Where It All Started...

Studio In Progress didn’t appear overnight. It grew slowly, and very organically out of my personal sewing journey. As I started to make pieces I was genuinely proud of, friends and family began asking the question “When can I buy one?”. And this is when I knew it was time to think about starting my little business.

For me, building this brand was never about rushing. I began sketching and planning as early as September 2023, but it wasn’t until May 2025 that I officially launched Studio In Progress. Almost two years of testing and refining went into this business before I felt ready to share it with the world.

As the only person behind the brand, and also working other jobs alongside this venture, things took a lot longer than I had anticipated. But I also wasn't going to put anything out into the world that I wasn’t completely satisfied with. Every detail from the stitching to the labels to the way a bag sits on the shoulder had to feel right. That meant countless drafts and endless refining before I felt ready.

I lost count of the number of prototypes I made for certain products. Each version brought me closer to what I envisioned but also revealed another detail to improve. The same happened with branding. I trialed many many logos and labelling methods, and agonised over the tiny things that most people might not even notice.

And then there were the materials. True to Studio In Progress's values, I was determined to only use secondhand and reclaimed fabrics. Every handmade bag is crafted from fabric that already exists, whether found in charity shops, sourced through eBay, or cut from old tents. Choosing sustainability over convenience meant tracking down materials piece by piece instead of ordering bolts of new fabric. But these restraints forced me to be resourceful, and make products more slowly, and gain a deeper respect for materials that already exist.

Although it was trialling at times, I know that this long timeline was necessary to get to where I am now. Studio In Progress was, and is, made slowly, and that is one of the things I am most proud of. Sometimes great things take time.

And even though the brand has now taken shape, it is still driven by the constant nature of learning, refining, and experimenting. That means Studio In Progress will always live up to its name, it will always be in progress.

See where the journey goes next!
Explore the shop to discover handmade sustainable bags created from reclaimed fabrics, or follow along on Instagram to watch Studio In Progress evolve.