Meet the Maker! Stacey of Crickhollow Creations won our Make of the Month competition for January with this stunning Love is Love Sydney Messenger Bag!

 

The Sydney Messenger Bag from Swoon Patterns, made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

The Sydney Messenger Bag from Swoon Patterns, made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

 

Stacey auctioned her beautiful bag on eBay to raise funds for the Human Rights Campaign! Well done, Stacey! Stacey very kindly recently had a chat with us about herself and her bagmaking journey.

 

Meet Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

Meet Stacey of Crickhollow Creations!

 

Hi Stacey! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us a bit more about yourself and your bag making journey! First, we'd love to get to know the maker behind the bag better, so could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Project manager by day, project DIY'er by night! I have been with UPS working out of the corporate office for 15 years, and my most recent position is in the Project Management Office. I work on projects throughout the whole organization and love it. I live just outside of Atlanta with my husband, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a few tanks of fish. I'm an avid crafter of all kinds, sewing is just the most recent in a long line of crafts. I also love making jewellery, knitting, spinning, and I even picked up stained glass making in 2019. I can't remember a time when I didn't have some sort of a crafty hobby. I feel very lucky that my parents (especially my mom) encouraged me to express myself that way.

 

Wow! It looks like you're really busy! You're definitely not alone in being multi-craftual; we've knitters and spinners on our team too, and bet many of our readers do a few different crafts too! May we ask, what inspired you to start sewing?

I decided I wanted to make fun clothing out of the gorgeous fabrics I would come across. So I got myself a nice domestic machine and realized I hate sewing clothes. So my machine sat unused until the pandemic, when I started making masks to donate to local hospitals. But I needed more of a challenge. So, a few months ago, I decided to make a project bag for my knitting, and then it just took off from there!

 

The Denver Backpack from Swoon Patterns, made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

The Denver Backpack from Swoon Patterns, made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

 

What a lovely start to your bagmaking journey! Do you have a favourite thing about sewing?

My favorite thing about sewing is how quickly things seem to come together. With knitting, a sweater takes 60 hours or more. I'm still hitting double digits with some of the bags I'm making, but as you go through each step there is usually noticable progress.

 

That's a really good point! Compared to some crafty bits, sewing does give super quick results! Where do you find your inspiration when you're planning your sews?

For now, I still look to be inspired by a pattern I think will challenge me or teach me a new skill, but isn't so far out of my skill set that it runs the risk of being a disaster. I've learned that you will never have all the hardware you need, and I'm ok with that.

 

Well done for jumping in and challenging yourself! On hardware, we can't begin to count the number of times we've realised we're out of the bling we need for a sew, so we totally understand that feeling too! What's next on your bagmaking to-do list?

I have a commuter Annette that is cut out and ready to go, as well as an Expedition tote in super cute Beatles lyric fabric that I am going to gift to each of my sisters.

 

Oh, what lovely gifts! We're sure they'll love them! Aside from your sewing machine, what's the sewing tool you can't live without?

Wonderclips are my best friend. I keep a basket of them next to my machine as well as a basket next to where I cut and iron. They also end up in places not in the sewing room because they are just so handy.

 

An in progress Bonnie Bucket Bag, being made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations

Stacey always has Wonderclips close at hand when sewing!

 

 

We're wondering - what's your top tip for other bagineers?

Always keep challenging yourself. I think this is especially important for new sewists who can get comfortable making the same thing. By trying new patterns, techniques, and even new fabrics, you can really learn things about yourself and who you are as a creator.

 

That's a fantastic tip! Thank you! And, along similar lines, if you could ask our bagineer followers anything, what would you like to know?

What do you do when you can't figure out what that next project is going to be? Sometimes I get paralyzed with indecision with it's time to start something and I'd love to hear some of your ideas.

 

You're definitely not alone in this! We know a few of us turn to Startitis when we can't decide, but that's not always the best idea either! We'll ask our followers for their advice! Speaking of followers, do you have a business page or Instagram page where people can follow you?

You can follow me on Instagram @CrickhollowCreations or on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/CrickhollowCreations

 

Fantastic! We'll definitely be heading over to your pages to see how you get on with your Annette and your Expedition Tote! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us, Stacey, and happy sewing!

 

One of Stacey's beautiful Bonnie Bucket Bags!

The Bonnie Bucket Bag, made by Stacey of Crickhollow Creations