Success for crafter Jessica Francis has been “in the bag”... the many bags she makes. She lives in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, where she moved as a child. She’s also lived in Inuvik and Alberta for a few years when her mom went to school. Now a mother of four, she runs her own business called Yikaih Creations where she sells items she’s sewed and runs sewing and crafting workshops in her community and neighbouring communities.

The name of her business translates to Northern Lights and in some older stories, they are made up of the ancestors who have passed on. She wanted to take the concept of ancestors and integrate it into her business because she uses methods and techniques her ancestors used and combines them with modern methods.

Francis tans moose hides and fish skins, works with bones and antlers, and uses basic sewing to make pouches, bags, gun cases, water resistant shell bags and makeup bags. She’s been sewing since 2015 and started off sewing for her kids, then in 2019 started making bags and hasn’t stopped. She also makes wallets, purses, crossbody bags, and hunting backpacks.

The bags are made from a variety of materials, from tanned moosehide, granny hankies, canvas, vinyl, and floral designs. Francis has her kids test a trial bag first before making a second bag. It can take between half an hour to four hours to make a bag. Some bags she will embellish with embroidery, quillwork or beading, adding to production time.

Her advice to people looking to get started in sewing to not be afraid to try it. Her own practice came about through a lot of trial and error and looking on Pinterest for tips and tricks. She suggests looking on Youtube and not being afraid to try and fail.

Francis recommends asking for help from other sewists like her. “I want other people to be able to sew their things. I don't want to be like, ‘No, you can't have my pattern. You can't have my idea.’ I want to help other people be like, ‘Oh, I can do this too… I can provide for my kids by making them some gun bags, making them some shell bags. I can do this for my family. I can make Christmas gifts.’”she encouraged.

Thinking back to the beginning of her own sewing, she didn’t try bags because thought she couldn’t make them. She stuck to embroidery until she decided she needed to make a bag and it worked. Then she started customizing and a whole world opened up to her. Her patterns tend to be basic, sticking to a four inch bottom of the bag with an arched handle instead of some of the fancy patterns that require calculations and specific angles.

When it comes to education, Francis graduated high school as a homeschooler and went to college for commercial art and graphic design. While she didn't finish the program, she learned a lot of basic computer skills with graphic design, some of which could be transferable to pattern making. She learned basic sewing and embroidery from her great grandparents but didn’t put them into practice until she became a parent.

Francis took the 16-week online Inspire program through EntrepreNorth in 2021 and gained the skills for creating a business idea and a business plan. The program shifted her vision for her business from custom orders and high volume to what she wanted her focus to be and what she wanted to communicate through her business. The program gave her a jumpstart, helping her solidify her goals and establish more discipline with her sewing.

When it came to obstacles, Francis had to put big projects and orders on hold knowing she couldn’t do it all herself with four kids and a house. She had to learn her limits when there wasn’t enough time or money for materials. She’s had to learn the financial end of things like taxes, bookkeeping and recordkeeping. NWT Arts helped her through their workshops and she’s learned a lot that’s helped her build her capacity.

For orders, Francis takes customer requests through social media messages. She also sells at the Arctic market in Inuvik. Sometimes customers will make custom order requests and she will let them know if she has the materials to fulfil their requests right away or if she has to order materials in. She’s not at a point where a website makes sense yet.

To keep her mental health in check, Francis goes out on the land, heading up to her camp at Midway Lake or their fish camp along the highway. Spending time together as a family, disconnected from life online is therapeutic and helpful for reconnecting.

As far as role models go, Francis looks up to her great grandmother who did a lot of sewing, embroidery, hide tanning and caribou shoes. Her mother-in-law is always beading and she has many relatives who bead, sew, and work with hides and skins. She’s been trying to absorb all she can and pass it down to her kids.

In closing, Francis advises to learn from artists and creatives who are more advanced, asking for advice. “I don't know many artists or creators who are going to be like, ‘No, I'm not going to show you this technique’. I'm sure they would be very willing to help you. The only way to find out is to ask, because if you don't ask, you're never going to know,” she encourages. She also wishes she could have asked her relatives more advice about her crafts because so much of their wisdom was lost when they passed.

Knowing what she lost, Francis says, “Take advantage of having your elders there. Take advantage of sitting with them sewing. Go drink a cup of tea with them. Be like, ‘Oh, how are you attaching that piece of fur to your slipper?’ And they can show you. I bet they'd be so happy to be sharing it with you.”

In Jessica Francis’ home-based sewing business, success has been ‘in the bag’…many of them that have headed out to happy customers. Through trial and error, learning from online tutorials, and testing prototypes on her children, she has managed to create new bags with a variety of materials. Sharing her experiences freely, she’s happy to help others learn to create bags, too, so more families can support themselves and find success in the bag like she has.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.