Okay, I finally realized it was time to find someone to sew for me. I was never going to have a real business with high-end bags if I was trying to make them myself. I needed to let go a little. I didn't really have the money to hire someone, but I had to make it happen. I started searching online for sewing contractors and I couldn't believe how hard it was to find any. It felt like finding an invisible needle in a haystack. It's interesting, but most wholesale suppliers don't really advertise. You can't just Google sewing contractors and find a good handful of selections. You can look at Thomasnet.com, but in my experience, I've done that and many of the vendors listed on there are geared more towards industrial sewing...miliary or medical industry, things like that. I needed a smaller shop that catered to the independent designer.

After digging and digging, I found a place called Manolucci based in NYC. They manufactured handbags for designers like myself. Cool...I was on my way. Getting 5 handbag samples made took about 3 months and $3200. That included patterns and initial sample. My bags at this point had become "briefcase bags", so a more unique, feminine take on the standard briefcase. But that meant alot of pockets! To get started, I gave Manolucci some simple sketches with dimensions. Looking back at them, they were overly simple. I have no formal training in design, so I really didn't yet have the eye for a great bag, but I think they were okay to get started. Lesson here...patterns are expensive. Make sure your sketch is where you want it before proceeding with a professional patternmaker. And DON'T skimp on the pattern. Make sure you find someone experienced & reputable to do it. The pattern is the blueprint for your samples and production, so it needs to be right. You can make adjustments along the way...but it costs $$ to do that too. Save yourself some money and finalize your design before handing it off to a patternmaker.

I finally got my 5 samples and they were great. The quality was great. Some of my design features were so-so, but regardless, it was so exciting to get my real live, leather creations in the mail! These were going to make me rich!!