Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stacey Danevicz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Stacey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve had a creative streak for as long as I can remember, but I do wish I had learned to sew at a much younger age. Perhaps – at least this is what I tell myself – I would now be sewing entire wardrobes for myself and my family at this stage of life.

The only aspect I would regret, had I learned earlier, however, is that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be taught my grandmother-in-law.

At the time, I was thirty-something, pregnant with my third child, and teaching high school English full-time. Let’s just say we were not living on champagne and caviar, and although I’d been making and selling jewelry for a few years, it mostly just paid for the supplies. Still, sewing literally looked and felt like rocket science to me. Until the day I realized that a forty-dollar breastfeeding coverup was a piece of cotton sewn around some sort of hoop. I thought, “I’m crafty (not to mention thrifty). I could probably figure out how to do that.”

After a few short sessions with my grandmother-in-law, and a lot more than forty dollars, I might add, I did finally make that coverup. I also made some hooded towels for my boys. But for the next few years, sewing was something I did only every now and then. For the time being, jewelry remained my focus.

That all changed after some health issues caused me to leave teaching for a while. I took a sewing class and made my first (well-sewn) tote bag in about 2018. That was it. I completely and irreversibly hooked on sewing bags.

So, while I do sometimes wish I’d learned much earlier in life, I guess I really wouldn’t change how my passion for sewing has evolved. I absolutely the hours spent at my machine and in my craft room. Besides, there’s still plenty of time to tackle that next goal of sewing clothes, right?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

After a few home sewing projects and lots of YouTube, in 2018 I took my first official sewing class. I remember balking when the teacher said she usually sewed for thirty minutes to a couple of hours a night. How in the world could someone sew that much? Little did I know the fire that class would light in me. There are days when I get out of bed at 5 a.m. because I can’t wait to get to my craft room and get cracking on my latest handmade bag. A lot of those days, you’ll probably find me still there at 5 p.m.

One of the aspects I absolutely love about being an artisan handbag creator, is listening to what my customers and clients want. When I first put myself out there to sell my bags, I saw some success, but was mostly flailing. I had large tote bags, but customers asked for pockets. So I added them. Then customers wanted zippers or closures. So I learned how to do them. Then people started to ask if I did anything smaller – so I made mini tote bags. I couldn’t see it right away, but slowly and surely, all that listening and adjusting was reaching people. It was making them see my bags…and want them!

I’m still listening.

I like to use fun prints that speak to people’s interests. Horses, cats, dogs, frogs, dragons – there are so many beautiful fabrics that can show off someone’s unique style or personality. I love to see a customer walk straight up to my booth and grab the purse that is “them”. Don’t worry, I also think about those of us who like the more neutral tones in our accessories, too.

The fabrics I choose are not the only thing I’m listening to my customers’ input about, it’s also the style of purses I make. I’m keeping my eye on current trends and am working to expand my offerings. Right now, I primarily offer crossbody purses, sling crossbody bags, cell phone crossbody purses, wallets, and key fobs. However, I’ve been getting a lot of requests for fanny packs lately, so that will hopefully be coming soon. Then there are the mini-backpacks, the water bottle purses, and of course all the tote bags. And there are all the fabrics I’ll need to pick out for all those styles of bags. Geez, I feel the need to get into my sewing room all the sudden.

Aside from all the wonderful people, both customers and other artisans, I’ve met throughout this journey, I guess the most exciting aspect of this creative venture is all the possibilities. They truly are endless.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artisan is seeing something I’ve created spark delight in someone else. Knowing they find your handmade creation worthy enough they’re willing to turn over their hard-earned money for it is indescribable.

A close second to the above is getting to meet, support, and learn from other local artisans and creatives.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As I’ve mentioned, I started out making and selling jewelry. Despite doing it for quite a few years, I never rose to the success I’d hoped to achieve. Even though I understood at the time some of the problem was that my items were not unique enough, I continued to make what I liked. For some reason, when it came to making jewelry, I found myself unable listen to the customer. My pieces were pretty, and they were wearable, but something was missing.

The pivot began after I started adding some of my handmade tote bags to my jewelry booth. Customers seemed interested in them. They loved my fabric choices, loved the style of bags, but wished they had pockets. Once I’d added pockets, more customers mentioned they’d like closures, or longer or shorter straps, or a purse instead of a tote. If it meant more sewing time and return customers, I was happy to oblige. Soon, my bags were taking up more space in my booth, but were also becoming smaller.

When I was a jewelry artisan, I’d found it difficult to follow trends or adjust my ideas based on customer feedback. When it came to making bags, however, I found I was eager to meet the wishes and suggestions of customers. My bags began selling and I was thrilled to see the joy on people’s faces when they found the “perfect” cat purse for their aunt, or the “adorable” chicken bag that their neighbor would just love.

I continue to feel this way about sewing bags. I’m learning new techniques and patterns all the time, still shopping for elusive fabrics for custom orders, and still loving every minute of it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @gingerlucreations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gingerluscreations
• Other: https://etsy.com/shop/gingerlucreations

Image Credits

Mark Danevicz
Stacey Danevicz