Why Bagmaking?

The simple answer is why not? But that would be far from the truth. About 5 years ago this would have never been a question that crossed my mind.

Most people going through a mid-life crisis think sports car, tatoo or expensive trip, but because I have been a crafter most of my life, I thought sewing machine.

As a young child, I had learned how to crochet from my mother which led me down the crafter's road. The crafter's road is the road travelled by many an artisan on their journey to creative nirvana. That thing which fills your soul and allows you to create something from nothing with wild abandonment while questioning yourself the entire way but enjoying the process none the less.

Most of the crafts I had learned involved some sought of needle like knitting, hardanger, needlepoint and bead working. As someone who enjoys the process of creating something I always thought that a machine would strip me of my creativity. That was until I decided I wanted to learn to sew.

Like most of my creative pursuits, I just knew that I COULD sew. It never entered my conscious that it was some illusive skill that was beyond my reach. After all people had been doing it for centuries, right? It was just needle, thread, and fabric so how hard could it be. All I needed was a sewing machine and I could whip up the perfect top in no time.

In 2005, the woman who has everything, except a sewing machine, got a sewing machine for Christmas. The next day I headed to the local big chain fabric store and bought a name brand pattern and all the material listed on the packaging. Set up for success, I was well on my way to becoming a seamstress, or so I thought. It did not take me long to realize that a size 14 designer pattern was not the same as a size 14 off the rack. The retail industry had been lying to me for years. But not all was lost, the top did fit my then 15-year-old daughter.

Being a woman of a certain vintage and because my mama didn't raise a quitter, I felt as if I had to make something that fit me. After talking with a friend, she recommended YouTube the modern-day encyclopedia. A simple search for 'sewing' brought up so many more options than I ever expected. The one that caught my eye was 'sewing bag.' Bag, say what? Thinking at the time it would only be a slight detour off the seamstress path, I chose the right path both figuratively and literally. What started out as a way to learn sewing skills and better improve my knowledge of patterns put me on a journey I could have never imagined.

From the time I finished sewing my first bag I was hooked. Was it perfect? No. Would I give to anyone as gift? Not if they were a friend. But it was so perfectly imperfect, and it fit! The first bag was a tote made of quilting cotton which led me on the journey of bagmaking from which I have never looked back. Over the years the journey has changed to an adventure. The domestic sewing machine has been replaced with industrial which is better suited to the thickness and material used in bagmaking. Vinyl or what some call enviro-leather has now become the medium of choice. With so many different types of material and endless possible combinations, I guarantee there are many bags yet to be made. I have finally been able to create something that fits me as well as others.