mercredi 4 avril 2012

Interview with Etsy seller Carrie from NorthEndThreads


                                                            for more details click here


Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a f/t mother of two kids, a son and daughter. They are in elementary school which allows time for me to sew during the day. I try to get out of the house for a workout at the Y a couple of times/week to clear my head and avoid being too much of a hermit. I enjoy snow skiing with my daughter and watching my son play baseball. I am married and we are a close family. My husband is in sales. I am turning 40 this summer and I welcome it! 

This idea of handlebar bike bags/crossbody bags has been in my head for a couple of years, but I didn't have a sewing machine nor did I know how to sew!! Living on one income made it hard to conquer both of those limitations. One day I went to Joanne Fabrics to buy some items and try to make a prototype for fun. I met a woman there in her 70's. We got to chatting in line and I told her what I wanted to do. She thought for a few minutes and I could tell she was contemplating something. Then she told me to come to her house and she would teach me how to make my bag. Turns out, she used to teach sewing lessons when she was younger. That was my first obstacle out of the way. 

Next, I met another woman in a bible study I started attending who offered to loan me her sewing machine. My husband had just been laid off and I wanted to try making some simple things (i.e. draft guards for doors) to sell at a Xmas Baazar in order to make money for gifts. After Xmas was over I got the courage up to try to make my first bag. It slowly came together. So I made a few more and each time it got easier and was less stressful.

Now, I can make them more quickly and they turn out extremely well (if I do say so myself!). People are finding them and they are selling. I believe that God orchestrated it all, putting people in my path to help me do this. I have some limitations that make working outside of the home difficult and wanted a way to make money from home. I feel it's a sign that He wants to help me and loves his children.




Tell us a bit about your Etsy shop

My shop is solely for handlebar bike bags for women that can be removed and worn hands-free as crossbody bags. This is personally my favorite type of bag because if I have a purse with handles I will forget it somewhere. I am a carefree type that just needs a few items and not a huge bag. I think ladies who are active tend to be this way. I love to make a variety of colors with contrasting linings and fun embellishments.



Tell us about your latest project

 My most recent project is a purple velour bag. It's more swanky than the other cotton duck types. It will be interesting to see if people respond to it. I also want to evolve more and use hardware on them (magnetic clasps, etc.). But my shop is still new and there's time for that. "Slow and steady wins the race" - that's my motto. Grow and evolve slowly, keeping it manageable.



What is handmade for you?

Handmade for me means it supports someone in the U.S. (often) which I really like. It also more than likely helps support a mother that wants to be home which I feel is great for kids, families and society. Plus, there's just more care put into a handmade item. And it's not made in a sweatshop, which is huge.



To check out Carrie Shop now click here 

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