Etsy

March 3rd 2009 was the day I left my job as a preschool teacher to embark on the greatest adventure of my life... motherhood. My son was 21 months old and had just gone through a heart procedure for a condition call "Pulmonary Valve and Artery Stenosis". It occurred to me that life was too short and precious to spend it at job where I was under valued and under paid, and not spend it with my beautiful, vivacious child.

To fund my adventure, I planned to create bags, totes, and clutches out of antique and vintage materials. After all... there are so many beautiful things already in the world to create with, why not give them a new life.

The previous summer my mother in law had given me a sewing machine... as I had been tossing the idea around for quite some time. My own mother (a freelance artist and antique addict), and father (a guitarist) had surrounded my siblings and I with a creative environment since we were babies. I've spent the majority of my life studying vocally in classical, and operatic music. As well as dabbling in other creative arts. So, even though I had no previous sewing experience, it came pretty naturally to me... I think its in my blood.

I had decided from the beginning that I wanted to use only environmentally friendly materials... decreasing my footprint. My mother's passion for antiques and previously loved items has greatly influenced my own taste. I get absolutely giddy over worn, dirty canvas, discolored ticking, bark cloth, and wood crates who's label's you can barely make out. If it looks like a disaster... I'll probably love it.