LOWVILLE — Shae C. Roggie knows bags. The Lowville resident sews everything from brightly colored clutches and backpacks to wildly patterned purses and cell phone cases for her business, Valerie Ann Designs.
“The name is my mom’s,” Mrs. Roggie said. “She taught me how to sew when I was growing up and I thought her name sounded very classy. It’s just to honor her, really.”
Mrs. Roggie said she has sold more than 2,000 products since she started Valerie Ann Designs in 2006. She estimated she and her seamstresses produce between 50 and 75 bags every month.
While the business is only a few years old, Mrs. Roggie’s passion for sewing goes back much further.
“Ever since I was really young, I remember making pillows with my mom. I always loved to create things,” she said.
Although Mrs. Roggie no longer sews each purse from start to finish, a process which takes about two hours, she says she is still involved in each one. “I still touch every bag because I still have a process,” she said.
This process includes periodically shopping at the Sew Crazy Fabric Shop in Glenfield for fun and exciting new prints.
“Each spring and fall I do plan to come up with new designs,” the designer said of her shifting fabric choices.
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Brandi J. Bautell also designs, sews and sells her own bags through the business she started, Maris Rae Handbags.
The Killeen, Texas, resident in March moved away from the north country, where her husband was stationed at Fort Drum. Her sister, Raquel Petzolt, still sells Maris Rae handbags in the area, though, and also assists in the designing and sewing of the purses.
“She’s played a really big role in the whole thing. Starting out it was just me, and then I realized I can’t sew everything on my own. I definitely needed her help,” Mrs. Bautell said.
The name Maris Rae, however, comes from Mrs. Bautell’s mother.
“My mom has always wholeheartedly supported me on any endeavor I might tackle,” said Mrs. Bautell, who began making her purses in 2006 after teaching herself to sew.
The designer said her inspiration for the handbags comes from many different sources: “It comes from anywhere. It comes from modern fashion itself or art. Much of my inspiration comes from God’s beautiful gift of nature. It could be anything that catches my eye.”
Mrs. Bautell said she has sold over 1,000 purses to date and confesses that the business is a bit of an addiction for her.
“I absolutely love just the fact that you can make something out of fabric and needle and thread,” she said. “I love matching beautiful fabrics together. I can’t quit.”
