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Woman's Purses Have A Purpose
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Published: September 6, 2008
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DADE CITY - Here's what I love about Diana Cofield.
Someone showed her a Vera Bradley designer bag. Cofield, a purse maker of some repute in these parts, was struck by the resemblance to her own line.
"Hey, that looks like my bag!" she exclaims. "And who is this Vera Bradley, anyway?"
That prompted Cofield to do a little Internet research. Yes, Bradley is famous for her quilted fabric bags. But the similarities stop there.
"I'm not sure if I can say this or not," Cofield says, lowering her voice. "But what startles me is that hers are made in China!"
I spent an afternoon with the 74-year-old at her home in Dade City. I thoroughly enjoyed her company, but the best part was getting to watch a maestro at work.
Cofield, an Ybor City native with Cuban and Spanish heritage, has 52 years experience as a custom seamstress. She owned a couple of shops in the Tampa area and worked out of her home. Maybe someone reading this story had a wedding dress made by Cofield.
"Now that was pressure," she says with a shudder. "Sewing for the wedding party, sewing for the mother of the bride. Hard to please everyone. But purses don't complain. And they give me great pleasure to make."
These days, nearly all clothing is machine-made, en masse. Sewing on an old-fashioned Singer is a dying art.
In the small dining nook between Cofield's kitchen and living room are two Singers: a 104-year-old Prussia-made model, purchased for $50 on eBay, and a 1952 machine, a steal for $10 at a garage sale.
"They sew like a dream," she says. "I don't really care for those new-fangled ones, with all the extra doodads all over. Just give me a straight stitch and a zigzag."
Though she's retired from her day job, don't use the "R" word around her. She's still Singer-obsessed; only now, her work has a loftier mission.
For about 10 years, she's been making her doubled-quilted bags from fabric scraps, either giving them away as gifts or selling them for a small profit. That changed last year thanks to her granddaughter Olivia Montefu, then a junior at Riverview High School. The teen asked whether she could help market and sell some of the purses as a fundraiser for her spring mission trip to Brazil with her church youth group.
"My fundraising was kind of in a lull. I needed something to bring in some money," says Montefu, 17. "And those Vera Bradley bags are a big fad with the girls in my school."
Cofield's Sew Happy Creations cost about half what the designer bags do. She sells her line - which has grown to include oversized totes, backpacks, purses of all shapes and sizes, diaper bags and "hipsters" - for $25 to $45.
Better yet, she only makes two of each kind, which means buyers get a very limited edition.
Cofield thought her granddaughter's idea was fabulous. It was yet another way for Cofield to serve God through her talents. She also makes tote bags for homeless children and teaches the underprivileged how to sew through the Prime Timers Sewing Ministry at her church, First Baptist of Dade City.
A Rousing Success
She and Montefu teamed up, and word quickly spread about the bags. Montefu took orders, and her grandmother happily sewed into the wee hours of the night. She says it takes a few hours to make each bag, depending on the size.
Every tote gets the finishing touch of one of her private labels, because Cofield's husband, Dorvan, is adamant that not a single one leave the house without a Sew Happy tag. Who needs a Vera Bradley when you can have a Diana?
The partnership was a rousing success. Montefu raised a fourth of her $1,600 commitment for the nine-day trip to Curitiba, about an hour by plane from Sao Paolo. This was her third mission with Bell Shoals Baptist Church; she's gearing up to sell more Diana bags for a fourth this spring.
"My grandmother, she's a blessing," Montefu says. "Every time we talk, I find out something new and interesting about her. She's a constant reminder to me what a godly woman should be like. I just look up to her so much."
Montefu seems to be following in her grandma's path as a Christian who values service to others.
She gives up beach time and hanging at the mall every spring break for the Brazilian mission trips. She and fellow teen volunteers work with village schools, churches and orphanages, reaching children through music, dramatic presentations, sports and service projects. They put on skits about abstinence and drug awareness, share the Gospel and build relationships that continue via e-mail and photos after the Americans leave.
Yes, there's a language barrier at times, but with each return visit, her group picks up more Portuguese and their hosts speak more English.
"Sometimes, you don't always need the words," Montefu says. "We've found lots of ways to communicate - by pointing, by objects, by our smiles and hugs."
With every visit, Montefu says her life changes. She learns more about herself, about a different culture, about people who seem genuinely happy with the youth group's arrival. It's reinforced her dream of one day going to Africa to teach English.
"I get a realization of how blessed I really am. I take so many things for granted that the Lord has blessed me with that people there will never get the opportunity to experience and have in their life," she says.
Making Her Grandmother Proud
Reaching out to strangers also gives her confidence. She says it pushes her to be bold in witnessing to others.
"The training and experience I get when I go to Brazil helps me have courage and strength to share my faith back home with the people I love and see every day," she says.
We tell enough stories of troubled teens who make bad choices. Yet there are plenty of Olivias out there, stepping outside their comfort zones to make a difference in someone else's life. It's easy to see why she makes her grandmother so proud.
All the more reason to start cranking out more bags. Call them purses with a purpose.
"I was never afraid to take risks. Take a chance. It's only material," Cofield says. But more important, she says, is the directive she gets straight from the Scriptures.
"The Bible talks about hiding your talents. And if you don't use it, you lose it," she says. "So as long as I'm physically able, I'll keep on sewing. You rust if you retire completely."
And for that day when she's no longer able to stitch and zigzag, Cofield has a game plan. This summer, she bought her granddaughter her very own Touch N Sew, so the young woman might one day carry on the family tradition.
A grandmother can dream.
For information on the purses, call (352) 523-0747 or visit http://members.aol.com/sewhappytote/tote.htm.
Reporter Michelle Bearden can be reached at mbearden@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7613. See Diana at work on Michelle Bearden's "Keeping the Faith" segment Sunday morning at 9 on WFLA-TV.
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