About

Hi, I'm Danielle, the maker behind Under the Shade Designs.

I've been sewing for as long as I can remember. What started as something I loved doing as a kid eventually became much more than a hobby. I studied Fashion Design at KPU, earning my Bachelor of Applied Design, and went on to work in both the Vancouver fashion industry and Vancouver's fabric industry.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with all kinds of fabrics, patterns, techniques, and projects. But no matter where my career has taken me, I've always come back to the part I love most: taking a piece of fabric and turning it into something useful, beautiful, and uniquely its own.

That's where Under the Shade Designs came from.

A love of fabric and giving it a second life

Many of the materials I use in my products are remnants or leftover pieces. Some are given to me, some I find second-hand, and some are leftover from my own projects. Instead of letting those pieces sit unused or end up in a landfill, I love finding ways to give them a new purpose.

I try to make everything I sew as low-waste as possible, finding uses for fabric pieces that might otherwise be overlooked. It's part of the creative challenge. I love patchwork!

That's why you'll often find colourful, unexpected fabrics throughout my collections. Some fabrics may only make a handful of pieces, while others might become a truly one-of-a-kind creation. Once they're gone, they're gone.

For me, that's part of the fun. You never quite know what you'll find.

Handmade with purpose

Under the Shade Designs is about creating things that are not only beautiful, but useful.

From a corner bookmark that makes reading a little more fun, to a coffee sleeve you can take with you every morning, to a luggage tag that makes your suitcase easier to spot, I design pieces that fit naturally into everyday life.

Everything is designed, sewn, and finished by me in my studio in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.

There are no factories or mass production lines here, just a sewing machine, a lot of fabric, and years of experience.

I believe handmade doesn't have to mean overly precious or impractical. I want my products to be things you actually use, enjoy, and maybe even reach for every day.

Thank you for being here

Whether you found Under the Shade Designs through Instagram, a friend, or simply stumbled across my little corner of the internet, I'm so glad you're here.

When you purchase something from a small handmade business, you're not just buying a product. You're supporting someone's creativity, time, experience, and passion.

Thank you for supporting mine.

— Danielle