Meet the Maker – UhOh Creations

I am so excited for you to meet this months Meet the Maker the incredibly talented UhOh Creations. This woman has some serious sewing skills and constantly blows us away with not only her fabric choices but how she tackles every pattern design! Give a warm welcome to Tara and get to know her a little more today!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a software consultant by day and bagmaker by night. I have a full time job working with clients and tailoring a specific software to their needs and doing a lot of documentation. I am also a wife to an incredibly patient and handy man, and a stepmom to a teenage daughter. My babies are my fur babies and we spend a LOT of time together. We live in the busy city of Calgary, AB (Canada) so I am frequently complaining about snow, but loving the warm chinooks that pass through.

How long have you been making bags and how did you get started?

About 3 years ago I took a beginner quilting class for myself. I was so caught up in being step-mom and working that I needed to find an outlet for myself. So I bought a fairly simple sewing machine and completed my 2 month class. I am still exceptionally proud of the quilts I have made to date, but when they started taking months, I looked for little kits to try. That’s where I made my first bag. The kit was for jelly roll strips, had a button on the front and no hardware, but it spurred me on to more and more. Since then I became completely immersed in bags.

What are you working on right now?

Currently I am working on two pattern tests (can’t release any secrets 😉 ), a custom request hobo bag for a customer and … strangely enough … I have 3 motorcycle vest today that I am applying patches to for a Bikers are Buddies not-for-profit organization. I also have a project list that includes a canvas and leather duffel bag for my husband, a new leather wallet for my dad, and of course this month’s Bag of the Month Club pattern, the Stargazer. I also have an upcoming retreat for quilters where I am teaching my own little pencil pouch pattern, so I better get that finalized this week lol

What do you enjoy the most about bag making?

This is a conversation my mom and I have had as she’s an avid quilter and hates bag making. I love the following:

• They are generally only two or three day projects (unlike a month-long quilt).
• I can take any pattern and make the parts I want to and not others if I feel like it.
• I don’t have to follow the pattern if I don’t want to, just use the “plans” from it.
• I get to use a hammer on thick seams and some hardware.
• I get to use glue.
• I get to use tape.
• I get to play with shiny hardware and mix and match everything.

No one gets to tell me I’m wrong – because my fabric choices and hardware decisions don’t have right and wrong answers!

What is your favourite sewing notion and tool that you cannot live without?

Masking tape – I use it to temporary hold things, mark lines, and as labels. I use it on everything!

Do you have any tips for someone new to bag making?

That’s a toughy, I have a couple tips for new bag makers in each of the classes that I teach. But my life has been built around the one big principle – Try. The skill level associated to a pattern is a guideline, not a rule. That means that if you love a design, don’t look at the skill level, but do be prepared to ask questions to get the project done – and definitely ask, we all love to help people, so give us that opportunity to help you!

What has been your proudest creative moment?

My very first pattern release was in 2017 and every time I see another bag made from that pattern, I get giddy! Seeing people modify and have fun creating their own Charlie Holster Bag absolutely delights me and makes me so proud!

You can check out more of Tara’s work here:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/UhOhCreations
• Etsy: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/UhOhCreationsCA
• Craftsy: www.craftsy.com/sewing/patterns/charlie-holster-bag/509115