For Samantha Wong, sewing was a creative outlet for her while working in a demanding full-time job. She quit her job and started to find herself as she explored designing and creating Asian-inspired felt food for her toddler to play with. This has turned into her small business.
How did you get started designing Asian-inspired felt food?
I started sewing felt food a few years back as handmade gifts for two little boys I knew celebrating birthdays in the same month.
They were mixed Asians like me and I wanted to make a felt bok choy to go with the carrots, cabbage and beets I made but I struggled to find a sewing pattern for one.
I didn’t have any experience making my own patterns at the time so it wasn’t until after I gave birth to my son a couple of years later that I decided to give it a try. It looked a bit like a baseball with leaves sprouting out the top but I was pretty proud of it as my first attempt. I occasionally made other felt foods like ginger and mooncake but it was purely for fun.
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Fast forward 2 years, I quit my job in Tech after becoming depressed and burnt out and decided to give felt food another try as I focused on healing my mental health. Surprisingly in the process, I started to find myself again.
I made a much more realistic bok choy (which I now sell the pattern for) and suddenly ideas were popping up in my head on other foods I could try to create.
I went online and still mostly saw patterns for dumplings and sushi but I really wanted to change how Asian culture was represented in crafting and imaginative play so I decided to start YumSumCha Designs.
When did you first realize you are a creative person?
As long as I can remember, I’ve always had creative hobbies. When I was really young, I wanted to be a fashion designer and I used to draw clothes I wanted to wear as a grown up. Then as a teenager, I wanted to be a make-up artist so I used to watch YouTube tutorials and read make-up books and loved experimenting with eye make up when I went out.
I loved costume parties and eventually got into cosplay and even made my own cosplays for a short time.
Creativity also shows up in how I problem solve in my work and as a mum, so it’s more than enjoying arts and crafts.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
I am a foodie and I love to cook so I get a lot of inspiration naturally from the food we love to eat, cook, and grow. Sometimes I ask my Asian friends what kind of play food they would love to see their kids play with.
I also draw a lot of inspiration from other artists, food vloggers, and my past experiences traveling around Asia.
How did it feel when you sold your first pattern?
I was elated! It was also so validating that I sparked curiosity in someone else with something I made with so much heart in it.
Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?
In a past life I was an event manager so planning is how I learned how to organize my work and my life.
However, after working in a tech startup and then becoming a mum and now solopreneur, I’ve had to learn to be a lot more flexible with my time and be comfortable with pivoting, so I can test the waters before making a deep dive into a project.
Sometimes if I have an idea for a felt food in mind but I don’t know where to start, I’ll either start drawing on paper or get some foam clay and start moulding before I start creating a sewing pattern.
Do you have a dedicated space for creating? If so, what does it look like?
I have all of my craft supplies in our spare bedroom which we’ve made into an office but it’s fairly dark in there. If I need to film a video tutorial, I’ll temporarily set up a table in our living area so I can catch the natural light. I say temporary because we live in a small house, and my son takes over most of the living room with his toys, so I need to improvise sometimes.
Do you use a sketchbook, journal, or technology to plan or keep track of ideas? How does that help your work develop?
I keep a couple of notebooks around the house for when I need to jot down ideas or to keep a to-do list.
I like to write down my ideas so I can come back to them as I do some more research or mull over it a bit more. There’s something very satisfying about pen and paper that typing just can’t replace.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
I’m currently working on my first DIY kits and my first collection is going to be dim sum – egg tarts, siu mai, shrimp dumplings, and the cutest piggy custard bao.
I looked up photos of the foods and also went to a dim sum restaurant (perks of researching felt food!) then started sketching some ideas. I decided to use wool blend felt from Benzie Design as I’ve found their felt to be such great quality, it doesn’t pill over time, and the colors are much closer to what real food looks like.
I created a prototype with cheaper acrylic felt and then filmed my video tutorials with the same wool blend felt that I provide in the kits. I want my tutorials to be easy to follow and so I go through everything step-by-step with tips and tricks in my voiceover to make it feel like I’m right there crafting alongside you.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I love every part of the design process! It lights me up creating something from nothing and seeing it come together.
What’s challenging is deciding what other people would really want to make as some projects are a labor of love and not everyone can invest that kind of time. I am going to offer a limited quantity of finished products so there’s an opportunity for anyone to diversify their kid’s play kitchen.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
It can be challenging at times keeping myself motivated when I’m doing everything by myself but I’ve recently joined a couple of online communities with other creatives and entrepreneurs which I’ve been able to get a lot of support from.
I also love seeing my son’s reactions to my latest creations and how it expands his vocabulary and his understanding of the world.
How do you balance your personal life, work and creative endeavors?
It’s very easy for me to get engrossed in work now but after burning out once, I know I need to take better care of my mind and my body.
I try to do regular exercise and do some yoga or rest when things get overwhelming. Balance looks different every day and I’m learning to be ok with that.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
If you have a dream in mind or something you really want to do, try saying it out loud to someone. Taking it out of your head and putting it out into the universe can make it feel so much more real and can even open doors you didn’t know were there.
Where can people see your work?
You can find my Asian-inspired felt food sewing patterns and DIY kits at yumsumchadesigns.com and join my mailing list for sneak peeks and musings as a solopreneur. You can also follow me on Instagram and check out my free video tutorials on my YouTube channel.
Interview posted May 2025
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