MEET THE MAKERS: New Glasgow woman testing her creativity as she upcycles denim into bags

Margie Snyder has always enjoyed taking the old and making it new again. Plus, she loves to sew.

Add that together, and you have the genesis of a business.

Since this time last year, Snyder — who now lives in New Glasgow, N.S., but hails from Canso, N.S. — began exploring a new crafting opportunity and started making purses and bags.

It began when she looked into denim and quickly learned how many colours and textures there really are of the popular fabric.

She started working with the different designs of existing seams, pockets, decorative embellishments and using those to her advantage.

“I put my creativity to the test,” says Snyder.

She learned that there were some challenges when working with denim. For example, Snyder says she learned how tough a pair of jeans really are.

“Try tearing a pair apart,” she urges.

When she finished her first bag, though, Snyder says she was hooked.

“Those snowy winter days flew by,” she says. “I sewed almost every day, starting with a pair of discarded jeans from another life, and I have to say, I always thought of the story they would tell if they could.”

Snyder had previously sold other items at markets and craft shows, so she decided she would try to do the same with her purses and bags. After all, she needed something to do with all these bags she was making.

And so, Second Cut began.

Today, Snyder makes and sells under the name Second Cut, where she creates handmade purses and bags made from a combination of upcycled and new fabrics and materials.

Out of everything she makes, she says that there isn’t any single most popular item. Instead, a purse seems to be a very individual thing.

Some people want one that is very large and roomy, while others want something very small, she says.

To source her materials, Snyder goes to thrift shops or gets materials from people who know she does this and give her unwanted items.

The outside body of all her bags always has some part that is upcycled material. The zippers, hardware and linings are new materials, though.

Crafting, however, is second nature for Snyder, who has been making things her entire life.

In fact, she can remember her mother teaching her basic embroidery, sewing and knitting when she was a small child. Snyder also became fascinated with her mother’s old Singer sewing machine. She got her first sewing machine when she was 17 years old.

Her mother was also a quilter and hooked rugs, so Snyder would sit with her and help.

Her father was a DIY person, so from him, she learned many skills from him as well.

When she was in Grade 7, Snyder started home economics and couldn’t wait for that to roll around in the schedule, especially during the sewing part of the year.

“I believe that there is never a day that goes by that I don’t use a skill that I learned in home economics, not only the crafting, but the cooking as well,” she says.

Her list of crafts she has done includes sewing, knitting, crochet, macrame, jewellery, upholstery, wood refinishing, and working with resin. She also taught tole painting classes in the 1980s, was an avid gardener for many years, and enjoys interior design. There isn’t much she hasn’t tried or can do.

To learn the art of making the denim purses and bags, Snyder watched hundreds of YouTube videos and tutorials before making her first one.

Although sewing wasn’t anything new, she had never done anything like this, so it definitely was something where the more she made, the more she learned, including that a heavy-duty sewing machine was a must have.

And then there’s Pinterest, she says, where the ideas are endless.

“Through time and experience, I can now look at a picture, and for the most part, make a purse from that, putting my own spin on it of course,” she says.

Snyder has no shortage of ideas of what to make next. Once, a friend even asked her how she came up with the ideas. Her reply? She has so many ideas, and she wants to make them all. In fact, she currently has over 300 screen shots in my “purse design ideas” photo album.

Although in the past she has done custom orders, she says they take the fun out of it. Custom work is trying to work with someone else’s likes and ideas. There’s nothing worse for Snyder as a crafter than trying to create something that she doesn’t like herself.

Because she is retired, this business is strictly meant to be an enjoyable way to spend her retired life. She thoroughly enjoys going to markets and sales and loves getting to speak to speak with people. She says most are very interested in the fact that these products are made from recycled materials.

“As a crafter, I have always found great satisfaction in putting a smile on someone’s face with something I’ve created with my own hands. I’ve often thought on Christmas mornings, how many people are opening a gift that I’ve created, and I sincerely hope that it serves them well, and that they enjoy it,” says Snyder.

In the future, Snyder says she plans to continue having fun with Second Cut. She has started using different fabrics, like corduroy, and is getting more detailed in her products. Now that she has been making them for a while, she now has more confidence to try different things.

When not sewing, Snyder can also be found golfing, camping, gardening and e-biking.

Anyone wishing to view or make a purchase from Second Cut can find her on Facebook under the same name or find her at the New Glasgow Farmers’ Market. She will also post the dates of any craft fairs she is attending on her social media. Her products can also be found at The Alderberry Village store in Truro and at Gramps Grocery and Gifts in Boylston.