Chris W Designs provides unique and easy to follow patterns for all levels of sewing. Christine's patterns are incredibly detailed and thorough, you'll be amazed at the professional results that you can get from follow a Chris W pattern! Christine is also a Bag of the Month designer, and is this June's designer. I can't wait to see what gorgeous design she comes up with.
Let's learn a little bit more about Christine:
How long have you been sewing and what
inspired you to start designing your own patterns?
I have been
sewing for as long as I can remember. When I was
a child, my mum was always sewing clothes and things for our
home and she was the one who taught me how to sew. She inspired me to try new
techniques.
The very first bag I ever made was such a chore simply because of
poorly written instructions. It didn’t
even have any punctuation and one sentence just flowed into the next! That was such a battle! I made
myself a pact to one day design and write bag patterns that anyone can follow. After that first attempt, I made many bags. Some were from free patterns and some from purchased
patterns but many were my own experiments to learn as much as I could about making
bags.
What do you love most about your job?
Definitely
the designing part of my job. I really love working out different ways to do
things and designing different features and pocket
types which are unique….at least for a while!
What is the hardest part of the design
process for you?
Knowing
when to stop with adding features! I just love pockets and special features in
a bag so I really need to remind myself that not everyone likes to make bags
that take forever to make because of a ton of features!
What do you enjoy doing when you aren't
working?
Sleeping!
What is your favorite pizza topping?
None! I am
allergic to cheese so pizza is off the menu!
What is your favorite thing about bag making?
Designing!
But other than that, attaching the strap at the end and carrying a new, fun
bag that nobody else has one of the same!
What is your least favorite part of bag making?
Cutting
out! A ton of features means a ton of cutting! I would
love to find a cutting fairy hiding in my studio!
Is there a pattern of yours that is your favorite?
My wallet,
The Penny Inn. It took me ages to figure out how to make it have so many
pockets and still be something you can sew on most machines.
What is your favorite pattern by another designer?
Gosh…..The
NCW. Who doesn’t love that pattern!
What is your favorite snack?
Potato
Crisps! (Chris sniffs Smiths Crisps –Try saying that FAST! LOL)
What is your favorite piece of bag hardware?
Rivets!
What machine do you sew on most often?
A Bernina
QE550
What advice would you give to someone who
is new to bag making?
Don’t be
frightened to push your boundaries! Take your time to make your bag. It’s not
meant to be a race to the finish line! Enjoy the process, read over the
instructions to get the bigger picture but then tackle your bag one step at a time. Trust the designer’s instructions, even if you don’t ‘get it’!
It’s much less daunting that way and before you know it, it’s done!
Who is your favorite fabric designer?
Good
question! I really don’t have one! I hoard
fabric from everywhere and everyone!
What is the best compliment you've
received as a designer?
“WOW I
can’t believe I made this myself!”
How organized is your sewing space? Are
you a mess maker or everything in its place kind of person?
I am an
“Everything in its place” person…..until I have started my next project…..then
I make the BIGGEST mess imaginable!
What is your favorite color?
My
favourite colour is green BUT I rarely use it in my bag making.
What is your favorite thing to listen to while working?
Country
Music
Is there anything you wish others knew
about you or what you do?
I pour my
heart and soul into my bag making. Designing bags that are fun and unique is important to me, as is
providing the best quality pattern I possibly can. It takes me a ridiculous
amount of time to write and test my bag patterns, especially my Advanced ones
or ones that have a lot of features. My pattern PDF’s are long, not because
they are difficult but because they contain a lot of options and details many other patterns
don’t. In fact the opposite is true, those things make it easier to make a more complicated design! Unfortunately, some people just look at the length of the PDF and assume
it must be difficult without even looking at its content. That’s something I wish people would know about
what I do. It’s not as hard as it looks!
How do you make sure that your patterns
are accessible to bagineers? How do you promote your work?
I provide a
couple of free patterns on my website for people to try so they can see if they
like my style of pattern writing. I sell my patterns solely as PDF’s via my
website and a number of other online outlets such as E-purse
Patterns, Etsy and Craftsy. Promotion is via word of mouth, Facebook and Instagram. I also have a
newsletter which you can sign up for on my website. Newsletter subscribers get
20% off all new pattern releases.
Check out Christine's latest pattern, The Ellen's Esplanade:
12 comments:
I really enjoy Christine's Instagram Tips on Bag Making, too. There are thousands of new "bagineers" - which is GREAT but it makes me sad to see pics when the bag isn't sewn well. I hope that people are reading her IG posts and learning from them Folks are jumping into the deep end of the pool before they can swim well. One can always learn - Christine's well-written patterns can help bagineers to sew better bags.
I really loved learning more about Christine. I loved making the Penny Inn. She's right, making a bag is as simple as following each step, until you have finished it. That way it will turn out like it is supposed to.
Christine is an awesome designer with patterns that are well written and easy to follow. Loved learning some new things about her in this post.
Christine's patterns are all so unique and very useful. I really appreciate well designed patterns that really work for me. Great interview!
Love the Spotlight on designers learning about one of my favourite designers. Love the Carriers Conquest especially the name it was a conquest to finish it.
As a bag tester for Christine I do know a lot about her, but didn't know her favorite snack or that she is allergic to cheese, lol! Her patterns are well written and her bags are the best!
My first bag making experience was with Christine. Thanks for making the interview interesting. Imagine, Green is her favorite color!
I really appreciate a well written pattern. Make the task of making a bag so much more enjoyable Less frustration and less time trying to figure out what the next step is. Thank you
Love these designs. Always so visually interesting.
I'm proud to call Christine a friend even when we've never met. I'm one of her testers. Every time she makes a new bag pattern I'm amazed on how her brain works. She really puts a lot of engineering behind each pattern. She includes new techniques and features that I love!!!
Great post much appreciate the time you took to write this
Nice shhare
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