Made in St. Louis: Blind woman's love of sewing goes from Barbie dresses to trendy handbags

2023-01-13 01:42:32 By : Ms. Anita xin

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A classic clutch in a midcentury modern retro stars print features a swivel closure and a wrist strap.  80% Cotton 20% Polyester Fabric

Made in St. Louis: Blind woman

A combination of a print matched with a lush solid green makes a nice accent in this shoulder bag with a gnome, flower, and mushroom embroidery. Photo by Rachel Shelton

Designer, friend of Mother Earth, teacher and ardent seamstress Rachel Shelton’s first customers never complemented her on her fashion sense and fine sewing. Barbie and Midge, dressed to the nines by a very young Rachel, wore her creations to play, party, pal around with friends and dazzle on their dates Ken and Alan. They spoke nary a word to their designer about how much they loved their outfits.

A photo of Rachel Shelton posing with one of her sewing machines

Today, Shelton’s environmentally conscious customers say great things about her designs. They snap up her stylish handbags and purses made from organic and recycled fabrics in designs, colors and patterns that are far from stodgy. Her clutches, handbags, cross-body bags, shoulder bags and belt bags aren’t just pretty to look at, Shelton builds lots of functionality into each hand-sewn product she sells.

Her bags zip shut with pockets and compartments designed for easy everyday use. Her fabric and hardware choices are top-quality, designed for durability and strength.

“I studied engineering in college,” she says. When she began making her bags to sell, she stress-tested them by placing filled gallon milk jugs in the finished bags then hanging them on a hook in her garage to gauge their strength. “That way, if anything failed it wouldn’t be in the house,” she says. They passed.

An assortment of different cross body bag colors and designs 

Growing up sewing • Long before she studied engineering, even before kindergarten, her grandmother Lucy set her on the sewing path. She taught her grandchild to sew. “She bought me my very first sewing machine for Christmas when I was very young,” Shelton says. “I sat at a child-sized table in her kitchen to use it. She was a quilter, so I also pieced squares similar to what she was working on, and I made clothes for my Barbies.”

Within a year, Shelton had run her toy into the ground. “That’s when she took me to J.C. Penney to buy a real sewing machine, and it was beautiful,” Shelton says.

Some of Shelton’s bags use piecing techniques like grandmother Lucy’s, but she taught herself applique and embroidery techniques. She’s currently designing new bags in quilt patterns her grandmother favored. “They fit in with the cottage core movement in fashion and home décor that’s popular on Instagram and Pinterest,” she says.

Handbags in multiple combinations with contrasting zippers for accents as well as color-coordinated embroideries.

Material girl • Shelton uses only organic and recycled fabrics in her designs. “I'm very cautious to make sure the fabrics I'm purchasing are in fact recycled or organic. I only buy from reputable companies, usually wholesalers,” she says. “I've been greenwashed before, and that's not a very good feeling, so I take time to research who I buy from.”

Blind faith • Shelton’s stellar sewing and design skills are all the more remarkable given that she is legally blind and has lived with limited vision her whole life. “I was diagnosed with Stargardt disease by the doctors at St. Louis University when I was in second grade. I kept telling everyone I couldn’t see, but my parents thought I just wanted glasses,” she says.

The eco-friendly mini-clutch in colors of honey and caramel with an embroidery design of a gnome among mushrooms. Photo by Rachel Shelton

Stargardt disease is a rare inherited form of macular degeneration that begins in childhood and eventually leads to vision loss. Shelton found and sometimes invented aids and techniques throughout her life to keep sewing, including using her phone as a spot-on magnifier.

“I have a clamp that holds my iPhone right next to the presser foot,” she says. She uses the magnification feature to enlarge the presser foot image to the width of the screen. “I can see just where the needle is going into the fabric at every stitch,” she says.

Her husband, Jeff, helps with rivet setting and with quality control.

Selling as art • She’s a star seller on Etsy for her record of great customer service and satisfaction. Her online shop features multiple views of each bag to show details and features.

Detail of pockets and compartments inside the honey and caramel mini clutch. Photo by Rachel Shelton

She sells at local art fairs and markets as well. “When someone comes into my booth, I want them to feel like they're coming into a boutique.” 

She asks her people to introduce themselves when they see her out. “I can’t recognize faces. People usually pick up that I’m blind at shows when I’m fumbling around with the card machine at checkout,” she says. For Shelton, the personal interactions and friends she’s created at shows, in her online groups, and at her Etsy store are invaluable for her continued success.

Family • Rachel and her husband, Jeff, who is also her chief rivet setter and assistant, have been married for 21 years. They have two daughters ages 12 and 16. The family lives with three rescue cats, Pigeon, Lily and Etzy, and one rescue dog, Fletcher.

What she makes • Sew Good and Trendy creates eco-friendly and functional handmade bags using beautiful organic and recycled fabrics. She uses high-quality hardware and strong construction techniques. Her bags feature lots of zippered compartments. Styles include slim clutches, roomy shoulder bags, totes, hobo bags, and cross-body creations, and more.

Where to buy •  Shelton sells online through her Etsy store. She also sells at art and craft fairs throughout the St. Louis area.

How much • Prices range from $35 to $79.

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A classic clutch in a midcentury modern retro stars print features a swivel closure and a wrist strap. 

Handbags in multiple combinations with contrasting zippers for accents as well as color-coordinated embroideries.

A photo of Rachel Shelton posing with one of her sewing machines

A combination of a print matched with a lush solid green makes a nice accent in this shoulder bag with a gnome, flower, and mushroom embroidery. Photo by Rachel Shelton

An assortment of different cross body bag colors and designs 

Detail of pockets and compartments inside the honey and caramel mini clutch. Photo by Rachel Shelton

The eco-friendly mini-clutch in colors of honey and caramel with an embroidery design of a gnome among mushrooms. Photo by Rachel Shelton

Made in St. Louis: Blind woman

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