Get ready for some serious quilt eye candy! Tighe Flanagan, the creative force behind District Coverup, is a self taught quilter and an inspiration! Tighe’s attention to detail and love of quilting shows in each and every one of his quilts and quilted pillow covers. His creations are classic but also fresh and modern which is a win-win in our book! To know the story of how District Coverup got started is to love it and we couldn’t be happier to be Tighe’s label provider.
Introducing District Coverup!
I started District Coverup this year as a creative outlet at the beginning of the year. At the end of 2016 I decided I needed to do more things offline, and I reconnected with my love of sewing and making things with my hands. I had never tried quilting but had always loved the old quilts that my family has from my grandma and great-grandma. So, armed with countless hours of YouTube inspiration and guidance, I decided to give it a go! I made my first queen sized quilt in January 2017 (admittedly, a very ambitious first quilt).
From then I decided to try different styles and learn new skills on smaller scales -- making baby quilts for friends and then making small pillow-sized creations. My most ambitious pattern so far has been recreating Moroccan tile or zellij patterns with machine piecing. I enjoy all aspects of this type of project, from designing and planning, to stitching it all together and making it into a useful household item (tiles and fabric don’t work the same way, so you have to get creative).
I was so proud of my Moroccan tile pillow that I put all of the proceeds from my first Etsy sale into proper tags, to give my products a professional and personalized finish. The tags are simple black and white, with three stars (inspired from the DC flag) with the simple text, “Handmade by Tighe Flanagan / Washington, DC” on the reverse. I wanted these tags to be useful for all my creations, so I focused more on the maker and the location, less on the brand.
District Coverup was an idea that came to me that speaks to my city, DC. Most people think of DC in terms of politics, and scandal, so I thought coverup would be a playful reference to that aspect of this place. It also speaks to the types of things I make -- bags, slipcovers, quilts and stretched canvas art (things that literally cover our walls, pillows, beds, and homes). DC is a big inspiration for me, with the wealth of historical maps and buildings, to the growing scene of local makers and entrepreneurs. The city I live in is not so much House of Cards or Veep, but full of real people doing real things.
I’m still getting started with my online store, but eager to see where it leads me. It’s a side project now, but one day I’d love to be able to devote my energy to it full time.
I’m most active on Instagram and Twitter, and list my finished items in my Etsy shop. I’m also interested in doing custom orders or commissions, so feel free to contact me in those spaces if you have an idea you’d like me to execute for you! My personal Instagram and Twitter feature more work-in-progress posts, as well as whatever inspires me from my travels around the world.
Thanks so much for sharing Tighe!
