Designer Spotlight--Betz White

Today's Designer Spotlight Featured designer is Betz White. 

Head over to Happy Okapi to read the interview. While you are there, don't forget to take the poll and enter in our second giveaway on Happy Okapi!

Designer Spotlight-- Emma of Emkie Designs

Today's Spotlight Designer is Emma from Emkie Designs:

Emkie Designs offers a range of fabulous PDF Sewing Patterns, many with the confident beginner in mind. Emkie’s Patterns aim to teach you new skills while giving you a professional finish. Emkie Designs Patterns are all fun as well as being completely functional.

Emma’s designs are easy to follow sewing patterns that allow the user to create original and professional handbags. All Emkie Designs Patterns include a vast amount of color photographs alongside the written instructions. 

How long have you been sewing and what inspired you to start designing your own patterns?

I've been sewing since 2011. When I was pregnant with my first son (T), Hubby and I walked into a quilt shop because I had seen this beautiful toy in the window. I walked past all the fabric grabbed the toy and asked how much it was – I was promptly told it wasn’t for sale, but I could purchase the pattern and make my own. I looked at all the patterns they had in store and ended up choosing a different one to the toy that had originally grabbed my attention, I paid for it and walked out of the shop. Later, I read the pattern and thought “I can do this!” I borrowed my mothers unused sewing machine that had been sitting in the cupboard for the last 20 odd years and taught myself to sew on it. After a short time and using a Melly and Me pattern, “Dilbert” was born and he waited patiently for the little baby in my tummy to arrive and love him. After finishing this project I realised I had discovered a new passion and hobby in sewing.

In the years that followed I started a business selling my originally designed toys as well as sewing things for friends and family, but when I became pregnant with my second son (M) I shut that business down...I didn't have the energy for it anymore.

Prior to becoming a stay at home mum, I was a teacher - I am trained in Contemporary Arts and Psychology, and I taught in schools for 9 yrs (teaching teenagers). When I was pregnant with M, I decided to combine my love for sewing, teaching and handbags (I have always had a love of handbags, I used to buy a new bags all the time when I had a disposable income – lol!), and try my hand at pattern writing!  I had already designed my own original toys, but because of my love for handbags, I found this new direction much more inspiring!  The rest, as they say, is history ;)

If you want to read more about my story you can do so here: http://www.emkiedesigns.com/about/

What do you love most about your job?

There are a few things I love....

I love bringing new designs to life – often they have been alive in my head for such a long time it's nice when I can finally hold them in the flesh!

I love seeing other sewist's create using my patterns, I love seeing the fantastic bags they make and I especially love how proud they are of their creations!

I also love that I can work around my children and spend quality time with them. 

What is the hardest part of the design process for you?

I don't really enjoy the editing process that takes place after a pattern has been tested – lol, does anyone?!

The testing process is such an important part of bring a new pattern out, but the editing required after this lengthy precess can be tedious, especially when you just want to share your new pattern with the world ;)

What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working?

I like spending time with my family, reading, watching TV and sewing other projects that may or may not be bags ;)

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Pineapple on a margarita pizza – yummmmmm :)

What is your favorite thing about bag making?

Topstitching that last seam!  You can finally see all your hard work come to fruition.

What is your least favorite part of bag making?

Cutting and Interfacing.  Worst. Part. Of. Bag Making. Ever!

Is there a pattern of yours that is your favorite?

Yes I have favourites, but there isn't just one I love best...I have 3 favourites, I love the Peekaboo Clutch, the Hippo Hobo, and the Ingenious Tote.

What is your favorite pattern by another designer?

Oh tough one!  I really enjoyed making Mrs H's Saddlebag, and still use it quite often :)

What is your favorite snack?

Well if you had asked me a year ago I would have to have said Hot Chocolate as I had about 3 a day...but I haven't had one since September 2016 when I gave up sugar!  Right now my favourite snack is cheese on crackers – not very fun I know, but healthier than what I used to have because there is a lot less sugar ;)

What is your favorite piece of bag hardware?

Another tough question – you really know how to ask them!

I'm going to say rivets as they can really make an ordinary bag look extraordinary while often being functional too.

What machine do you sew on most often?

I sew on a JUKI TL-98P and love it!

What advice would you give to someone who is new to bag making?

I always say, “Give it a go!  You'll probably fall in love with it and won't be able to stop!”  I have had a fair few people make my patterns as their first forage into bag making, and I am so pleased to have helped them catch the bug ;)  If you need a little extra advice recently I published a series of posts for beginner bag makers, so check out the tutorials section on my blog to find out more www.emkiedesigns.com/tutorials

Who is your favorite fabric designer?

Can I really only choose one?! 

I fall in love with pretty much every range Katarina Roccella brings out.  I usually purchase my favourites and then hoard them for anything I deem a “special” project.  But I am trying to get better at actually using them, and not just patting them – lol ;)

What is the best compliment you've received as a designer?

The best compliment I could ever receive as a designer is people are enjoying my patterns.

How organized is your sewing space?

It's not very organised most of the time!  I have quite a small space, you can view it here: http://www.emkiedesigns.com/blog-hop-sewing-space/ Because it is so small I try to keep it relatively organised, but it often does get out of hand and need a clean up before I can work.

Are you a mess maker or everything in its place kind of person?

I make a MESS and then usually have to clean it all up before I can start something new...I can't actually work very well in mess – lol!

What is your favorite color?

PINK! I love love love pink :)

What is your favorite thing to listen to while working?

I watch Netflix while I sew, ok so I listen to Netflix while I sew ;) I try not to choose something too exciting or no work actually gets done ;)

Is there anything you wish others knew about you or what you do?

I sometimes wish people knew how much work goes into my patterns.  I often will re-write a pattern numerous times until I'm happy with the look of it.  I also always use my bags for 4 to 6 weeks to ensure they function as I want them too.  After I'm happy with the look and the functionality of the bag, then the pattern can be written and sent to testing. So the whole process for me can take a really long time, 6-8 weeks is the minimum.

How do you make sure that your patterns are accessible to bagineers?

All my patterns are available via immediate download, and can be printed on a home printer.

I also sell my patterns on numerous platforms, my website: www.emkiedesigns.com

on Etsy: www.emkiedesigns.etsy.com

and on Craftsy: https://www.craftsy.com/profile/emkie-designs

How do you promote your work?

I am most active on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emkiedesigns/, on Facebook www.fb.com/emkiedesigns and in my Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/PatternsByEmkie/.  I also blog at www.emkiedesigns.com and I have an email list you can sign up for if your interested http://www.subscribepage.com/v0m0h6.

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Designer Spotlight--Alicia of Swoon Patterns

It's day 2 of our Designer Spotlight Series! Head over to Happy Okapi to read up on Alicia of Swoon Patterns! While you are there, don't forget to enter the giveaway on her blog and take the poll!

Designer Spotlight-- Blue Calla Patterns

Today's spotlight designer is Celine of Blue Calla patterns 

Blue Calla offers a wide variety of sewing patterns from beginner to advanced. Celine uses full color photos in her step by step instructions that make it easy to follow along to get professional results. I personally love the variety of styles Blue Calla offers, there are so many unique patterns and I want to make them all! I've had the privilege of making several Blue Calla patterns and loved the results. Celine joined the Bag of the Month Club as a designer this January and continues to regularly release patterns outside of the club. Her designs are fun, fresh and innovative!  Lets learn a bit more about Celine:

1)    How long have you been sewing and what inspired you to start designing your own patterns?

I’ve known how to sew since I was a child. My mother is very creative and has taught me several crafts: knitting, crochet, needlepoint, and sewing. I only started sewing for a living in 2009. I discovered that I get bored very quickly when it comes to sewing patterns. I don’t like to make several items from the same pattern, which really doesn’t work if you want to make bags for a living. I started to modify patterns that I had purchased because I wanted extra pockets or extra features and that led to coming up with completely unique items that I designed from beginning to end. I found it extremely satisfying and as soon as I became bored, I would move on to a completely different idea. I created a pillow appliqué pattern first and to my surprise, it actually sold! I then moved on to bag patterns from there.

2)    What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to be creative and make a living! I love it when everything finally fits together and looks good. It’s very satisfying. The best feeling is when someone posts a photo of a finished bag and THEY are proud of their work.

3)    What is the hardest part of the design process for you?

I am a perfectionist. It takes me a long time before I feel like a pattern is good enough for release – sometimes as long as 3 months!

4)    What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working?

I love gardening! This is why all my patterns are named after flowers.

5)    What is your favorite pizza topping?

Pineapple.

6)    What is your favorite thing about bag making?

The possibilities are endless when it comes to bag making. There are so many choices in terms of materials and hardware and designer fabric. Everyone comes up with the most amazing combinations!

7)    What is your least favorite part of bag making?

Cutting and interfacing. Of course.

8)    Is there a pattern of yours that is your favorite?

Probably Aster and Sweet Pea. 

9)    What is your favorite pattern by another designer?

I have so many!! But if I had to choose, I love the Prairie Girl and the NCW from Emmaline bags the most.

10) What is your favorite snack?

Unhealthy snack: potato chips. They are my weakness. Healthy snack: any fruit really.

11) What is your favorite piece of bag hardware?

This is a difficult question. What can you make with a single piece of bag hardware?  If I have to pick one, I’ll say a turn lock because I could make the NCW with it. 

12) What machine do you sew on most often?

I’ve used many machines through the years. Right now, I use a Janome Sewist 625e. It’s the machine I use most often and when I am designing a new pattern. It is a tough little machine and can sew through almost anything! 

13) What advice would you give to someone who is new to bag making?

Before you even touch your sewing machine, read and watch video tutorials. Then start with free patterns and move up to slightly more complex patterns. This is probably good advice when learning any new skill!

14) Who is your favorite fabric designer?

I love so many Alexander Henry prints – especially the bold prints.

15) What is the best compliment you've received as a designer?

I feel it’s a compliment whenever someone chooses to make one of my patterns. I was also completely honoured to have been chosen as a designer for the Bag of the Month club.

16) How organized is your sewing space? Are you a mess maker or everything in its place kind of person?

I am very tidy! I used to be messy but I realized that I would stop sewing completely if my studio was a disaster. I keep all of my supplies very organized and I force myself to tidy once a week – everything back in its place. That way when I walk into the room, it feels more peaceful and I can concentrate.

17) What is your favorite color?

BLUE! (Of course)

18) What is your favorite thing to listen to while working?

I usually watch Netflix.

19) Is there anything you wish others knew about you or what you do?

My testers know this already but I really do work very hard to make sure my patterns are error free. It’s almost impossible but I have very high expectations for myself. I also really do want everyone to succeed with a pattern. I feel like I’ve let someone down if they don’t finish their bag. I am almost always working. Customer service is very important to me.

20) How do you make sure that your patterns are accessible to bagineers? How do you promote your work?

My patterns are sold on Etsy and on my own website. I offer support through my Facebook group and via email. Most of my promotions – sales and pattern releases are advertised through my Instagram account and my Facebook page and group.

http://bluecallapatterns.etsy.com

http://bluecallapatterns.com?aff=4

Instagram: @bluecallapatterns

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bluecallapatterns/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bluecallapatterns/

Check out the latest Blue Calla release: The Juniper Toiletry Bag

Don't miss your chance to win one of Celine's patterns as part of the 12 pattern package giveaway! 

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Designer Spotlight Series

Happy Okapi and I are teaming up to bring you the inside scoop on 12 all star designers, and to give YOU a chance to be heard about what you most look for when choosing bag patterns. Today we are kicking off the Designer Spotlight series which will be happening on both of our blogs! Each day one of us will be bringing you a an inside look at some of your favorite designers. We will be alternating days on our blogs, check out both so you don't miss anything.

Today, head over to Happy Okapi to take our poll to vote on your favorites and what you value most in choosing patterns. Tomorrow, I'll be kicking off the Designer Spotlight interviews here. 

To top it all off, thanks to our awesome designers, we are offering TWO giveaway packages!! Each package includes one PDF pattern from each of our 12 designers. That's 12 patterns in each package!! You can enter to win one of the packages here on this blog and the other over at Happy Okapi. 

We can't wait to hear from you and to share an inside look at these insanely talented ladies that have agreed to be a part of our series. I LOVED reading their answers, and I know you will too! Enter the giveaway below and check back each day for another chance to enter. 

Thanks to these incredible designers for being a part: 

Blue Calla Patterns

SewSweetness 

Emmaline Bags

Swoon Patterns

Sewing Patterns by Mrs. H

Dog Under my Desk

Chris W Designs

Betz White

Noodlehead

Little Moo Designs

Emkie Designs

Andrie Designs

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Belle Baby Bag

Are you over on Instagram? Myself along with a super awesome friend cohost swaps every now and then and we have SO MUCH FUN seeing what a bunch of awesome makers and sewists whip up for one another. I picked my partner and after seeing her wants in a bag, started to work on the Swoon Belle Baby Bag. 

Hands down the longest part of making this bag was cutting and interfacing all the pieces, I swear it felt like they kept multiplying as I went. So. Many. Pieces. 

My partner listed her preferred fabrics and I pulled a couple choices tried to pick what I thought was her favorite. These Melody Miller prints from her Playful line for Cotton and Steel were begging to be paired with some pink glitter vinyl. 

This was my first time making bias with vinyl and it was super easy. I love the pop it gives on the exterior pockets, it's such a fun touch. I love working with the glitter vinyl from Sew Sweetness. It's so easy to work with on my domestic machine. It's not as thick as most of the glitter vinyls and sews up like a dream. She stocks a ton of different colors and I can get a lot of milage out of one roll. I still have enough after making this bag to use for handles or a strap on another.

Belle is a hearty bag, and after I was finished I was surprised at how structured she came together. She was a bit smaller than I expected, but still sized ample enough as a diaper bag or as and overnight bag. 

The obligatory bling! This bag doesn't require a handbag zipper for the top, and I just used a smaller zipper I had. The only problem I had by not using a long pull zipper what that it was a little harder to grab onto the pull to use the zip. This was easily fixed by a swanky zipper pull from Emmaline Bags.

I love that this bag is a great multi tasker. It was designed as a diaper bag, but it doesn't LOOK like a diaper bag. The exterior has 4 pockets, 2 cargo style pockets on both the front and back and deep side pockets on either side. There is a detachable adjustable cross body strap, because really, who walks around carrying a diaper or traveler in their hands?

Overall, I really enjoyed sewing this bag. The pattern was easy to follow and aside from a lot of prepwork, sewed up pretty quickly. If you are looking for a diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag, this is the perfect pattern. 

Leather Compass Bag

Sewing in leather was a huge goal for me. It always seemed something that would be impossible with out an expensive industrial machine and much more experience. A few friends of mine that make just incredibly gorgeous leather bags encouraged me to give it a go and that although it may be challenging without an industrial it could totally be possible.

I asked my friends a bazillion questions, and spent many an hour researching. Once I finally felt like I was ready to give it a go I found some beautiful leather from The Tannery NYC on Etsy. After getting my leather, it sat around for me to pet it and stare at it for a while I found the perfect bag for it.

Initially I had grand plans of making my own pattern to imitate a couple of bags I had seen in stores, but after coming to my senses realized that making my own pattern to sew leather for the first time was asking for frustration and disappointment. So I chose the Compass Bag by Noodlehead for my leather bag.

I chose to do the large version of the bag, and I had purchased a half hide of leather with is approximately 10 square feet. As leather is not man made, there are imperfections in some places on the hide and the shape is irregular so it's important to be careful about how you lay out your pattern pieces. You want to minimize the amount of leather that you need to use for your bag to make sure that you have enough to cut all your pieces while being careful to cut around any portions that have irregularities or marks that you don't want on your bag pieces. If I had picked a smaller bag, I would have had more wiggle room in case of errors. 

After the bag was completed I had very little left over, and there was zero room for error if I messed up a piece. Luckily I had enough for what I needed but it is a bit stressful knowing that I couldn't just cut out another piece if I messed up. I'm not usually the one who measures twice and cuts once but with this leather I must have measured and double checked my pieces before cutting a dozen times.

As I said before, I don't have an industrial machine (someday, hopefully soon!) but I have a heavier all mechanical Janome which does well with bulk and heavy materials. There was some wrestling, especially at the bottom where the pockets connect but we managed. I don't plan on sewing leather exclusively with my Janome, luckily it's mechanical so there is less to worry about messing up but it's definitely taxing on the machine. I had to use large leather needles and hand crank at several parts. 

I did have to modify the lining a bit. As written the pattern the lining panels are made of 4 pieces (2 for each panel) just like the front. I didn't want the extra seams in the lining so I modified it to be be just 2 pieces. Additionally I was worried about how the top seam would be very bulky and I would struggle with the top stitching if I had attached the lining to the exterior and turn, so I chose to add a strip of leather facing on the top portion of the lining and then insert it, leaving the top edges of the leather raw. 

I really like the exterior pockets, and although I like the look of zippered interior pockets, they just don't suit my needs well so I added two divided slip pockets instead.

I really love how the antique brass works with the color of this leather. The strap anchors give an interesting pop on the side of the bag. I love that it adds a bit of interest to a otherwise simple and clean bag.

I'm so so happy with how this bag turned out! It's my new every day bag. It's super roomy, classically simple and so me. It's quite a large handbag at 11.5" W x 13" H x 5" D, the smaller size would be well suited to those that like a smaller bag. 

I really enjoyed this pattern as well, Noodlehead's patterns are easy to follow and I the clean lines and classic looks translate well into leather. I'm already planning another!

If you've been thinking about sewing with leather, give it a go! You might be pleasantly surprised! Even if it's just for accent pieces and straps, it's a lot easier to work with than I had expected.