Amy Nicole Studio, sells bags, apparel and accessories made from vintage and reclaimed materials!
Suave Kenya (International): Beautiful upcycled bags where materials are sourced from open air markets!
Home:
The Little Market: Glassware made from recycled glass by artisans in Mexico! Shop the entire Little Market site for other fair trade & artisan made finds.
Irish Glass (US): Shot glasses, planters and candles made from recycled beer bottles!
Coffee Pod Creations (UK): Maker Vicky Knight transforms used coffee pods into beautiful jewelry!
CrapBagBananaHammock (US): Upcycled game pieces – made into jewelry, coasters, keychains, ornaments, etc!
MyAlterEco (US): Upcycled jewelry, beautiful tin earrings!
Zass (US): Mother/Daughter team making gorgeous upcycled jewelry – check out their “Brew Collection“
Reasons and Rhymes (US): Reclaimed wood earrings – beautiful product and beautiful packaging!
CRAVE by CRV (US): Upcycled Jewelry and accessories made from old clothes and dilapidated kiddie pools!
Undone Clothing (US): Upcycled tape measure jewelry and accessories – my favorite from this shop is the upcycled film reel gift packaging!
Kids:
Beeper Bebe (US): The sweetest stuffies and plushies! Each handmade piece is made with upcycled materials or eco friendly new materials. A stuffed octopus made from t-shirts? Yes, even as an adult I want one!
Green Toys (US): A toy company made 100% from recycled milk jugs! No glue, metal, screws or paint! They feature toys like vehicles, jump ropes, stacking and tub toys, etc!
Other:
Lionshed Designs (UK): Upcycled VHS tape notebooks! What did they do with the VHS tapes you may ask? Turned them into planters!
Couch Guitar Straps (US): Deadstock and Reclaimed fabrics make up some seriously awesome guitar and camera straps. They are made of at least 25% recycled materials, including deadstock fabrics and seatbelts! Shop also sells belts, wallets and drum accessories.
The Ugly Company (US): upcycled “ugly” fruit into dried fruit snacks! Food Waste is a serious issue and The Ugly Company is helping to combat waste by turning it into their products! They offer nectarines, apricots, kiwis, and peaches!
Hudson Houndstooth (US): A company for pet accessories! Handmade pieces made with reclaimed and recycled materials including bow ties, bandanas, tug toys and waste bag holders!
Sports Equipment/ Profession Based:
Vintage Golf Gifts (US): Some really cool products made from repurposed golf clubs! They have bottle openers, lamps, clocks and even furniture!
Recycled Sports Equipment – Uncommon Goods (US): I’ve bought a few things from Uncommon Goods, especially since they like to focus on small business and fair trade options. Here’s a whole section of items made from recycled sporting equipment! (Prices vary but I love the upcycled hockey stick snow brush and BBQ set!)
SeshNotStigma (UK): Recycled skateboard jewelry and accessories including keychains, phone cases and clocks!
BoardThing (International): This shop specializes in rings made from recycled skateboards!
Recycled Firefighter (US): Making wallets, bags and belts out of decommissioned fire hoses!
Firefighter Turn Out Bag (US): Sells upcycled bags made from old firefighting gear. You can also send in your old gear for a custom bag! (As seen on Shark Tank)
Sword and Plough (US): Upcycled bags and accessories made out of repurposed military surplus and durable military grade materials. Purchases help empower veteran employment, reduce waste, and they donate 10% of profits to impactful veteran initiatives!
One more business to add to this list, mine!
I absolutely love creating bags and accessories with reclaimed fabrics and upcycled fabric swatches. There is so much textile waste in the world, I love helping bring new life to materials that would have otherwise been thrown away! You can shop my handmade pieces on etsy!
Gathering businesses for this list was really exciting. It was so fun to see how people are innovating their products and trying to make our planet greener and I really hope you can walk away from this list saying “no way, that’s so cool!” at least once!
If you know of another great upcycled/recycled business or want to share your own, leave a link down below! Be sure to tell us what you make and the best way to shop!
It’s my little blog’s second birthday! For two years, I’ve been sewing & selling under the name Trish Stitched, and it’s been really great. In the years before Trish Stitched, sewing was incredibly important to me but it didn’t feel like I was going anywhere with it. But when I changed my name, I started focusing a lot more on the business aspect of sewing: my etsy shop got a facelift, my fabric choices started to mature (a little) and I really started to focus every free moment on where I wanted my sewing to go. To celebrate, I wanted to treat myself to a full handmade outfit.
For my jacket I turned to Tamarack by Grainline Studio. Have you ever been stalked by a pattern? Not stalking, but stalked…like everywhere you turn is another photo and it feels like it’s screaming at you to make it? That was the Tamarack Jacket for me. A couple months ago I started seeing it everywhere and I couldn’t ignore it. I wanted to make a version and was actually going to make it in a solid until I saw this fabric on fabric.com (link below ). I wanted a nice transition jacket, and I think this is it. It’s a little heavier than a piece like my Kelly Anorak, and I’m able to wear thicker pieces underneath. This will be a great jacket coming into spring and again when going into winter.
The Tamarack was a pretty quick make, I made version 2 which allows space to add snaps. I forgot to buy snaps but still wanted to wear the jacket so I will have to add them later. I ran into a little frustration with the welt pocket but luckily Jen has a tutorial on her blog about the welt pocket. I looooove the quilting options on this jacket, but I kept my quilting pretty simple this time around.
My tee was also from Grainline Studio, the Lark Tee. I’ve made a few version’s of Lark so far and I really like it. My next versions will be a little tighter, but thankfully, that is an easy fix. I used Telio Organic Cotton from Fabric.com (link below) for the tee- I totally recommend this material. It has a nice weight, and isn’t see through. It also comes in some pretty colors.
For the bottom half of this outfit, I’ve been working hard on my second pair of Ginger Jeans, and am SO happy with the result!
My first pair of Ginger Jeans were great. I was really happy with how they turned out but there were definitely parts of the fit I wanted to change for pairs going forward. I found this image on pinterest from Skinny Bitch, Curvy Chick on making Ginger’s petite, and I thought I would give it a go. The biggest problem my first pair had was having too high a rise, making the “low rise” version come up past my belly button. Not a really bad thing, but not where I usually wear my jeans.
The second problem with my first pair was the fit in the waist. I made the waist too large, and took them in but something wonky happened with the back and I wasn’t thrilled with the butt. I had a similar issue with my second pair. The waist was still too large, even with adjusting the pattern before sewing, but I did NOT want the same issue so I didn’t make the back adjustments. I have to wear a belt, but I really don’t mind since this pair is still much more wearable than my first.
For this version, I made View A with View B skinny legs of Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Patterns. I also used Heather’s E-book and purchased a hardware kit. I still have to install my rivets but I think my neighbors were getting mad at all the hammering I was doing on my practice pieces so I’ll save them for another time. The fabric for the jeans also came from fabric.com (noticing a theme here?) but is no longer available! It is so beautiful, so I’m pretty upset I can’t get anymore. I think I have just enough to make another pair of jeans.
I also used a little bit of Rifle Paper Co. Fabric for my pockets!
I treated myself to this awesome outfit, but I also wanted to treat you guys! I’m having a sale in my etsy shop! Use code YEARTWO to get 15% off any bag in my shop! I have a ton of new styles for sale, and within the next few days, my latest product will be available – key fobs – so keep an eye out for them! The sale will go on for the week and end Sunday night 2/26.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who reads this little blog. Every comment, follow & like brings a smile to my face, and I hope my sewing inspires you! One of my goals is to have fun with my wardrobe and encourage others to not settle for what you see in stores. Sewing brings me more than joy; it gives me confidence. I love stepping out of my apartment in a “me made” and knowing that no one else in the world is wearing what I am. I love knowing that my wardrobe is fit to my body, my style and my life.
My car is finally unloaded, my sewing machine is well rested and I can actually start thinking about something other than booth design. Last weekend I attended my third craft show, the Tinicum Arts Festival in Bucks County Pennsylvania. Tinicum Park is located right outside of Frenchtown, NJ (the cutest little town) and I was excited to be part of such a big event. There were so many crafters- many woodworkers, potters and painters, even TWO broom makers! There were a few bag makers, but none as colorful as me.
It was a long weekend, and my stress level was super high because there are so many little details involved, it’s easy to forget something. Friday night we went to set up my tent and it was pouring rain so hard we couldn’t even put the tent up. My parents and I wound up leaving my tent and tables in my “spot”. The next morning my mom and I got to the field early to set up my booth. After the set up, the rain came back and we had showers off and on the entire day. Sunday thankfully saw lots of sun and people were more inclined to come out and shop. The weekend as a whole was long but I had some great sales and met some wonderful people which is what counts.
I’ve been planning my booth out in my mind for months and had new ideas I wanted to try for this show. The most eye catching addition was my name sign. I got wood letters from Michaels on super sale and my mom modge podged polka dot fabric onto each letter. My dad drilled two holes into the tops of each letter and I strung them together. We also spray varnished them so they were safe in the rain.
I’ve also been making a lot more recycled bags and wanted a larger display for them, separate from my non-recycled bags. So they got their own table, with some added shelves for height. I have a few more ideas for this section of my booth, to show the process that goes into a recycled bag.
I found this old flower cart in my parent’s barn and thought it would make a cute addition to the front of my booth to offer a small sampling of the bags I make. It was also a good opportunity to put my business cards on this table because when my booth was full, walker-bys were able to take a card and come back later.
Most of my displays stayed the same from my first few shows, as I wasn’t focused on changing their look. I love my tote bag display and the card holder display and won’t be changing them anytime soon. I would like to create a new display for my small pouches and my non recycled clutches. I love the suitcases but am ready for something new.
A majority of the comments I received were about selling on etsy. There were multiple shoppers who had their own craft and wanted to sell online but etsy intimidated them. I am a huge fan of etsy because it is an easy, inexpensive way to sell all over the world. I’m not an expert on the subject but know that etsy works for me. One day I would like my own standalone site but am happy with what etsy offers right now. If you are nervous about starting an etsy shop, just go for it! You will never be fully ready, and it takes so much work, but if you really want to sell your craft- do it!
The show was as great as it was for one reason only. My awesome support team. My dad made sure my tent was sturdy, and even made me concrete weights to tie to each side. He made sure all the extra structures, like my tote rack and flower stand, were secure. My sister helped cut fabric for my name sign and showed up with her husband on Sunday for support. My boyfriend, Drew, was fully understanding of why the apartment was a mess and I had supplies all over the place the past few weeks. He also stopped by on Sunday for a few hours. And my mom…my amazing mom. She was there the whole time. She helped me set up, she was my “right hand man” and she made sure I ate. I am so lucky that even if my family thinks I’m crazy, they support me.
I don’t have any other shows coming up but I’m looking into some winter ones. Hoboken has a holiday show and I think it would be really cool to do a show in my own town. I’m also looking into a few larger shows in the city- Brooklyn specifically.
And I’m so happy I get to think about sewing clothes again! My sister’s baby shower is in a few weeks and I am almost done with my dress. I’m also making a dress for my sister to wear, which just needs a final fitting, and I’m making a special handmade gift for the baby! It’s crazy how quickly the time is flying by, July is almost over and before we know it, there will be a little baby bundle in our lives.
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! Well, my blogs birthday! It has been exactly one year since opening my new etsy shop, and signing up for http://www.trishstitched.com. It has been a crazy year- so many new projects, so many new connections, I love my new home.
When I first started Trish Stitched, I was pretty much reinventing myself. My old name, Mini Pip, no longer felt like me and I was in a rut. I knew I wanted a name change but had no clue what to call myself. My name was no longer just about my etsy shop or my bags, but about my sewing adventures as a whole. Over the years, I’ve been sharing more apparel projects because I’m learning more and realizing just how much “handmade” means to me. I have such a special admiration for my wardrobe and it’s so cool to look in my closet and remember the occasion I made something for or how a garment was constructed. It’s a reminder of picking out fabrics, sewing the final buttons on or stitching a hem or how much I wanted a project to be over because I wanted to wear my new creation!
Because of my new name, I feel so much more confident talking to people about what I do. I can easily say, “I’m a seamstress! Wanna see my stuff just go to trishstitched.com!” I wanted the freshest start I could get and changing my blog from typepad to wordpress was one of the best decisions I could have made. There is such a wonderful community on here and it’s so simple to discover other blogs and get inspired by other makers. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all my readers. When I first blogged under Mini Pip, I would barely get any views and a comment… that was rare! It’s been very slow growth but that’s made me appreciate all of you so much more.
A birthday is all about gifts right? So I’m doing my very first giveaway! I’ll be giving away a matching pencil pouch & card holder in my favorite print (in the photos below)! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post!! I’ll be leaving the giveaway open until February 24th, then announce the winner Friday, February 26th. This is only open to U.S. residents, sorry international readers!
And because I don’t want to give just one person a gift, there’s a little sale going on in my etsy shop! Take 10% off any bag in my etsy store with code YEARONE. I’m treating myself to a little cake so treat yourself to a new bag! Code is good until Friday February 26th.
I made the sweatshirt in the photos- It’s Astoria from Seamwork! Maybe it’s time I move away from the Seamwork patterns… nahhh, I love them!
And we continue the blog-a-versary with a new bag! Some of you may remember this post I wrote a while back about a bag I made out of vinyl. For the past few months (ok it’s been like a year) I have been trying to recreate this bag. That vinyl must have been a special treasure because I could not find a similar texture anywhere I looked! I’ve tried multiple times to make another version out of vinyl but there was always an issue. I knew I had to try a different fabric, but still wanted something sturdy and bold. That’s where canvas came in. I found some beautiful colors and decided to give it a go! AND IT WORKED.
The shape of this bag is perfect. The color is everything I could hope for. I am SO HAPPY with how this came together. It is the most labor intense bag I make, and has the most hardware so it takes time to put together but it’s worth it. This bag features an adjustable strap, turn lock close and interior slip pocket.
The crossbody is my favorite style bag, as I love just throwing it over my chest and going. The size is also ideal because it is large enough to fit all your daily essentials (sunglasses, phone, small wallet and keys) but small enough that you can’t “garbage it up” with things you don’t need.
I decided to start making these in solids and adding florals to the lining-because I can’t make a bag without florals!
The time has come for the next holiday! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! I’ve been adding bags to my etsy shop pretty frequently and the Valentine’s theme has not been forgotten!
This floral print is one of my absolute favorites because it reminds me so much of Cath Kidston. It was gifted to me by a customer at my parent’s farm a few years ago and I just never knew what to make with it until I saw it paired with the polka dot print!
These small pouches are such a fun size. I originally made them to hold check books, but while check books aren’t so much in use, there are so many other items to hold! Now I use my pouch for pencils and pens. I also take one with me when I travel to hold my electronics cords.
I originally made the smaller pouch to hold gift cards, because I hate getting a gift card with no thought. When it comes in that little paper holder, it’s so boring and impersonal. Putting a gift card in this little pouch is like giving two gifts because the pouch can be used long after the card is gone! When I carry around a smaller bag or clutch, I put my money and ID in the little holder.
I also recently discovered they hold a small collection of lip balm and will hold lipstick!
I absolutely love making these small bags because I get to have so much fun with fabric. In general I gravitate towards loud prints, and when I was first making all I saw in the market place on etsy were solid, boring brown and black bags. Yes, they are beautiful and well constructed but boring is not my style and I don’t think I’m the only one with that mentality!
I love color. I love how seeing certain colors can brighten your day and lighten your mood. I like to use the phrase, “Life is too short to carry a boring bag”.
Just a quick post to let you know that there’s a little sale going on in my etsy shop! 15% off everything with the code: HOLIDAY15. I have so many new pouches, totes, coin purses, and gift card holders- perfect for gift giving! And something brand new, I’ve now opened my shop to international shipping! I’ve wanted to do that for a while but was just nervous. I’ve never shipped overseas but ya just gotta go for it, right?
The code is good until end of the day today (November 30th)!
I would call my first craft show as a success! I was incredibly nervous about how the day would go and didn’t go in with any expectations. I was sandwiched between Cutco Knives and Avon- two completely known and popular brands so I was really the newbie on the block.
The show was from 11-6, set up starting at 8. I got to my spot at about 9 am (after massive amounts of traffic) and was set up with about an hour to spare. My dad came with us to help set up the tent and tables, and thankfully my mom spent the whole day at the show with me. It started off slightly slow, but little by little the crowd trickled in. I had a few people stop in my booth, but not much purchasing, making me feel really discouraged early on (especially when one woman freaked out over the price of my totes– I personally think $45 for a handmade tote is not bad considering the materials and time that went into the piece but I’m biased).
The second and third hour saw more sales so I was happier, but what really encouraged me was the comments that people made. Every single person who stopped in my booth commented on how beautiful and well done my bags looked. These comments kind of caught me off guard. Of course I thought my bags looked great but this was the first time the “public” was actually getting to look at them and comment. They didn’t have to say a word, but they did. And that made me happier than any sale.
Most people were surprised that I made everything, and that I was, in fact, older than 12. Since my mom was in the booth with me, it threw people off that I was the artist.
When people would stop to look at my recycled clutches, I would say they were made from fabric swatch books. This intrigued two women- who had PILES of fabric books that they didn’t know what to do with. They both offered to pass the fabric along to me! One woman was an interior designer and actually came back to my booth with a bag of fabric that was in her car! The connections I made on Sunday were just incredible.
This show really excited me for future craft shows. I wanted to do a show before the winter markets start up so I have some experience under my belt. I learned a lot, and am so happy with the results of the day. I’m not signed up for any more events just yet but am looking forward to more.
A few more bags are being put in my shop over the next couple weeks now that the show is over. Go on over to etsy for a look!
trish stitched 