Hello, bag-making friends! In this episode of The Bag Makers Sew-Ciety Podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Anna from Parrot and Parsnip. If you love handmade bags, vintage textiles, and upcycling, you’re going to adore her work.
Anna’s journey is fascinating—starting out in West End costume production, she later transitioned into bag making, where she now creates stunning, one-of-a-kind designs using vintage fabrics. We talked about her creative process, sourcing unique materials, work-life balance, and the joys (and challenges) of running a small business.
From West End Costumes to Handmade Bags
Anna has been sewing since childhood, inspired by her grandmothers. She took that passion further by studying costume making at university, which led to working on major West End productions like Hamilton and Cats.
Although she loved the craft, costume making was often fast-paced and repetitive, focusing on execution rather than design. After having her son, she wanted a more creative outlet, which led her to bag making.
The Birth of Parrot and Parsnip
Three years ago, Anna started Parrot and Parsnip, blending her love of sewing, sustainability, and creativity. At first, sales were slow, but through Instagram and community engagement, her business began to grow. Now, her unique bag designs—crafted from vintage fabrics, tapestries, and upcycled textiles—have become her signature.
Sourcing Vintage Fabrics & Upcycling Materials
One of the things that makes Parrot and Parsnip’s bags so special is the carefully sourced vintage fabrics. Anna finds materials from a variety of places, including:
Charity shops
eBay & antique fairs
Fabric donations from followers
She loves the challenge of repurposing textiles, giving them a new life in the form of beautiful, functional bags.
Letting the Fabric Lead the Design
Unlike traditional bag-making approaches, where a pattern is chosen first, Anna often lets the fabric dictate the design. She’ll hold onto a textile until inspiration strikes, making each bag truly one of a kind.
Balancing Work, Life & Creativity
Running a business while raising a young child and caring for three cats means Anna has to be incredibly organized. She works from home but keeps a strict 5 PM cut-off to separate work and family life.
Expanding into YouTube & Digital Patterns
To make her bag patterns more accessible, Anna started her YouTube channel, providing video tutorials to help sewists follow along. She finds that some steps are much easier to demonstrate on video than in written instructions, making YouTube an invaluable tool for her business.
She also sells her bag patterns on Etsy and is currently learning to create digital patterns using Illustrator—a big step towards expanding her business!
A Supportive Creative Community
Anna is lucky to have a very supportive partner, who often helps her source fabric and manage the business side of things. She’s also built an amazing community of sewists and customers, many of whom donate vintage fabrics, knowing she’ll turn them into something special.
This sense of community and sustainability is a huge part of what makes Parrot and Parsnip so unique!
Final Thoughts.
It was so inspiring to chat with Anna from Parrot and Parsnip and hear how she blends creativity with sustainability in her bag-making business. From sourcing vintage textiles to designing her own patterns, she’s built something truly special.
If you missed the episode, you can watch the full podcast replay on The Bag Makers Sew-Ciety YouTube channel. Are you a fan of upcycling fabrics in your bag making? Let’s chat in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts! 😊
Until next time happy sewing and may your bobbin always be full
Deb x
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