Needles and Kims Feature
I’m a handbag addict.
I love the convenience.
I love the styles.
I love that I am a pharmacy, medic, snack-master, and girl on the go!
One-of-a-kind pieces or handbags with a unique flair lure me in and captivate me.
I ponder over their texture, their design.
I claim it and make it my own.
Meet Kim Rougeux of Louisville KY. The name of her shop “Needles and Kims” was what first attracted me to her shop.
It was clever.
Kim tells me, “It’s a loose reference to an old song “Needles and Pins”. I just like the sound of the name, and everything I create requires the use of needles. ”
She was inspired to sell on etsy because “I loved the idea of Etsy—independent crafters and artists having a place to share their work around the world.”
She has been a student of “art” throughout her life.
Kim talks about where she learned her talent and reveals, “My mother taught me to sew at a very young age, I took “home ec” in high school, and have taken all kinds of arts and crafts lessons over many years.”
Her bags are unique. It’s truly what sets her product apart from others.
“Each piece is individually inspired and each piece has its own personality. I start out with a rough idea of how I want something to look but the final product may end up very differently. ”
There are so many purses.
I think one for every mood or favorite outfit.
For Kim, the favorite is “A green felted wool purse with purple and blue needle felting. The colors were so exciting to work with. When I first started the purse, I didn’t know what shape or color of needle felting I wanted to use. It just started coming together as I worked on it. The colors remind me of a favorite ballet costume I wore as I child.”
Inspiration to create for Kim’s “Needles and Kims” bags comes in the form of “shapes, colors, movement, shadows, light, nature or just about anything that catches my eye. I can be sitting in traffic or anywhere and see new designs in the interplay between objects.”
The creation process for each handbag that finds its way into “Needles and Kims” is remarkable.
“I machine felt a wool sweater then cut it apart along the seam lines. I leave it on my sewing table, sometimes for days, looking at it occasionally seeing what basic shape of purse it want to be. I pull out things I think would be interesting on it—fiber, beads, vintage buttons, bits of jewelry. I play around with those things for a while before I start sewing. As I construct the purse, I narrow down the items to use for embellishment.”
Sometimes as that piece of felted wool sits, Kim resumes her ordinary life where she enjoys, “Spending time with family and close friends, walking outdoors, fly fishing, gardening, going to Zumba class.”
Kim enjoys her talent and says, “I only know the basics of knitting and I would like to learn much more about it.”
Finding time to craft can be challenging.
Kim has a method that seems to work for her, “I work it in between everything else!”
Her greatest accomplishment is family. “Raising three wonderful sons.”
Ten years from now Kim has no intention of slowing down.
“I see myself making and selling more products made from felted wool or repurposed wool. In addition to purses, I would like to make decorative, useful items for the home.”
Disclosure: No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own and were not in any way influenced by the sponsor. Other’s experience may vary.
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