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| Ashley and her assistant Megan on a recent trip to the Fashion District. |
Ashley has been producing her own line of plush toys since 2007. Her "Wumplings", as she calls them, were born when she made plushies for a Halloween display contest at work. When people began asking to buy them of her, she brought out her grandma's old sewing kit and a bag of crazy scraps and expanded Wumplings into an entire world of cute monsters and mutants, each one hand sewn and made with love. In 2008 she expanded into large scale puppet building and costume design, though those creations are more for personal fun than for business.
You can learn more about Ashley and her Wumplings here and catch her and her assistant Megan on Tori Spelling's Craft Wars. Their episode will air on TLC on August 14! Insider Scoop: It's going to be about Halloween :)
Read their Q & A below...
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| Wumplings! |
Ashley: Faux fur, sequin trims, specialty fabrics for costumes, small craft accents like bows, faux flowers, etc.
Megan: For me, I love the Fashion District for distinctive, hard-to-find prints and also for foam pieces that I use in my needle-felting kits.
Q: Why do you like to source at the Fashion District?
A: None of my projects are "normal". I need the wildest looking stuff you can get, and the district has it!
M: I love the energy downtown. It's sort of unlike anywhere else in L.A. You can walk from shop to shop, be surrounded by different people, smells, and colors, and everyone there has an energy about them. We're all there because we are makers, sewers, crafters, designers... no loafers allowed! We are on a mission!
Q: What stores would you recommend?
A: City Fabric has the best faux fur selection on the block. My friends and I refer to the owner as The Fur King. He's pretty firm on pricing per yard, but lucky for me he's started offering smaller cuts in a scrap bin up front. Those little squares are the perfect size for my plush pieces, and allow me to get the fancier furs without emptying my wallet. On the same block, you'll find Maple Craft, my go to place for trims and accents. They have every color of sequin strand you could ever want!
M: Eek! There are so many great places- from the big names like Michael Levine, to the smaller shops where you can score fabrics by the pound... where's a girl to start?
Q: What's your favorite thing about the L.A. Fashion District?
A: The first time I visited the district I was amazed at the volume and variety of materials. You can find just about anything, and have a bacon wrapped hot dog while you search.
M: I love that every time I'm in the Fashion District, I find a new print or notion that becomes the foundation of a project. Inspiration is EVERYWHERE.
Q: Do you have any tips for navigating the district?A: Getting around can be confusing for first timers, especially because most shops don't have their names displayed. I love the parking structure on Wall St., pretty much right behind Michael Levine. The attendants are nice, it's on the cheaper side, and they don't pack your car in like a sardine! It's also a large, easy to find building, so you can calibrate your mental map around where you parked.
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| Ashley enjoying her Alley Dog. |
Q: Why would you recommend other designers/crafters/DIYers to come here?
A: You'll see a bunch of new materials that give you ideas. Just walking down a block I'll see fabrics that make me want to re-do my entire apartment. Remember to bring cash, and a side of self control if you don't want your home overflowing with craft supplies!
M: I think there is so much more variety than at a mega mart shop, or even at a hand-picked boutique, and the prices are often negotiable! Whats not to love about that?!