Inspirations
Each Jojo bag is lovingly named after the person who inspired me to design and build that style bag.
THE LERA BAG
Lera Johnson was my mother. She was born in 1917 in Canada. Her parents and siblings crossed the Canadian/Montana border in a covered wagon when she was four years old. She came from strong stock, the youngest of four. Her story is remarkable to me.
She taught me so many things, but I thank her every day that she taught me to sew. She inspired and encouraged me to create and excel in everything I laid my hands on. I adored her. And she loved me. Her creativity was boundless. She was funny and loved to laugh. She could have done anything she set her mind to. She inherited a lot of fear from her mother and that held them both back. Fear is a powerful thing until you can confront it. Every time I make a Lera bag there’s a little bit of my mother in the process. Her story is my story. I take a lot of pride in that.
THE KATHY BAG
Kathy Foley was the funniest person I ever knew. I met her at The American Stage Co. in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the late 1980s. We became fast and furious friends. When I first started making bags, they were always the same size. At one point, she asked me if I would make her a smaller bag, like a pocketbook size. “Don’t change anything about the bag, just make it smaller.” That’s when the Kathy bag was born.
I never made another one until my sister-in-law asked me if I would make her one. Since then, I’ve made a few more, but Kathy’s bag was always the first. She died of breast cancer in 2003. I still miss her. She still inspires me.
OTHERS WHO INFLUENCE ME
Charley Harper
Charley Harper (August 4, 1922 - June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations. His family has taken the stunning images he created and continued their lives on organic cotton fabrics. His work makes my heart sing!
5 Little Monkeys Quilt & Sew
A wonderful, whimsical, fabric store I discovered in Weaverville, NC. Angie & D.J., the store owners, are fun, knowledgeable, and if they don't have it they will help me get it! Great service in a time of need.
Fabricworm
A dream store in a dreamy place! Neil and I discovered this great fabric store in Paso Robles, CA when visiting our friends Carol and Santos. They have a direct line to the Charley Harper line of fabrics through Birch Fabrics. Cynthia, the founder, and Jason, the manager, know all the ins and outs of fabrics and their construction. Even from our home in NC, they provide answers and service beyond compare.