Beloved Bijou's Craft Blog: Interview of Made of Carpet

It's interview day! Irina with Made of Carpet has introduced me to her WONDERFUL carpet bags. These are literally made out of rugs! For those of you who know me personally know that I am a purse-a-holic, so hopefully I will be able to use the wonderful discount that Irina has given us for a new bag :-)

NOTE to readers: Irina is giving away a 50-pound Gift Certificate to one lucky person! Comment below to enter the drawing.

Q. What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it?

A. I design and completely supervise manufacturing of large Victorian vintage-style tote Carpet bags.

Because my bags are made not from a velvet- or velour-kind fabric or thin tapestry, but from real thick piled Oriental rugs that originally have been made to be used for their intended purpose, I had to adapt and update 150-years old Victorian technology of Carpet bags craft to be used today. It probably seems pretty simple but in reality there are plenty of tricks and pitfalls.

Rugs are also made especially for my purposes – they do not have anti-slippery cover but have couple of other special features (if I tell you which, I would have to kill you. Just kidding! J ), but it took nearly 8 months to figure out first of all what type of modern rugs will do the job and then find right adequate supplier. Considering that all my bags and materials they are made of manufactured in European Union and this was one of my main intentions (can you imagine Victorian-style bags, made in China? Ha-ha!), it was not easy.

I am not actually big fun of handmade products (except Savile Row level of quality, of course) that is why my bags are of the highest manufacturing quality standard.

The collection is very new – it is only 3.5 months old.

Q. What got you started?

A. Bags are my big (no, HUGE!) passion and I always wanted to create them, but I never had time and appropriate conditions - been a gipsy somewhere deep in my soul, I lived in six countries on three continents, until finally settled on our little rainy island, widely known as Great Britain. It was quite far back – one husband ago – but only now I managed to get deep enough to create a brand.

As to particular Carpet bags, besides they are beautiful and very pleasant to touch, I also don't have much (if any at all) competitors.

Q. Are there any other arts and crafts that you would like to try your hand at? If so, why?

A. Honestly? NO! I've spent 17 years as a Graphic Designer for print (and still do it yet) to be able to pay my living. Enough! No more client's amateur tests and filthy "visions".

I love bags, especially fuzzy ones. I have an idea of bags made of fringe, but it will be next level of my business and most probably different brand.

Q. What are your favorite materials to use?

A. Carpet so far.

Q. What and/or who inspires you?
A. An inspiration mainly came from the Victorian Era's fashion and art. Here in Britain, even today, we experience a huge influence of that past – bridges and furniture, architecture and patterns... all come from there. Not to mention the achievements of [industry] of that time.

Then my inspiration was replenished with the impression of such charismatic literature characters as Mary Poppins and Miss Marple.

And finally the elegance and romance of the key style icons of the sixties, such as for example Jacquie O, to complete the picture.

Q. Do you have a Coupon Code for your website?

A. Yes I do! I have Voucher code line on Basket page of my online store http://www.madeofcarpet.com/

Coupons:

The codes vary and right now, till end of July we have summer birdie discount for 20 British Pounds (approximately 30 USD), code is MoC-Sum11.

Free delivery – 30 British Pounds. Code will be created tonight and will be Myria-BBA This code will be valid till the end of August.

Website: www.madeofcarpet.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Made-of-Carpet/125411940872079?sk=wall
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&me=A2RBFI5PY6LZZ8

As I mentioned before - Irina is giving away a 50-pound Gift Certificate to one lucky person!