Well, I grew up in the Midwest. When I wasn’t tagging along behind my older brother and being annoying, I could usually be found poking around in the huge drawer full of fabric scraps that my mom always had, or I was coloring and cutting and pasting some amazing creation.  Some of my earliest memories are of using those scraps and leftover buttons to make clothes for all my stuffed animals as the sound of my mom’s sewing machine hummed in the background. 

I learned to sew when I was really young, plugging away on an old black Singer Featherweight. My first attempts at clothes were wonky shorts and skirts that I wore with pride.   In my teens and early 20s I quickly found out that clothes were not something I was gifted at, but stuff?  Yes please!  Quilting quickly became an obsession, and the immense fabric stash was birthed.  The whole idea of small pieces of color and pattern coming together to make a new creation was fascinating. 

After college, marriage, and a couple of kids I decided to make a bag for all the little kid’s stuff I needed to haul around.  I was struggling to find something cute and washable (spilled milk, anyone?), but didn’t look like an enormous diaper bag or backpack.  I found a bag pattern, made it, and hated it, so I decided to design my own.  The Z Bag was born!  A couple of my amazing sisters-in-law saw it, loved it, asked for one and before I knew it I was in the bag business!  Two additional sizes were created and then other bags joined the family.

I’ve always loved color and texture and patterns, and combining these into a functional product is just, well, fun.  I love to let the fabrics ‘speak’ to me.  It’s not about matching colors or complementing prints, it’s about the overall look and feel.  It’s still exciting to see the end product come together.

“I really enjoy connecting with people through my creations.”

I love to encourage people to jump into the world of sewing.  It may seem daunting, but just jump on in. It’s really fun! I’m an appreciator of all crafts and love to see people’s creativity blossom.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake – those can be some of the best learning tools, and sometimes the ‘oops’ turns out amazing!

I make my home in the Kansas City area, with my husband and two kids.  They know if they can’t find me, I’m most likely up in the studio, hidden somewhere under the piles of fabric.  Sew on, people!