16 September 2016
Designer Spotlight: Liz from emit design
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My name is Liz Walker and I have a home studio on the Central Coast of NSW. I make a range of Satchels and accessories.
I have a creative husband and four gorgeous children (two girls in high school and two boys in primary school). We have a dog named Marty (a Back to the Future reference) and he joined our family 12 months ago. We went to the pet store to buy fish … the store owner handed a puppy to my teenage daughter and then the kids all started begging and after about two hours I finally relented and we went home with a dog. I really didn’t want to get a dog, but I really love him and have started running, just to keep up with him. And I don’t mind that I’m fitter now.
I’ve been selling on Made It since 2012. I love how Made It is an Australian selling platform, and I love the information shared with the community through the madeit.com.au Sellers Group on Facebook. 
I have a little home studio where the afternoon sun streams in, and half of my space is dedicated to sewing and fabrics and the other half is for editing and bookkeeping. 
I love to read books and I have an unhealthy obsession with bookdepository.com. I have a whole shelf of books to read and the biggest problem I have is what to read next! 
I spend a lot of time working alone and I love to listen to podcasts. My favourite podcasts are The Moth, Selected Shorts and So You Want to be a Writer (even though I don’t want to be a Writer) 
I have always loved to make Christmas presents and a few years ago I made a few bags for family and friends. My Grandfather admired the bag that I had given my Grandmother and requested I make a bag for him. He had a very specific list of requirements, the main one being the satchel style. I’d never done that before but I was up for the challenge. He was very happy with the result, and I quite liked it too.
My mother had been to New York and bought me back some gorgeous fabrics, so I made a couple of bags with this new design, and they sold straight away. I have continued making (and selling) and adding to the product range, which now has five sizes. I had spent my adult years looking for the perfect bag and I had finally found it. I am also a bookkeeper, photographer and artist, so while being a designer/maker has been a hobby for a few years I’m now starting to focus a bit more.
I really love to buy fabric, and I gravitate more towards florals in muted colours. I recently started working with leather, specifically old leather jackets … I am totally into the up-cycle trend and love to transform something old into something new. For some reason, cutting the leather is very satisfying. My first up-cycle project was cutting up a pair of my Granny’s old leather pants and turning them into a bag. 
I am very passionate about my handmade products and get especially excited when engaging with my customers, who I care about, and I enjoy helping them get what they want. I’m often working on custom orders to suit different personalities and needs. 
I really love the story that is behind handmade. I am inspired by the journey someone has been on to get where they are, and the reasons that motivated them. I am drawn to creative people and I love to cheer them on and encourage them to keep them creating. Visit Liz’s Store to find your perfect bag: emitdesign
