About Me

Laura Martell- Lifelong Sewer, Sewing Expert, Teacher and the Founder of The Creative Thimble
I grew up in Wethersfield, CT a beautiful quaint New England town in a wonderful 100 year old home. My interest in sewing started at a very early age. I used to hand sew clothes for my Barbie dolls until my grandmothers taught me how to sew on their machines.

Quilting

After I got married, I always did something creative. I have made baskets, sewed Teddy Bears, including a mink one from my grandmother's fur muff. During the Cabbage Patch craze, I made lots and lots of dolls and doll clothes.

I started quilting in 1980, during my first pregnancy. Eleanor Burns was teaching her new log cabin, fabric-ripping technique, and I took one of her classes in Newington, CT. I have been quilting ever since.

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Handbags and Tote Bags

I have always loved handbags and tote bags, and along with my quilting, I would always be trying the newest bag/purse pattern.

In 1990, I saw a picture of a tote bag in a very expensive catalog using decorator fabrics. I couldn’t afford the tote bag in the catalog, but decided to try to make a bag using decorator fabrics. I was hooked.

I started making tote bags and zippered handbags to sell at local craft shows. By this time, I was living in Poughkeepsie, New York and had 2 children. It was great to be able to work at home and take care of the children. I was doing very well selling my bags at the crafts shows and my family would come with me and enjoy the travel and shows with me.

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Raleigh

In 1993, my husband was transferred to Raleigh, NC with his job at IBM. In order to meet new people, I took a few quilting classes at Bernina World of Sewing in Raleigh. I decided that I might like to work outside the home part-time, so I started working at Bernina in February of 1994.

By the first week of March that same year, I was teaching Bernina Club attendees how to make my tote bags. They were so popular that I decided to write it up and make a pattern for sale. I have been selling and teaching Laura’s tote pattern and Laura’s zippered tote patterns ever since.

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Sewing Pattern Expansion

In the fall of 2003, I decided to create 3 new patterns. The Raleigh Purse (guess where I got that name?) The Professional Tote, a great tote for all your professional needs, and Janet’s Jewelry Case. The Jewelry case is named in honor of my mother who never had any grandchildren named after her, so I named my “3rd child” after her.

Now that my children are adults (my, how time flies), and I am no longer working outside of the home, I hope to do some traveling and teaching.

So if you would like to have me teach in your shop, or at a sewing group, please contact me at laura@thecreativethimble.com

Take a look at all of my sewing patterns. And if you see one you want to try, use our easy ordering process.

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