Creativebug Liana, editor extraordinaire and one of our favorite Creativebug employees, went behind the camera this week to film a class of her own – how to make a leather tote bag. The bag is pretty cool, but Liana is cooler. See why:
Behind the Scenes with Liana Allday
Where do you live?
Oakland, California.
Do you have any adorable pets/kids/life partners we need to know about?
Yes! I live with my husband Rob and my dog Camper. Also known as Stinky. To be honest, we probably call him Stinky most of the time. I love him.
How (and when) did you get into sewing?
I’ve been sewing seriously since I was 15 – my mom and I used to make dresses each summer…and I still wear one of them (ed. note: it’s true. We’ve seen it.). I sewed a bunch of funky stuff in high school — like purple corduroy pants — and then took kind of a break from it. I really started sewing again when I started working as an editor at STC Craft. STC, and reading tons of sewing books really rekindled my love. I would also say that 99% of my skills come from all the reading I did because it was from the best of the best.
I had a bag business for a while on Etsy where I sold what I called “modern carpet bags.”
What’s it like being on the other side of the camera?
Oh, it’s pretty fun. Everybody gets you things and asks you if you have to go to the bathroom. I also knew it would be a totally different experience and I was surprised at how nervous I felt because I actually like public speaking. There’s a feeling of being scattered, of thinking “what should I say here?” and yes, it’s hard to talk to the camera.
Do you like being in front of the camera?
Yes, but it’s funny because I know all these people so well. There’s a little teasing and I actually get a little reverse-nervous.
Someone will say “Look at the camera” and it will take me a minute to realize they’re talking to me.
How did you get the idea for this project?
When I lived in New York I had a friend with a fancy-pants job in fashion and she got this awesome leather bag as a bonus. When I found out how much it cost, first I thought “I can never have nice things.” and then I thought “I could do that!” So I did. And here it is.