We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Sivil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

You don’t know what you are capable of until you try. The first time I used a sewing machine to quilt, I started to envision all of the work my grandmother did sewing when I was a child. I would look down at my hands holding material and I felt as though I could see her sewing on the machine. It was then that I realized how much I loved it. In 2020, I acquired beautiful upholstery fabric that was hard to feed through my sewing foot. My Dad was using an industrial machine to sew canvas used for boats. The machine could handle so much material at the same time and it was powerful. I started fine-tuning my craft from quilting to creating bags made from fabric and leather by getting an industrial machine. Both my grandmother and Dad were a bit of an inspiration for my work to take shape.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my design work in 2021. The name 23LOVE was created because both of my daughters were born on the 23rd of different months. Honestly, I don’t always have a plan. I overthink a lot of it, designing what I think it might look like, and then it always changes. I use the time to create and think about life and the challenges each day brings. I pray alot and think of others when I’m working on my sewing table. I very rarely make the same thing twice and I have a really hard time following directions. I live by my motto “think outside the bag” because it really is about the process and what I’ve gone through to get to the final design. I wish there were a way to acknowledge just how many things I am thinking about when I create. I’m most proud of my the ideas that come out of thinking and planning.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is making it my own. When you put time and energy into a product that makes you think about life, the people you care about, and promotes self expression, it’s the best feeling. The end result is all part of that process.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Some people struggle with out having a plan. When I visualize what I want something to look like, it often changes shape, size, and even color when I start looking through my materials. I’ve stitched and unstitched more times than I can count. Sometimes not having a set of directions can be frustrating, but once you get started and give yourself permission to let go, creating can have a profound impact on what you are capable of doing. 23LOVE is about the process and the love that goes into every piece. #23lovesolitudebags #thinkoutsidethebag #dowhatyoulove

Contact Info:

• Instagram: 23lovesolitudebags

Image Credits

All photos are personal property and taken with my cellphone camera.