The sneaky peeks continue in the What’s in Your Sewing Bag Series. This time, you’re heading out West to visit Holly Clarke from Hold My Seam Ripper!
Holly’s a fellow Canadian who lives out West. As with most of my quilty friends, we first met on Instagram 😊 We really do have a lovely community over there! But I also had the chance to meet her in person at QuiltCon in Atlanta. We both showed up for the Canadian Modern Quilt Collective’s happy hour and had the chance to chat! Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate when we were both Quiltmas Elves, this past Christmas!
You know my love for bold colour and Holly definitely incorporates lots of bold colour in her quilts. It’s one of the elements that drew me to her work, and I suspect it’s something you’ll love too!
Today, I’m excited to give you the chance to get to know Holly and sneak a peek inside her sewing bag to see what notions she keeps tucked in there 😉
Let’s find out!
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Introduction
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
I started sewing when I was an art school student at the University of Manitoba in order to create a design class project. I fell in love with the process and never looked back. Once I got the hang of it, I started making fun hats to sell at festivals and craft shows. When my babies were born, I turned my love of sewing towards making baby gear, which I turned into a business called Small Potatoes, selling handmade baby clothing and accessories.
In my day job I work as a graphic designer and in 2017, I discovered modern quilting and it was like a light bulb went on and I discovered a way I could combine my love of fabric, sewing, colour, and design all into one snuggly hobby. I made my first quilt before I really knew what a quilt pattern was, I just jumped in headfirst into design. After that I discovered EPP, FPP, and eventually curved piecing. I like to try new techniques and figure out what works best for me and my quilting journey.
It’s so cool how your sewing adventures evolved into different areas before finally settling into quilting. There is something about the quilt design process that hits lots of creative checkboxes – ha! I’m with you on the fun to be had in exploring the different quilting techniques and seeing which are the right fit for you and your creativity.
Sewing Bag
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
My sewing bag is actually a little box. I have long been a fan of Kate Spade handbags (I have a colourful collection of her bags from over the years) and one year I received a wallet as a gift and it came in this perfectly sturdy magenta and orange box which I saved because the colours spoke to me. When I started doing EPP I realized it was the ideal size for toting my sewing gear around with me. And as a bonus, the sturdy box lid can double as a work surface to glue baste my paper pieces on my lap!
I’ve recently started decorating the box with quilty stickers that I received from friends or at QuiltCon. The stickers are all so much fun and make me smile whenever I open up my box.
Ok, first, fellow handbag lover over here! And I’ve also been known to hang on to all the pretty packaging 😉 I love that you’ve put yours to good use for your EPP travel kit. Super smart about using the sturdy lid as a basting table!
Those stickers would make me smile too! Plus, I bet they spark memories about how you got them.
All-Star Essentials
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
At the very minimum, I need my sharp little Kai snips, a needle, and a colour coordinating thread for the project I’m working on. I keep a variety of spools of Gütermann thread in my box so I always have the right colour handy. Oh, and those little clips… can’t have too many of those!
I’ve heard wonderful things about the Kai scissors. I’ll have to put those on my x-mas wish list!
Favourite Item
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
I received this fun little diamond needle minder at an embroidery workshop I took at QuiltCon 2019 and it lives on this bright green piece of card stock so I can always find my favourite needle in this chaotic little box.
I love that green – definitely eye-catching!
Surprise Item
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
In my sewing box, I keep a little tin which came with the fanciest chocolates I’ve ever eaten (two little chocolates for $15!). Inside the tin I keep some pins and mini clips. It serves as a helpful organizing tool but also reminds me of those decadent little chocolates that were the stuff that dreams are made of.
Gosh, I love a good chocolate memory – ha! Your tin is adorable. I’d hang on to it too, especially seeing how it keeps your pins and clips so nicely organized!
Quilt Kits Will Travel
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
These days I mostly use my sewing kit for traveling to my quilt guild or sewing binding onto quilts while watching TV on the couch, but in the past, it traveled all over with me on road trips and to lots of my kids’ activities. I have a whole Ice Cream Soda quilt that is full of memories of me sitting at my kids’ piano lessons, tennis, soccer, swimming, and gymnastics. I have also been known to take it to our summer cabin to stitch on the deck with a cold drink at my side and even on the beach.
Isn’t hand sewing on the sofa the best – lol! I love hearing about your Ice Cream Soda quilt and how it makes you think of all those memories with your kids. This is what I love about quilting – the life stories that were happening while it was being made. Bet you hold that quilt near and dear to your heart!
Travel Memory
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
In 2018 my family took a 2-week road trip from the centre of Canada to Newport, Oregon, and then back through Vancouver, and the Canadian Rockies. Somewhere along the way, our car keys were lost in the forest (long story!) and we ended up spending an extra few days at a lovely little hotel in the mountains while we waited for a replacement key to be couriered to us from home. The hotel had an outdoor pool with a relaxing deck and I enjoyed most of that time watching my kids swim, while I stitched EPP. It was a “make lemonade” situation of which I have very fond memories.
Isn’t it funny how sometimes the ‘unfortunate’ events turn out to be good times in the end?! Sounds like you made the most of a frustrating situation. I’d say a couple of extra days spent EPPing, while watching your kids swim is a pretty good way to solve a problem!
Where Can We Find You?
Tell people where we can find you.
I live in Winnipeg, Canada and I work out of my home. I am a member of the Winnipeg Modern Quilt Guild and serve on the board as the Social Media Coordinator. I have a website where I sell my quilt patterns https://hollyclarkedesign.com and I am fairly active on my Instagram account @holdmyseamripper where I share my works in progress, trials and errors, and my latest quilt pattern designs.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I’ve enjoyed writing this and peeking through all my hand-sewing gear. I haven’t done much EPP lately but in thinking about all the sewing I’ve done with this kit I feel inspired to pick up another EPP project.
Yay! I love hearing that you’re inspired to pick up a new EPP project. I always love that feeling of ‘wanting’ to make something new. Thank you so much for participating in the WIYSB series, Holly! I’ve so enjoyed reading your responses and learning more about your sewing adventures. I quite love that your sewing kit is a box, as it’s a great reminder that a sewing kit can be anything as long as it works for you! My biggest takeaway is our mutual love for handbags – ha! Keep up your amazing creativity, it’s a joy to see where your exploration takes you!
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Karen from Just Get It Done Quilts
- Yvonne from Quilting Jet Girl
- Andrea from 3rd Story Workshop
- Sarah from Sarah Handmade
- Jennifer from Penelope Handmade
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
PS don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on any future WIYSB guests!
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