Fiona Ballard writes:
FERN BAMBOO HANDLE BAG
“As a child I was surrounded by creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness. I grew up on a farm in Alberta, with no running water, miles from town. My parents had to find ways to make things work”.
HANDMADE PENCIL CRAYON ROLL
“Together they learned how to run a small farm, repair tools, shear sheep and everything else they needed to know in order to make our life there possible. Dad had been a cook in the Antarctic, inside the Arctic Circle, in northern Saskatchewan, then finally worked for the forestry service in Alberta. Mum moved from a life in England as a secretary to a farm where she raised sheep and chicken, knitted, did willow basket weaving, grew a huge garden, made bread and raised the four of us. I truly believe they could turn their hands to anything!
I learned a lot from both my parents, but inherited my love of textiles and sewing from my maternal grandmother, who was a talented seamstress in Yorkshire. I am indebted to each of them for their unending support and encouragement.
Our crafty endeavours resulted in many Christmas and birthday gifts over the years, some of which we still have today. This love of handmade has stayed with me. There were periods during school and university where this creativity was set aside, but never for long. Driven by a desire to avoid mass-manufactured toys and licensed products, I began making aprons, crayon rolls, colouring bags, crowns and tutus as birthday gifts.
HANDMADE REVERSIBLE PLACEMATS
HANDMADE COSMETIC POUCH
After the birth of our second child, I began making greetings cards, drawn to the beautiful papers and embellishments available, although I preferred the challenge of making my own combinations, rather than relying on the pre-made ranges. Sewing on paper became a feature of my style and made me more comfortable with the sewing machine than I had ever been.
When I decided I needed a stylish new bag to carry everything for a baby and toddler, a passion was born! I have come a long way since that first bag and am very proud of my workmanship, designs and creativity. I work with each customer to make something which reflects their own personality and incorporates very practical features to keep things organized. I also put a lot of emphasis on making the interiors of my bags just as beautiful as the exteriors.
My focus is very much on the creation of aesthetically pleasing items which have a practical purpose, from handbags and purses to crayon rolls, aprons and the original Grab & Go Lunch Mat. Attention to detail, quality workmanship, functionality and enduring appeal are key components of my style.
The website for Pip ‘n’ Milly Creations (www.pipnmilly.com) showcases new and past projects and has a blog section where I write about product ideas and concepts. I also blog at http://thewinkingfrog.wordpress.com about more general, family-oriented topics.
I live, garden, compost, recycle, play and sew on Vancouver Island with my husband and our two young daughters”.
You can see more of Fiona’s superb work at www.sidestreetstudio.com
'STELLA' PURPLE BAG
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