On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about bag making with my guest Emma Brassfield.
Emma is a YouTuber, pattern designer, bag sewing teacher, and entrepreneur based near London, UK.
After over 20 years in the film industry, helping to make such iconic creatures and costumes as Iggle Piggle (In The Night Garden), The Flash (Justice League), Many goblins (Harry Potter), and Chewbacca (Star Wars), the grind of film hours + family life needed to be broken.
So in 2020, she finally started her YouTube channel, which was so well-received that now she runs a successful subscription box and online membership for those looking to learn bag making, as well as selling her patterns all over the world. Her business is Studio7T7.
Emma believes in everyone having a go- after all, what’s the worst that can happen (the unpicker is our friend). But most importantly, what’s the best that can happen? She believes that the world of bag making should be a welcoming and wondrous place, full of support to get you into bag making and flying.
This episode is sponsored by The Academy for Virtual Teaching.
Video isn’t just a sales tool. It’s how you build a community around your brand.
Emma’s business didn’t start out focused on bag-making. Instead, it evolved there over time.
Emma shared her journey into the film industry, starting with her childhood interest in crafts and textiles, which led her to pursue a specialized degree in costume and creature effects at London College of Fashion. After graduation, she took on freelance work to build her network and eventually secured a traineeship on the Harry Potter film series through persistence and serendipitous connections.
Emma shared her journey from working on major films like Harry Potter and Star Wars to eventually transitioning to running her own bag design business, Studio 77. She described her experience working in the film industry, including the challenges of long hours and balancing work with family life, which ultimately led her to leave full-time film work. Emma explained how her business evolved from making hand-sewn toys to focusing on bag design, drawing on her skills from the film industry, and she launched a YouTube channel during the 2020 lockdown to share her sewing knowledge with others.
Emma was recently shortlisted as a finalist for a UK Small Business Award.
We talk about recurring revenue models, building a following on YouTube, and creating a subscription box business.
In this conversation, we reference:
- Blue Peter children’s television show
- Xperiencify as a membership platform
- Subbly for subscription boxes
- PayHip
- Sewing Street shopping channel
And, of course, I ask Emma to recommend great stuff she’s loving right now. Emma recommends:
- Munbyn printer
- Rocket Book notebook
- sewing double-sided tape
Keep up with Emma on her website and on Instagram and on YouTube.
