About

HELLO :)

Hello, I’m Fleur, and welcome to Motif Studio :)

I founded Motif in 2022 to share my love of sewing and pattern design. My hope is that these patterns bring you joy and relaxation but also the satisfaction of creating something beautiful that you’re proud to use and wear at the end <3

All the bag patterns you will find for Motif are made just from fabric (except the duffel bag - the one exception!) they do not need any extra hardware, zips or accessories to make them. I have chosen to design this way so you can start sewing straightaway with what you may already have at home. There is not a long list of things you need to buy, only material.

Sewing is such a meditative practice — it requires focus, patience, and attention to detail. I love how much it can help you unwind and I have always found it so therapeutic to have a project on the go and keep me occupied during more challenging times.

I’ve been sewing since I was young, learning the craft from both my grandmother and best friends mum. When I was 9 and my mum went into hospital for a long period of time, I would go round to my best friend's house everyday after school, where her mum taught us how to sew on old singer hand crank sewing machines. We learnt how to patchwork and both ended up making a patchwork dress that I still have today.

I found having something to create and a project to think about during that time so helpful and always kept me returning to the sewing machine when I needed to slow down or de-stress.

I went on to study Textiles throughout school and later for my BA in Textile Design from Central Saint Martins. After graduating, I spent several years working in various areas of the interiors industry, which increased my love of design, materials and shapes. In my early twenties I lived in Melbourne for a while and when living there I studied Pattern-making at the RMIT - this opened my eyes to the possibility of combining my love of sewing with designing too and I have been making my own bags ever since.

Making bags has always been my thing. A lot of the patterns on this website I used to make as ready made products on my accessories store Couper et Coudre.

I wanted a way to share sewing and creating with more people and so decided to start Motif Studio as a way to make the canvas bags I made more accessible and sustainable too, I’m so happy to be able to share this passion with you.

I love that bags are small, so you can often use the remnants you have lying around. They can be made quickly if you do not have much time and if you have one you love, it will be used nearly everyday.

I hope you find a bag you can't wait to make and enjoy the happy me-made feeling of using it just as much as the making process.

If you have any questions or just want to chat about sewing, feel free to reach out - whether here or on instagram. I always love hearing from you! xx