Third Time's the Charm? Why I Keep Entering the Etsy Design Awards

This year marks the third time I've entered the Etsy Design Awards, and if you'd asked me on submission day whether it was worth it, I probably would've laughed at you. The application window ran from July 14th through August 3rd, and true to form, I made my entry piece the same day the deadline closed.

The bag itself came together in a rush of the best kind of chaos: a crossbody sling in Tula Pink's Everglow "Neck for Days", one of my absolute favorite prints, that gorgeous olive-and-coral giraffe pattern, paired with a rainbow houndstooth, "Sweet Tooth in Moonbeam" from Untamed for the body, quilted in a diagonal crosshatch, and a teal polka dot lining underneath it all, "Impending Bloom in Moonbeam" also from Untamed. Gold push lock, gold chain strap. Nine inches wide, six tall, two and a half deep. It's one of those pieces where every fabric choice felt a little bold and a little risky, but absolutely perfect.  Which is exactly why I love it.

This bag represents so many things I love all in one gorgeous little package.  My favorite fabric designer - Tula Pink.  My love of bright colors and floral prints.  My love of quilting and sewing and bag making.  And my favorite animal (besides dogs) - giraffes.  (Did you know I love giraffes?)

Getting the photos and video together before the 8:59pm deadline was, honestly, stressful, to say the least. There's a specific kind of pressure that comes from wanting a piece to represent your best work while the clock is actively running out. Not to mention I was in the middle of making dinner all at the same time and my photos and video were not uploading.  Talk about stressful.  My heart was racing and I was in full blown panic mode. But I managed to get it submitted at 8:25pm and didn't burn dinner. I don't know how that worked out.  There's something about crossing that finish line — with heart racing and breathless — that reminds me why I keep coming back to this every year.

I don't enter the Design Awards because I expect to win, although - I'm not going to lie, it would be nice. I enter because it pushes me a little more each time.  It forces me to make something with no other purpose than pushing my own design instincts further. No restock deadline, no market to prep for — just fabric, color, and the question of what happens when I let myself go a little further out on a limb than usual. Every year I do this, I learn something about myself, my style, and my capabilities that ends up showing up in collections down the line.

Three years in, I'm still not sure if this is the year I place. But I know I'll be back again next year, probably making my entry piece the day of the deadline, probably wondering why I do this to myself — and probably loving every stressful minute of it anyway.

If you want to see more of this bag you can find it in my Etsy shop.