debemerydesigns

Lots of little things coming together ... sounds like one of my designs, and also how I came to start my little Etsy store.

I have always loved to sew and create. My best friend and I had a regular stall at the local markets selling craft when we were 12 (we were hugely successful by the way). But you know how it goes, a full time job, extra study, no time for anything creative. I had been sitting on these kimono off cuts for years, they were a gift from a friend returning from Japan, they were just gorgeous, but they were a bit small and I didn't really know what to do with them.

Then I bought a bike, a beautiful dutch style cruiser with a wire basket which couldn't actually hold anything because it would fall through the gaps. Kimono meet bike, bike meet kimono; a lining for the basket was created but more importantly, a new idea was formed.

For a while I had been on a quest to find the ideal shopping bag. You know, something small enough to fit in my handbag for storage but big enough to carry the stuff for tonight's dinner home from the shops and wasn't boring or ugly (why are so many reusable shopping bags ugly?). Fabric scraps offered the answer. By combining bits together, I was able to make little bags that were really rather cute and interesting, folded up nicely to fit in my handbag but were big enough to carry home the groceries. As I was perfecting my design, people kept on telling me to make more and sell them.

So that is what I have been doing. I have expanded my range and have so many more ideas up my sleeve. I love working in scraps of material and the way the individual pieces contribute to and dictate the outcome of each design. Of course, I love the fact that by reusing materials I am helping remove some junk from the world and creating something beautiful in doing so.