Her crafting journey has taken her from handbags to computer bags to luggage to her first concealed carry bag. Wonder what she has in her bag of tricks next? Introducing Kathy Sholders – the self-taught crafter behind Nannadidit Handmade.
My journey to becoming a self-taught bag maker began about six years ago while I was attending a quilting class in Brighton. I remember walking through the shop to look at fabric and supplies for the quilt we were making, and the thought “I want to make bags” hit me like a thunderbolt out of the clear blue sky. So I went home and started researching and learning everything I could about how to make bags.
The amount of information at that time was limited, so I started out doing some easy bags from YouTube tutorials. I eventually stumbled upon a pattern designer I really loved and started working on some of the easier patterns. I say “easy” with a grain of salt, because making something other than a sample flat bag involves a bit of a learning curve. With my limited sewing skills at the time, it was a real challenge. But I persevered because I really enjoyed the 3D aspect of sewing bags, and sewing clothes that fit has never been my forte.
After a couple of years of experimenting with different patterns, different types of sewing machines, and improving my skills and techniques, I started to be able to create some bags that I felt were good enough to take into public on a regular basis. And it worked, the bags started getting noticed, especially by cashiers when I was paying for purchases. Slowly I started gaining the confidence to sell items to strangers, and now it has become a big part of my life between making bags, selling bags, and teaching classes at the quilt shop in Brighton.
