Dear readers, 

We are very excited to tell you that we’ve decided to start blogging about our design process and experiences here at Handmade Expressions! Yes, this is a behind the scenes look into our creative, fun, and sometimes frustrating world of design and product development. 

Creating fair trade & sustainable products can sometimes be challenging. This week our main focus was to sew purse samples from scratch so we could send them to our Artisans. These samples will be used as their sewing and construction guides. Many of the Artisans have never seen styles like this before, and it will be challenging for them to recreate our designs. It is always intriguing to see what they come up with using their beautiful handmade fabrics.

So, first, we started with a computerized sketch. Then, we had to make a flat paper pattern - this can be tough because it is hard to create something 3 dimensional out of a flat piece of paper. Next, we cut out the fabric using the paper patterns. Lastly, we stitched the purses on our sewing machine and by hand. Ruchi and I  made a big mess of the design room (thread and fabric everywhere), but in the end we were very excited and pleased with the results!

Keep checking in for new design updates. We can't wait to share more with you.