Following My Creative Needs

Sewing is in my blood. Both of my grandmothers worked in the sewing factories in Kingston, NY from the 1930’s – 1950’s. I started to sew when I was 10 years old and have always had an interest in creating new things by hand. Over the years my talents evolved from making my own doll clothes and clothes for myself, constructing a backpack from a kit that I travelled through Europe with, and even sewing my bridesmaid’s dresses.

As a professional graphic designer and marketing professional for more than 30 years, I experienced many changes in the industry. The pull I felt to create things by hand again started to become strong enough in more recent years that in 2018 I began to channel my creative spirit into the product lines of Lilac Hill Designs. I initially struggled with the decision to minimize my marketing and design firm, yet I wanted to have more time for my renewed interest in sewing and creating things. An associate said to me, “Your new love of creating products with your hands is clearly your new passion in life. You absolutely beam when you describe what you’re now doing.” It’s undeniable that I am most relaxed and content when I am cutting, designing and sewing.

My first products were driven by my love for gardening, which continues to be a source of inspiration for many of my products. I am especially proud of the unique cross-body garden bag I developed after repeatedly losing garden tools around my yard. I knew having something attached to me, in a non-invasive way, would be the answer. After much sketching and several prototypes later, the Cross-Body Garden Bag was created. It has become a must-have and well-loved product by many gardeners, as well as a go-to gift!

The Garden Bag was so popular, people started buying it to use as a purse. With minor modifications, the garden bag’s “cousin” – the Easy Casual Cross-body Bag was born. It comes in the same great jewel tone colors as the garden bag, but with prettier linings, as well some fun print fabrics.

These bags became the basis for my up-cycled wool suit product line. During a visit to the Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY, I was inspired by a vendor making large messenger bags from wool suiting material. Up-cycling was beginning to be a new, hot trend, so I started sourcing old suits, pants and skirts from local thrift stores and second hand shops. The process begins by taking apart the clothing, cutting out the linings first, then removing sleeves and collars. I use my designer’s eye to bring together different colors and patterns of wool fabric that I combine and sew into cross-body bags, tote bags, clutches, and wallets. Even catnip mice are created, using the smallest scraps so that nothing is wasted.

I also offer my services in customizing Memorial Keepsakes. I know how difficult it is for someone to part with the clothing of a departed loved one. It makes me so happy to see the sense of relief that I can provide for someone, when they discover that I can turn those clothes into gifts for the whole family. One custom commission included jackets that that belonged to the late husband of a woman from bicycle trips they had taken around the world. Other commissions have included bags and clutches created of Naval uniforms from both WWII and the Korean War. My keepsake clients are always so thrilled to see the products that I have created on their behalf, and I often receive touching letters of thanks from the recipients of these gifts.

For my sewing studio, we turned an unused bedroom into a space which boasts an “up-cycled” sewing table crafted from an old dresser on one end and shelving on the other to hold a large wooden cutting top. This also provides storage for fabrics and other materials. Two large cutting mats are becoming worn from cutting so much fabric using the Fiskars rotary cutting tool. I use it on an almost daily basis and go through blades like water! My studio has a Viking sewing machine, ELNA serger and a newly inherited, mid-20th century iron Singer shop machine, which came from the sewing factory in East Kingston, where my godmother’s mother worked.

I find that when I am deep in the throws of creating these bags and products that I sell on LilacHillDesigns.com and Etsy, I am my happiest. My goal is to someday turn this passion and part-time business into an income stream that can fully support me. I see the growth in my online business increasing annually, and my memorial keepsake commissions are continually promoted in new ways to open that channel of work further. To have my passion become my new full-time career would be a dream come true.