I am inspired by colors, seasons, my moods, my family, the weather, and old clothing. I love to roam around thrift shops and I am often inspired by the treasures I find there. I may look at a colorful old skirt or a bleach-stained pair of jeans and think, that will make a fantastic messenger bag. I also love wandering the side streets of Philadelphia, especially South 4th Street, where all the small fabric sellers do business. I love to paw through remnants and sample squares in awesome colors and textures – truly inspiring stuff.
Linda Everett
I have lived more than half a century.
I'm an ex-hippie (or perhaps still a hippie).
I have one beautiful daughter and one handsome husband.
I am owned by three purring kitties.
I love to sew more than I love chocolate (and I really love chocolate).
What got you started crafting?
I have never NOT been crafting. One of my earliest memories is of a book in our house called "The Make-It Book" which my twin sister and I used to pore over to find ideas - we both loved working with our hands. When I was about 9 or 10 I started observing my older sister while she worked on her home-ec sewing projects and decided that sewing was my craft of choice. I started out making clothes for my barbie dolls with leftover fabric scraps, which led to my philosophy of never wasting fabric - every scrap seemed to have a useful life.
What is your source of inspiration?
I am inspired by colors, seasons, my moods, my family, the weather, and old clothing. I love to roam around thrift shops and I am often inspired by the treasures I find there. I may look at a colorful old skirt or a bleach-stained pair of jeans and think, that will make a fantastic messenger bag. I also love wandering the side streets of Philadelphia, especially South 4th Street, where all the small fabric sellers do business. I love to paw through remnants and sample squares in awesome colors and textures - truly inspiring stuff.
What have you made recently?
I was challenged by one of my regular customers to make a distressed tote bag out of old jeans - the more distressed, the better, she said. This took me out of my comfort zone because I pride myself on very "finished" work - fully lined bags, for example, with no raw edges. So I made her this tote bag using some old jeans that I had bought at Philly AIDS Thrift and had worn myself for a couple of years - they were ready for a third life. I sewed bits together with raw edges showing but using an over-edge stitch to control the fraying to a degree. The lining and trim were made from a thrift shop fabric remnant which added lots of bright color to the bag. It not only came out beautiful, but was loads of fun to create! This project inspired me to do more "distressed" bags and I am so enjoying the process - just finished a couple more this weekend.
Where do you sell your crafts presently?
I mostly sell on Etsy, which has proven to be a fantastic market for my particular craft. I also set up shop at an occasional local craft show, which I love to do because it gets me out there with other artisans. But from a purely business perspective, I find craft shows to be a difficult venue, perhaps because I'm a little shy about tooting my creative horn in person. I maintain a blog where I post pictures and stories about current projects (and some personal stuff as well) and I belong to the EcoEtsy team, which is a fantastic network!
Why are handmade crafts important to you?
When you buy something handmade you buy a bit of heart and soul. When you love what you make, the buyer can feel that love.
Find Me
LocationPrinceton, NJ USA
Email Address
Linda Everett
Personal Website
http://blog.lindaeve.com
Store Website
http://lindaeve.etsy.com
HEARTHANDMADE2011