BAGGINS
BAGGINS
Billie Barton (she/her)
Lives, works and creates in Naarm (working on Larrakia land at the moment).
Interviewed by Edie Hopgood (she/her)
All images captured by @brihorne_
Baggins is a label specialising in handmade bags that are crafted earnestly and ethically using recycled fabrics. With sustainability, functionality and creativity at the forefront of Billie’s practice, Baggins bags save otherwise neglected materials from waste in the most stylish way.
I sit down with Billie to divulge the journey that was the birth of Baggins. Initially sparked in a bid to brighten the moods of friends during the brooding times that were COVID-19 lockdowns, Baggins has now grown to enrich and brighten the lives and outfits of many.
Tell me a bit about yourself
Hello! My name is Billie Barton and I am 27 years old. I grew up on Wurundjeri land in the Yarra Ranges, which is southeast of Naarm, but I am currently living and creating on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory. I like to fill my calendar by engaging in lots of different hobbies, so when I’m not crocheting, that's when social sports and extra-curriculars come into the picture. Currently, I’m mixing with footy, water polo, basketball, pole dancing and choir.
On the back end of Baggins, I have a degree in Product Design Engineering and have been working at Swinburne University as a design technician in the Prototyping Workshop. I am exposed to so many different ideas and skills through working at the workshop - it’s really quite fun. I love getting to be a part of the process of ideas and working through all facets such as the concept, design, and creation.
Above all, the one thing I am working towards this year is achieving my 3rd title in the Meredith Gift, a nudie race that concludes my favourite festival of all time. I love a taste of a lot of different things in life, and when I look at it all together, I find that it’s a rather funny mix.
How did Baggins start out?
About 8 years ago, a friend at surf lifesaving asked me if I wanted to go down to the beach and learn to crochet a stubby holder with her, and that’s where my passion practically took off, and I started making stubby holders in AFL team colours for friends and family. Then when lockdown came, I found myself looking for an opportunity to enhance my design skills and express myself creatively while finishing off my degree.
I wasn’t sure what it was going to be, but then I found this ball of t-shirt yarn at an op shop. I grabbed it thinking “Ooh this is nice and chunky, I wonder what I could make”. I had made crochet bags before with thinner yarn and then I found myself binge-watching Offspring and having the idea to experiment and make a bag out of the t-shirt yarn instead. I sent some pictures to my cousin (who will forever be my hype queen) and she demanded that I make her one. After this, I posted them on Instagram and it kinda just went from there. I was mainly selling to friends and family at first, and it was such a beautiful way to connect with people during all of those Melbourne Lockdowns. I refined my design a teeny bit over the years, but the current Baggins tote is actually pretty similar to the first one that I gave to my cousin.
I’ve always had a pretty strong passion for sustainability and reducing waste where possible. It was really important to me that Baggins was sustainable in a real and tangible sense, so the t-shirt yarn (left over t-shirt material that would have ended up in landfill) was the perfect material for the job. I also love that you can recycle pretty much any material into yarn by cutting it up into strips and tying it together.
What were your inspirations behind creating your business and finding your style?
I was really drawn to trying out all different colours and seeing how they would turn out. Every single bag felt completely new when it was made using a different colour. In terms of style, it started out being very practical. I wanted it to be a sturdy bag, fitting in the necessities so it could be used every day, but also having that fun flare, because I never understood the idea of only saving our cute bags for “special occasions”. I had a picture in my head and I just went for it. My style now still follows this, but my creativity has been able to flare a lot more as my skills have developed and my scrap bucket has filled up.
How tedious is your making process? How long does it usually take for you to make a piece?
It can be tedious at times! It’s dependent on how many bags I’m banging out and whether I’m doing the same style over again, a cheeky podcast is usually required to ease the monotony. I’ve stabbed myself in the foot by adding zips to the bags as they are extremely tedious, but it’s very worth it in adding to my thirst for practicality. A few hours on a bag is about how long it takes these days, but it varies depending on the style and how many coffees I’ve had!
I’ve seen on your socials that you have recently relocated to the NT, what does this mean for yourself and Baggins?
Increased postage costs! Ha. Being away from busy Naarm has allowed me more time for me to focus on the business full-time and look down other avenues for Baggins. I recently spent some time down in Alice (Mparntwe) doing a pop-up store and then at a festival selling Baggins, which would never have been on my radar If I was in Naarm. It’s allowed me to get more creative around what Baggins could be, whilst ‘laxing out at waterfalls, singing in a choir and being a part of a new creative community.
What are your favourite colours/styles to make?
I love making a choccy brown bag, it’s definitely my favourite colour to make. This is more due to its rarity in the t-shirt yarn world, so when I get my claws on it, it’s a real treat. My favourite style to make is the Mini. They are just so damn cute and small and they catch me by surprise every time I make one.
I really love it when I can incorporate found material/waste material in bags. Things such as buckes or belts from op shops are great, as I love repurposing. There’s a tip shop in Darwin where I’ve found some really cool materials and different pieces that I’m excited to try and turn into some bags.
Are there any new pieces that you are looking to start creating/taking custom orders for?
I’ve been working on a funky new Baguette-style bag lately. It takes what I’ve learnt from all the other bags, and creates the perfect artistic base for its fillings. I’ve also been going a bit crazy on ideas away from bags lately. I’ve been in the process of releasing tops for a really long time and have only really sold them to friends up until now. I didn’t want to jump into it too hastily without making sure I was doing it right. There’s a difference in selling bags vs clothing, where a bag will be able to fit pretty much anyone and you don’t need to worry about anyone feeling left out. With the tops I want to make sure that I can be as size inclusive as possible before I start taking orders for them. Crochet is so versatile (It’s basically 3D printing with yarn!) so I plan on doing the tops made-to-order in any size.
I won a bag through your 2k Giveaway crossword (which was a masterpiece in my opinion) - I’m intrigued as to how long that took you to make. And are all of your giveaways going to be this creative and intricate?
Oh hello! Congrats on the win, I’m always impressed by fellow cryptic gurus. It didn’t take me too long as I’ve been into Cryptic crosswords lately and it just flowed on out. I’d like to think they will all be that creative - but I’m too spontaneous not to just do a random simple giveaway on the whim from time to time. I definitely preferred that style of giveaway as it was really enjoyable interacting with everyone who was trying to solve it. I loved that the people who won the crossword giveaway really deserved it, one had to persevere to win that prize.
How would you like to see your business grow in the future?
I’m about to head to Europe on a half business half pleasure trip. I’m having a pop-up in Berlin at Backhaus Studios which I’m really excited about! I’m really hoping it will help me possibly break into the international market (or at least open the door a tiny bit). I think it will be a great opportunity to meet other artists who are working on similar projects, so I’m pretty excited to see how it goes.
I’m also really interested in getting into the costume world and creating outfits for performers/artists. Whenever I have a dress-up party (which is often) I’m usually just making myself an outfit out of crochet to fit with the theme. Recently I had a Western-themed party so I made myself some ass-less chaps. I’d love to explore this more and push myself to see what else I can create. If I could convince Amy Taylor from Amyl And The Sniffers to wear a crocheted outfit with some crocheted boots and a crocheted hat, I’d be pretty chuffed.
