Talented Tuesday - HapiStitcher

I would like you to meet Donna Grace Hinton and her Etsy shop:  HapiStitcher.

If you love handcrafted, Original Ideas Translated Into Fabric , Then you will love the items at HapiStitcher. 

Let's get to know HapiStitcher and Donna:

What would you like us to know about you?

I have great fun designing and creating original items like Hankie Pankie Tissue Box Covers, Love Handle Pillow Covers, or the Knotty Girl Bags, but the greater pleasure lies in knowing someone else is enjoying them too. An Etsy shop gives me the perfect venue for offering my work to the world.

An Aquarian, in my eighth decade, I remain curious, and optimistic about life, people, and how things work. 
 

What prompted you to open an Etsy Shop?

I have wanted to open a store for years. An Etsy shop was a natural choice for me since that enables me to spend my time creating, instead of putting in tedious hours tending a traditional brick and mortar store.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Only one name, HapiStitcher, could adequately describe my process of creating an array of items in my store. I am, indeed, happiest when either dreaming up a new project, or working at my machine. I love to see new things manifest under my hands as I work with fabric, thread, and machine.

How would you describe your shop?

My shop reflects my ‘what if’ personality, and my love for functional beauty. I like to experiment with new ideas, creating wholly original items, or improving upon what already exists. Sometimes my new creations are borne of frustration. For example’ as an allergy sufferer, I often needed a handy place to put used tissues, so the first two-story tissue box cover was for myself. My husband needed a cushion for his bony knees at night, hence the Knee Comfort Pillow. The e reader covers in my shop were first created to fill my own need after receiving a Kindle Fire for my birthday. I guess my shop reflects my life!

What inspires you?

Nothing inspires me more than an unmet need. I once made maternity bathing suits because so many pregnant campers from the city asked me, a local at the swimming hole across from a large, remote, Forest Service campground, where they could get one. A business was born, and it was a win-win situation for a young mother living in the country in the 60’s, and the women wanting to cool off in the river on a hot, summer day.

Colors, and textures inspire me. As I sort through (make that fondle) my large fabric stash, sometimes it seems the cloth almost speaks to me. Suddenly, the yardage I am holding can become only one thing, and I see it in its entirety, as a finished project, before the first cut, or stitch.

Which item in your shop is your favorite to make/find?

Every item in my shop is a beloved brain-child. Each one gave me joy as I brought it from my mental drawing board to fruition. Each one is my favorite as I work on it.

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what are the 3 crafty must haves?

Since pressing is an absolute essential to making a quality creation, I would need an old fashioned iron that could be heated over the bonfire, and I would sprinkle seams and edges with ocean water to create steam. Naturally, a lovely old, treadle machine with drawers full of thread would float in from the sinking ship, as would a few bolts of brightly colored cotton fabric.

Whoops, that makes four must-haves – sorry, they are just the barest of essentials.

Where else can we find you?

Creativitycheck-in on blogspot is a new blog I recently started. I am hoping it will become a place where Etsy sellers, and other creative individuals, will brainstorm with me about what sparks the creative spirit, and what fuels it long term. I am also on Facebook, and participate in a number of online groups.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I rejoice in the fact that my two daughters share my love of sewing. One is an accomplished quilter, and is in demand as a designer of memorial quilts. My granddaughter has been sewing since childhood, and one of my great granddaughters had a quilt she helped design in a show when she was only seven.  
Thanks so much Donna.  It has been great getting to know you and discovering your shop and your lovely items.

Now please show Donna some support and let us know which of her pieces are your favorite from her shop! Oh...and go ahead and heart a few of her items along with her shop :)

Have a great weekend!

knitting yarns