The Man Behind the Bag Pt. 2

Continuing this series of guys who make kick-ass bags, today’s interview is with T of Flying Stitch Labs! I was talking to T about garment sewing last week. I was fretting about all the things I didn’t know about it, but he settled me down with these words of wisdom, “With bags there’s always that sneaking worry of “is this bag supposed to look like this”, and a lot of times you won’t really know until 6 steps later. With garment sewing, it’s “is this where the boob goes”… “yep, that looks like a boob shape”. Well played, T. Well played.

 

1.    Can you share a little about your background and education?
In the grand scheme of things, I feel like I joined the sewing game fairly late. My life in theater led me to major in Lighting Design in College. I also started taking aerial circus arts classes as well. Near the end of my junior year of college, I was getting ready for a student showcase at the circus school, and I needed to get these shorts hemmed that I bought from American Apparel. I went down to the costume shop in the theater department and asked if someone could hem the shorts for me. That moment changed everything. Instead of hemming it for me, they offered to teach ME how to hem them. They explained most people don’t start learning to sew with spandex, but I had until Friday, so we did it anyway. My next project was with leather…I didn’t start sewing wovens until I changed my major to costumes over that summer, and spent every day learning how to sew in the costume shop. I mostly stuck with spandex costumes, because I made a lot of circus costumes, but I also just felt like I was good at sewing spandex. For my mom’s birthday that next year, I really wanted to sew her something, so I found this cutesy Amy Butler bag pattern, and failed my way through it. Wovens were NOT my thing, also, don’t ask why, but I made it out of this light blue hospital looking fabric….UGtastic. But, that started me into the wonderful world of bagmaking. I’ve gotten way better since then, though I prefer making leather handbags over cottons any day. I didn’t really stray from costuming in the sewing world until Jan 2013, due to a huge snowstorm, I ended up watching the Craftsy’s Block of the Month with Amy Gibson video series, and was hooked. I started quilting, and got more into bag making, and have become the seamster I am today.

2.    Can you tell me a little about the area of the United States you live in and what the quilting/craft movement is like in that area?
Well, I can’t tell you much about where I’m living right now yet, cause I moved here a week ago, but I just spent the past year in Seattle and Oh My is it awesome to be a crafter there. First of all, the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild totally took me in, and were some of the most awesome sewists I have ever met. Also, on Bainbridge Island (a ferry ride away from Seattle proper), Pink Chalk Fabrics lives, and that store has the most magical staff and brilliant fabric selection! Then, when you take a day trip down to Portland, OR, you get to go to Modern Domestic, which I would say has the quieter range of beautiful fabrics compared to Pink Chalk. Between those two, a quilter/crafter cannot complain.

3.    How does your work and sewing work fit in with your life?
Well, sewing is a big part of my life. My main career is being a professional circus artist, so I sew all of my own costumes, and I also design and fabricate costumes professionally for other performers as well. On the side, I teach sewing at a sewing school here in Newton, MA (Newton Sewing Studio), and I quilt pretty much for personal relaxation. I started quilting because I needed something that had no client or deadline, something that I could just sew for the happiness of it, though I have entered into a quilting challenge, and it was kind of fun, so maybe the relaxation part will fade..

4.    Have you always been interested in craft and fabrics?
I was always into some kind of craft, whether it was origami, friendship bracelets, macrame, crocheting, knitting…etc. It just never even occurred to me to learn to sew until that day in my Junior year of college.

5.    Do you make quilts or would you describe yourself as a general sewer?
See above.

6.    How would you describe your style of designs?
I am very into minimalist design when it comes to form and shape, but then I go a little crazy with the color side of things. I like straight lines or gentle curves,  but avoid frills and heavy embellishments. Color wise, I love bold pop colors turquoise, neon yellow, silver, hot pink.

7. What kinds of bags do you like to make?
I’m a fan of leather bags that are sleek and simple with lots of functionality on the inside. I like having pockets for specific objects, rather than having giant room for all sorts of stuff to tangle in. I would consider myself to work in the “beautiful utilitarian” style, if that makes sense.

8.  Have you made any bags/projects either for yourself or someone else that are your favorites or really special to you in some way?
Well, most of my bags end up being my mom’s. She’s a very fashionably conscious and artistic person herself,  and so she’ll pick out the leather and buy it, so that I just pitch in, ya know, all the labor. She has very strong design opinions herself, so sometimes we have to haggle till we reach a final design.

9.  What is the most memorable moment you have in regards to sewing and craft, whether it’s funny, personal or heartfelt? 
In my first year of professional circus school, my friend Katie was chosen to do a duo act with another girl. The other performer had already gotten a professional costume made for her, because she also had to do a solo during the show, but Katie was given a really hideous costume from the stock costume supply the school had. She was so sad about her costume looking so shabby next to the other performer’s costume, that I decided I would make her a new costume…in 24 hours. I stayed up pretty much all night, making her stay up with me watching movies and just chatting, and I pulled off a mostly pretty costume with some sexy embellishments. We got no sleep that night or day, but made it to the show in time to perform in our snazzy costumes.

10.  What are your plans for the future? Do they involve more sewing and/or designing?
Tons more sewing and designing! There are so many things I haven’t sewn. Eventually I want to go take some more couture sewing classes, or apprentice at a fashion house, and make circus inspired high fashion looks for epic runway shows. I also want to become America’s Next Top Quilt Designer…or at least be a one-hit wonder pattern designer. 2015, the year of T’s “_____” Quilt.

11. Is there anything else you would like to share?
Go take a circus class somewhere, it might change your life. Also, if you’re in the Boston area, and wanna take ZUMBA classes, I teach a pretty fun class.

Thanks T! You can find T online at Flying Stitch Labs, on Instagram as @hoopartist, and on Facebook.

I hope you liked T’s work…let me know what you think!