Give us a little bit of background behind Needle vs Thread
Needle vs Thread started in 2006 under another business name (Plus 1 Design) and looked vastly different to what it does 8 years later. I've tried every craft there is and none stuck with me until I was given a sewing machine (with the intent to alter clothes) and fell into bag making. I started with very simple fabric pouch style bags and made some for local (Sydney) bands that I knew and worked with.
We sold some bags alongside t-shirts on their merch-stands and others were used to package limited editing albums.
The name Needle vs Thread is actually the name of an album that I sewed the packaging for! I made 20 of them, as well as the band name - Seaworthy (being proud supporters of all things Aussie, you can check out the band on their facebook page "here"). When I needed a new/better business name, this one seemed to fit perfectly and I think earned it!
In the 8 years I've been making bags, my skills have improved and with it, the kind of bags I'm able to make. In the last 4 years my current range has really taken shape and turned into the Needle vs Thread you know today.
I have a background in graphic design (I was working as a freelance web/print designer when I started sewing) and this helps with my product development and branding. I do all the graphic design and photography for the business and I think you can see this has carried through. People notice that NVT has a particular aesthetic, which is getting stronger by the day!
Needle vs Thread started in 2006 under another business name (Plus 1 Design) and looked vastly different to what it does 8 years later. I've tried every craft there is and none stuck with me until I was given a sewing machine (with the intent to alter clothes) and fell into bag making. I started with very simple fabric pouch style bags and made some for local (Sydney) bands that I knew and worked with.
We sold some bags alongside t-shirts on their merch-stands and others were used to package limited editing albums.
The name Needle vs Thread is actually the name of an album that I sewed the packaging for! I made 20 of them, as well as the band name - Seaworthy (being proud supporters of all things Aussie, you can check out the band on their facebook page "here"). When I needed a new/better business name, this one seemed to fit perfectly and I think earned it!
In the 8 years I've been making bags, my skills have improved and with it, the kind of bags I'm able to make. In the last 4 years my current range has really taken shape and turned into the Needle vs Thread you know today.
I have a background in graphic design (I was working as a freelance web/print designer when I started sewing) and this helps with my product development and branding. I do all the graphic design and photography for the business and I think you can see this has carried through. People notice that NVT has a particular aesthetic, which is getting stronger by the day!
What is it about Japanese fabric that attracts you
Japanese design is just so beautiful. There's an amazing attention to detail in it and always a simplicity (even in the complicated patterns!) and the balance just works so well. I like both traditional and modern Japanese prints. The modern Japanese work is clever and quirky and the colourways are always spot on - bold when it suits, subtle when necessary.
My favourite fabrics are Etsuko Furuya's "Echino" range. Her bold graphics and even bolder colour combinations are just stunning.
The fabric has a hand screen-printed look that sets it apart from many others and makes it fit in especially well with the handmade products. There's a good variety across the range, so it means I can use a number of fabrics on different bags at any one time without all of them looking too similar.
Now making bags is no easy feat by anyone's standards. Yet your unique designs are made to last AND look gorgeous at the same time (win-win!). From concept to finished product, what are the steps you take to get that perfect pattern/design/template and what types of machinery do you use to ensure durability
Concepts for bags are constantly taking over my brain! I have more ideas for bags than I'll probably ever get to make. Whilst I have formal training, I'm lucky that pattern for bags comes pretty easily for me. I start with a rough sketch, then work through design details in my mind and on paper. There are always a lot of initial options for closures, straps etc so I work through these until all the design questions are resolved, then get to the making the pattern. This is usually paper that gets cuts and folded to shape. Once the paper pieces fit, I start making! Most of my bags thus far are simple enough that it works first go, but occasionally there are tweaks and remakes required.
I learned early on that having the right tools for the job was key to making good products and making them well. The vintage industrial sewing machine that I found on a footpath next to the house I lived in Marrickville many years ago, changed what I was able to make and how I worked. It enables me to sew heavy materials like vinyl and also to work quickly.
The vinyl that I use is upholstery grade and chosen for its durability. I don't believe in making something if you're not going to do it well and make it last! I also use an ElnaPress (ironing press) to fuse professional quality interfacings that give my bags structure and crispness that you can't get using cheaper products that ultimately don't fuse well or stay fused. The better interfacings need a lot of heat and pressure and you can't achieve this with a regular iron (or you can, but it will take a very very long time and the finish is not as good).
I only use metal hardware on my bags because it's stronger and looks so much nicer than plastic. I use seatbelt webbing for the straps and this has to be melted to prevent fraying so I get to play with a butane torch every day for that job! As well as this, I have a rivet press, an electrical rotary cutter that can handle 8 layers of vinyl and 50 layers of cotton at once, hammers, chisels, pliers plus all the usual sewing equipment!
The fabric has a hand screen-printed look that sets it apart from many others and makes it fit in especially well with the handmade products. There's a good variety across the range, so it means I can use a number of fabrics on different bags at any one time without all of them looking too similar.
Now making bags is no easy feat by anyone's standards. Yet your unique designs are made to last AND look gorgeous at the same time (win-win!). From concept to finished product, what are the steps you take to get that perfect pattern/design/template and what types of machinery do you use to ensure durability
Concepts for bags are constantly taking over my brain! I have more ideas for bags than I'll probably ever get to make. Whilst I have formal training, I'm lucky that pattern for bags comes pretty easily for me. I start with a rough sketch, then work through design details in my mind and on paper. There are always a lot of initial options for closures, straps etc so I work through these until all the design questions are resolved, then get to the making the pattern. This is usually paper that gets cuts and folded to shape. Once the paper pieces fit, I start making! Most of my bags thus far are simple enough that it works first go, but occasionally there are tweaks and remakes required.
I learned early on that having the right tools for the job was key to making good products and making them well. The vintage industrial sewing machine that I found on a footpath next to the house I lived in Marrickville many years ago, changed what I was able to make and how I worked. It enables me to sew heavy materials like vinyl and also to work quickly.
The vinyl that I use is upholstery grade and chosen for its durability. I don't believe in making something if you're not going to do it well and make it last! I also use an ElnaPress (ironing press) to fuse professional quality interfacings that give my bags structure and crispness that you can't get using cheaper products that ultimately don't fuse well or stay fused. The better interfacings need a lot of heat and pressure and you can't achieve this with a regular iron (or you can, but it will take a very very long time and the finish is not as good).
I only use metal hardware on my bags because it's stronger and looks so much nicer than plastic. I use seatbelt webbing for the straps and this has to be melted to prevent fraying so I get to play with a butane torch every day for that job! As well as this, I have a rivet press, an electrical rotary cutter that can handle 8 layers of vinyl and 50 layers of cotton at once, hammers, chisels, pliers plus all the usual sewing equipment!
What or who inspires you
I'm inspired by my own personality traits as much as anything. I'm pragmatic by nature and a perfectionist. I strive for everything I make to be practical but also look great and solve as many design/use problems as it can. I like to complicate things, but only as far as they are useful. I've tried to simplify my work in the past, but it goes against my nature and ultimately what I see as the beauty of NVT products.
In terms of outside influences, I study handbags a lot. I'm not looking at what brand, colour or fabric they are, but what shapes they are, how the straps are fixed to the bag, how the bag closes, what function it has and so on. I'm also influenced by the fabrics that I work with in terms of motivation to make things!
As well as this, many years ago I was looking for a particular handbag hardware that was very difficult to find. I found a lady in Melbourne who sold hardware and patterns for bags and I asked if she could get what I needed. She could! This was the start of what I now consider a friendship with the wonderful Nicole Mallalieu (you can find her "here")
In terms of outside influences, I study handbags a lot. I'm not looking at what brand, colour or fabric they are, but what shapes they are, how the straps are fixed to the bag, how the bag closes, what function it has and so on. I'm also influenced by the fabrics that I work with in terms of motivation to make things!
As well as this, many years ago I was looking for a particular handbag hardware that was very difficult to find. I found a lady in Melbourne who sold hardware and patterns for bags and I asked if she could get what I needed. She could! This was the start of what I now consider a friendship with the wonderful Nicole Mallalieu (you can find her "here")
Nikki's patterns are amaaaazing! I own a few of them and the detailed instructions within them taught me all about the finer details of bag making. The way she finishes every detail so perfectly is a constant inspiration to me. Nikki has always been incredibly generous with both her advice and encouragement, and it has been a real pleasure getting to know someone as talented at making bags (and garments and the patterns for them!) as her.
Market life: it keeps you real, it keeps you grounded. What role do markets like Marrickville play in the world of Needle vs Thread
Markets are the life-blood of Needle vs Thread! Most of my sales are through markets. I don't currently sell my products through retail stores, and finding time to keep my online shop well stocked is difficult, so markets are what keeps things going.
I love markets because I get to interact with customers. I learn why they do (or don't) buy things; I see what they love about my products; they tell me what else they'd like to see. The feedback from people I meet at markets is invaluable.
Marrickville was my home for 5 years before I moved to the Blue Mountains and I loved living there and love being able to visit there regularly now.
The market itself is amazing and I'm very glad to be able to be a small part of it. Starting at Marrickville in June 2014 gave me the push I needed to make Needle vs Thread vegan as I saw the demand for it there, more than anywhere else I trade.
Most products were vegan already, I just had a few small leather components on some products and the occasional leather bag in the past. This caused unnecessary confusion for customers, so the change has become a very positive one that customers (especially at Marrickville) have really welcomed!
It's another example, in a long list, of a decision I've made based on feedback that has helped Needle vs Thread grow into the business that it is - one that keeps me very busy and makes me very proud to call mine!
And we thank the FABULOUS Kirrily for sharing just a little bit of the complexity of making ridiculously fantastic bags and if you keep up to speed on her Facebook page (which you can find "here")you will see new additions as they are "born" so to speak. She can be found 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of each month!
I love markets because I get to interact with customers. I learn why they do (or don't) buy things; I see what they love about my products; they tell me what else they'd like to see. The feedback from people I meet at markets is invaluable.
Marrickville was my home for 5 years before I moved to the Blue Mountains and I loved living there and love being able to visit there regularly now.
The market itself is amazing and I'm very glad to be able to be a small part of it. Starting at Marrickville in June 2014 gave me the push I needed to make Needle vs Thread vegan as I saw the demand for it there, more than anywhere else I trade.
Most products were vegan already, I just had a few small leather components on some products and the occasional leather bag in the past. This caused unnecessary confusion for customers, so the change has become a very positive one that customers (especially at Marrickville) have really welcomed!
It's another example, in a long list, of a decision I've made based on feedback that has helped Needle vs Thread grow into the business that it is - one that keeps me very busy and makes me very proud to call mine!
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And we thank the FABULOUS Kirrily for sharing just a little bit of the complexity of making ridiculously fantastic bags and if you keep up to speed on her Facebook page (which you can find "here")you will see new additions as they are "born" so to speak. She can be found 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of each month!
