why make it like that?
Ever stare at something for so long that you get sucked into a black hole of thought? The first time I ever did that was staring at a hair dryer when I was in middle school. To this day I have no idea how long I stared at that hair dryer but my hair was 3” longer.
I’m curious by nature and curiouser by nurture. My family are hard core tinkerers. Like pulled away from the middle of a conversation because something just popped up in your brain that you have to figure out with your hands and possible tools you have laying around.
Let’s jump into all the why’s of how my purses are designed.
Q.Why wool ?
I love Pendleton wool because of it’s exquisite color, patterns and that feeling of having an elevated look with one simple accessory. I could be be rocking dirty jeans caked in horse hair but paired with a soft wool button down Pendleton plaid shirt I feel like fancy as F. Pendleton is also a geographical identifier of home and belonging. Pendleton always carries a story regardless where you are in the world whether you are from the PNW or visited once. It is part of the culture of when you see something made with Pendleton wool you always ask for the story.
Q. Why canvas?
Growing up on a small hobby farm I watched my parents work really hard to create balance by sustainably taking care of the land, managing refuse, humane animal husbandry and financial responsibility with a hefty dose a fixer’s manifesto. Spoonflower’s eco-friendly canvas filled a gap where I could actively support sustainable textile production and support independent artists to balance my little studio’s eco-system with the supplies I need to order and the supplies I am given, have on hand or repurpose.
Q. Why brass hardware?
To minimize the amount of supplies I keep on hand I chose to only offer one color of hardware. This helps with resourcing products and allows me to buy in bulk to reduce the cost. Plus I love that the warm tone elevates all patterns.
Q. How did you come up with your designs?
Lots and lots of mistakes and continue to tweak them. I have absolutely no design education and do not know how to draft patterns so my patterns are always a mix of happy success and failures. I look at what I want my end dimensions to be and then back into those dimensions with how much I need to account for zipper, hem, closing up the sides, what do I want the top to look like and what do I want the bottom to look like. Then I make 6-8 drafts. Get super frustrated. Add self-loathing. Then zone in on what my issues are. Pssst, it’s usually my zippers.
Q. Why use leather tabs and handles?
Real leather is important to me because it wears longer and creates a beautiful patina over the course of the life of your purse. And while vegan leather is a big win for animal activists it does come at a cost to the environment with the PVC-based synthetics that release toxins. Leather is biodegradable and can sustain decades with proper care.
Q. Why are all rivets backed with a leather washer?
The leather washer gives rivets super hero holding power so rivets won’t pull through the fabric with regular use. Let’s be honest, we all overstuff our purses so this is especially important for us that carry too much weight in our purses.
Q. Why are the adjustable straps woven cotton?
The cotton is a natural texture that fits the overall aesthetic of wool, metal and natural fibers. I would love to make my straps of leather but I’m just not there yet. It’s on the list of something I would like to offer as an upgrade.
Q. Does anyone else help you make things?
YES! While I do 90% of the work I have batch-work help. There are girlfriends that will sew a batch of product at a time. My mom also steps in to batch coin purses and pillows. My aunt and cousins will step in to help me with events, cut leather and pretty much anything else that I’ve ever needed to lean on them for support. All of this helps me get product to you quicker. Thank goodness for hardworking and dedicated pit crew.
Q. How do you decide on the dimensions of your purses?
Often I back into the size of a purse based on the aesthetic and function of the woman I’m creating it for. And sometimes I mess up and have to go back to fix a size. Like this last year, I reduced the crossbody by 5% and even though you might not think one inch would make that much of a difference is does when you’re trying to fit in a water bottle or magazine. So next year I’ll go back to the original dimensions of my crossbody.
The Weekend Tote is really for everyone serving a ton of different needs from packing for two nights or the momma who is using it as a baby bag.
The Crossbody was designed as the everyday workhorse that gets you to and from work, grocery store, soccer practice. The larger dimensions are a safe bet for everyone.
The Bitsy was born out of the desire to have something cute and more compact to feel hip and younger than the crossbody but the truth is that I didn’t design the Bitsy until a friend requested to make something smaller for his mother who is fatigued by larger purses. So this fills the gap of my women who want a trendier, fresh take on the everyday purse but without the begrudging weight.
The Belt Bag is an every evolving small purse. Started out as a clutch that was just a little too small to really love. So I added an inch but then that meant it was the same size as the fanny pack I was making and a lot of women were asking to add a shoulder strap to their clutches. Combined the two styles and called them a belt bag.
Q. Do you have any other questions for me and my creating process?
Feel free to send me a message at landandkamp@gmail.com.
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Much love and appreciation-Jessie
