Renee Parrill

Renee Parrill is the genius behind Flamestitch. If you click that link, you'll see some incredible bags. Her flickr is even more amazing! I stalked her online awhile and when she showed up to a trunk show I was having about three years ago, I almost died. Her work is amazing and she's a like a rock star to me.

If I want to know how to do anything, I call Renee. (for instance, I just called her with a question on how to do this thing with a Mac). She knows everything there is to know about sewing. I'm not being hyperbolic. She does. But there are other things, like how to use a band saw, how to bake a pie, how to fix my computer and how to fix an industrial sewing machine. Oh, and how to make bunk beds, not put sheets on them, actually MAKE them.

You will enjoy this because she's also funny as hell.......

How did you start sewing?

My mom upholstered furniture in her parent's upholstery shop, and after my sister and I were born, she put us in a play pen next to her industrial sewing machine. So I think I imprinted a sewing machine with an image of my mother, and they don't make therapy for that kind of trouble. I don't remember a time where a sewing machine was more than a room away. I started sewing young, around six or seven. I made Barbie clothes and teddy bears from upholstery scraps, and I pestered my grandmother to take me to Jerry's fabrics so I could buy real fabric, the kind that makes pretty Barbie outfits. When I was eleven, my Aunt Julia taught me how to sew on the big machine - The Consew - and there's no going back to a rinky-dink machine after you've tasted that kind of power.

Do you consider yourself a crafter?

I don't like that label, because I think it minimizes what I really am, and that is a problem solver. I like to dismantle and rebuild, to figure out how things are done, and then do them myself. Every project has its own code, its own answer, and finding the answer brings me a little closer to understanding how all things work and fit together. While crafting has its place here, I'm trying to unlock the secrets of the universe, not just glue googly eyes on animal heads, although I do that too.

Do you do things other than sew?

I do. I build and upholster furniture, and enjoy woodworking of all types. I make cold-process soap, bake pies, and make my own bras (which falls under sewing, but not sewing handbags). I crochet little Japanese animals for my kids, and make their crazy video-game costumes for their crazy video-game conventions. I also wrote a book, and am planning another one. I tell people that I can make anything, and I try to work every day to make sure that is true.

that's Renee's bag on the cover of a book!

Do you take any classes to get more knowledge?

I don't take classes, but I have taught them. I've taught upholstery, how to make window treatments, and slipcovers. I like to teach myself how to do things. Teaching myself is part of the challenge, which is part of the fun.

Do you view this as a viable job? do you want it to be a job?

I struggle with this, because sewing can be a viable job, but it sucks your soul away. I have sewn for an upholstery shop locally, and made all kinds of things for people, but that kind of sewing is different and separate from the kind of sewing that I love. I like to tackle a challenging project, perfect it, and then move on. If I have to make the same thing over and over, I want to stick my head in the oven like Sylvia Plath. That said, I am grateful that I could, if I wanted to, go into any situation and have a sewing job on the spot. That's good to know.

What are your goals for Flamestitch?

I want to be the punk-rock Martha Stewart, with an empire of sewing books and videos. I want to sell my ideas, and have the time and freedom to make all the crazy shit that's in my head without worrying about anything else.

Craft fairs: love them or hate them?

I've only done two, but I've had good experiences both times. I made more than I spent, and that's what counts, right?

Have you been copied?

Yes. But the thing is, and this will sound very arrogant, if you have what it takes to copy my shit, you won't. So the thing that was copied was poorly executed and sad, and no one would know that my bag was its inspiration. The only reason I know is that its maker contacted me, asking for my vinyl supplier. Which leads me to say that I don't really care if I'm copied, because nine times out of ten, I'm sick of making that design anyway. Plus, I believe that information should be free, and if you want to know how to make something, then you should be able to find that out. Will I give out my suppliers and tricks for free? No. Will I write a book that gives out my tricks? You bet your ass I will. Everyone should know that I will sell out like a two-dollar whore.

What makes Flamestitch unique?

I never want to make a bag that could be purchased at Target, unless I have sold out to Target. I pick the most difficult material to work with, and I make it my bitch. I'm not afraid of doing what it takes to make an original design, which may or may not include the use of a table saw. I also like to infuse my work with my sense of humor, which is both shocking and offensive.

What is your favorite tool?

Aside from my sewing machine, it's my curved needle.

This is a link to some photos of my shop on Flickr. They are older, but it's just about the same now, if not a little scroungier. I used to make apologies for my working conditions, but now I don't. That would be like apologizing for making a mess on the delivery-room table.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flamestitch/sets/72157594575602714/

What's your favorite Flamestitch bag?

The Old Slut On Junk. She did time in the Henri Bendel window on Madison Avenue, and earned me a trip to New York. The Old Slut works hard for her money.

What do you think of etsy?

Etsy is a tool and has done me a solid since I opened my shop there in 2006. I have met people there I otherwise wouldn't have, and have gotten a lot of attention from having things listed there. I think that Flickr is a better tool though, because it's my Flickr account that helped me get one of my bags published.

Any books about crafting or business that you want to recommend?

Patternmaking for Fashion design by Helen Joseph Armstrong.

Any advice for newbies?

Sew all the time, and sew the one thing that scares you the most, and do it over and over until you have mastered it. Expect to make embarrassing mistakes, but don't stop. Read books, follow patterns, and then you can design your own things. There's no shame in using a pattern when you are just starting out.

What's your ideal workday?

I wake up, late, and my house is clean. The washer and dryer are both empty, the dishes are done, and my kids are engaged in some constructive activity that keeps them both happy and occupied, so they don't tell me how much I ignore them when I'm working. I don't feel guilty. There is some kind of fancy ice cream treat in the freezer. It's warm, and I water my plants, that are all healthy and gorgeous, before I go into my shop, which is bright and clean and does not smell like crickets. I can find all my supplies easily, because I had my shit together and put everything away in its rightful place. My scissors are sharp, and I never drop them. My Pandora station never plays a song that insults me. I have a crazy idea, and everything I try works out just like I planned, and when I'm finished, my project looks so perfect people will wonder if I've made some kind of deal with the devil. I have no trouble finding a seam ripper, but that doesn't matter because I don't need to be ripping seams today. My bobbin never runs out, and I can always find a sharp pencil.  I also found that fabric, the expensive stuff I thought I'd lost, in a container full of new elastic. When it gets late, my husband calls and tells me not to worry about dinner, because he's bringing home giant crab legs.