Meet Amber Brittain of A Brittain Studio. Amber takes sewing to a new creative level with the assortment of bags she makes and the array of items she sews herself. Her love of sewing came full circle in 2020. While she picked up the hobby as a therapeutic outlet, it launched her into eventually leaving her full-time job, and we are all the more lucky to welcome her!
Amber, please tell us where we can find you:
We are based in Wylie, TX, and though we do not have a storefront, we offer online services. You can also ship with us in person at various markets.
What do you make/create?
We make handmade bags and eco-friendly products.
What do you feel sets you apart and makes your pieces special?
I feel like our products are a great mix of practicality and style. We do our best to create products that are not only cute but very practical. We want our products to help make your life a little easier and a little cuter.
What led you to start sewing?
My mom and grandmother taught me to sew at a young age and it’s just something I’ve stuck with.
I’m sure you’ve overcome some hurdles with your business. So far, what would you say has been your biggest success?
Hmmm…I’m not sure. Honestly, the fact that I’m in my third year as a small business owner feels like a success in its own right. Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart for sure.
As far as products go, our paperless towels have been the stand-out star. When we first started them, we began by creating just a few packs for ourselves and figured we would try them at the studio, but man they blew up larger than we could have imagined!
We’ve also designed a few bags from scratch. Our diaper clutch crossbodies took a lot of trial and error, but I was able to finally design a bag that did everything we wanted. These bags are unique to just us. We have a few more A. Brittain exclusives that have been designed and hopefully will launch in 2025, but being as it’s only me sewing, we will have to see.
What about challenges? What’s been your biggest challenge thus far?
In being a small business and a handmade one at that, so much of running the business is based on me. Finding that balance of trying to do it all, and still enjoying what I do so I don’t burn out.
What is your favorite product that you create, and why is it your favorite?
I know it’s probably cliche, but I love everything I create. Some are easier to make than others, but I love having a variety of things to make. If I get bored or too frustrated with a certain product, I can take time away and work on something else.
What can we look forward to seeing at your booth this year?
This year you can see a lot of your usual favorites, like our paperless towels and small bags, but this year we have focused on offering some of our bigger style bags at shows, so make sure you check out our corduroy backpacks!
What do you love most about running your business?
It’s a great excuse to go fabric shopping. I love lots of little things about running my business like being my boss, setting my hours, and meeting all sorts of new people at shows.
As far as Jingle Bash goes, what is the best gift we need to buy from your booth?
Our paperless towels are our number one seller at Christmas. They are a perfect size and price point for most people. They make great stocking stuffers, and they come in a ton of prints so you can get each person on your list a gift as unique as them.
Amber thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to give us a little more insight into your business. We are all excited to see you at the show and grab a few stocking stuffers for ourselves!