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Tootsie Handmade
Today's profile is of the fabulously retro homeware and accessory designer, Tootsie Handmade. This talented Ade-laidy re-purposes vintage fabric into cushions, clutches and more... so I took the time to find out more about her glorious work below.
When did Tootsie Handmade begin and why?
I’m a child of the 70's, so I learned how to sew as a child (both with a machine and by hand), and to appreciate the skills and love needed to sew and create clothing and everyday items. I returned to sewing after a long hiatus from sewing where work, overseas travel and a young family took precedence. I started sewing in earnest when my youngest child started at kindy and I had more time for myself.
After doing some quilting and making clothing for my kids, I made some hairbands for my daughter. My husband sewed the seeds for the idea of a little business when he suggested: "You could sell those". After a brief period of sewing items for children, I gradually shifted my focus to creating a more sustainable business by using vintage and reclaimed fabrics to design and create my wares. My business name is my childhood nickname...thanks Dad!
Where do you draw the inspiration for your products from?
I was raised by parents who grew up in the 1930s and 40s, so I grew up in a rather thrifty household...I can't bear to see anything wasted, and I love the idea of recycling and up-cycling so that items get a second (or maybe even a third!) chance at life. So in a way, my recycling practices have carried over into my little business. My creative focus is to use vintage and reclaimed fabrics (predominantly those from the 60s and 70s), as well as vintage blankets, tablecloths, tea towels, doilies and buttons to create one-of-a-kind accessories and homewares.
I've been gifted a lot of fabric, plus I find the occasional treasure in op-shops, or online. The older I get, the more I find myself drawn to fabrics from my childhood…those 60s curtains in my childhood kitchen? They're recreated as cushions. Those "Onkaparinga" blankets we all had as kids...they're getting a new lease on life as funky bags and purses.
What is your favourite thing about producing handmade products?
I have an ever growing stash of fabulous vintage fabrics. I like to think that I’m rescuing these fabrics from op-shop shelves and the bottom of the linen cupboard. I really love being able to give new life to these beautiful fabrics that have often been shut away and forgotten. I particularly love being able to re-purpose embroidered doilies: so much work and love in these pretty little works of art in their own right. I really enjoy creating my own designs. One of my handbag designs (the satchel) came purely from a stash of fabric squares I'd bought on eBay, where my fabric was quite limited in size.
I can spend an awfully long time sifting through my fabric stash to find the perfect combination of fabrics to make a unique, one of a kind item, I enjoy this planning process just as much as the actual sewing. I get a real kick out of seeing people using my Tootsie wares (I've seen a few kids in the local supermarket wearing Tootsie hairbands, plus I regularly receive photos from happy customers of my cushions taking pride of place in people's living rooms). I'm also very excited about my Tootsie Totes being used in a recent episode of Hawaii 5-0...great exposure for my little business.
Well done Karen!!! You can check out her gorgeous wares on Instagram or shop her designs by clicking the pics above.