Friday 6 June 2014

Materials and Techniques - 'Papoose Clothing'

I am not a sewer. I occasionally dabble, but I do admire people who can sew well. Today I am talking with Ashley, who is indeed one of those talented sewers. Ashley makes clothing for her store Papoose Clothing and today in the materials and techniques series she is telling us about her skills. She is a fellow EtsyKids member and is located out of Gulfport, MS in the United States.




Please tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Ashley, and I am the owner, designer, and creator behind Papoose Clothing. I started sewing from an early age when my mom taught me the basics, but it wasn’t until college when I took a few costume construction courses that I really honed my skills. After graduation I was still pursuing a career in acting when my sister told me to expect a little niece. To fill the time between gigs, I sewed up a few items for her as special keepsakes and fell in love with making children’s clothing.


What materials and techniques do you like to use?


I love the simplicity and timeless qualities of cotton so that’s my main fabric choice. I think it is so wearable and easy to clean and handle, especially for children’s clothes. I have so many machines and special gadgets to help me, it would be boring for me to list them all, but I strive for professional quality garments that are meant to be passed down to the next generation.


What challenges have you faced in the creative process?

Right now I am releasing two collections every year, and it takes a lot to go from a single idea to full collection. Then you have to take pictures and market your products. I struggle with the business aspect of things really, marketing, photography, taking time to do the more boring and tedious aspects compared to the creative side of production. I have to set a time every morning to finish things I push off doing, so time management and self-motivation is really necessary for small business owners.


What drives you to create?

Like every artistic person, I think creativity comes in waves. A person really needs that down time to just sit and soak in the world and things around you without always having the creative juices flowing. Anything around me can inspire a collection or a clothing piece, I try to keep something on me at all times to draw out an idea. I have a book I like to keep everything in that’s full of ideas and drawings that may or may not be used.



What is coming up next?

Right now I am in the beginning stages of my Fall/ Winter 2014 collection. I have selected my theme and am sketching out designs and looking for fabrics. It won’t be ready until summer, but I am excited about this collection. I think it is going to be a fun and dramatic line!



All images provided by Ashley of Papoose Clothing.

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1 comment:

  1. I have Ashley in my google+ circle and I always admired her beautiful items on Etsy.... it is very noticeable because she put a lot of personality and sweetness to her creation! Well deserved feature here! Thank you!

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