Welcome to A Tiny Suitcase! My name is Jaimarie. I love sewing and fashion. I used to be in the film and fashion businesses but my body had other plans for me and mid career I got diagnosed with a painful disease called Endometriosis. I’ve made some changes since then, and ran a fun family travel blog from where we lived in Nassau, Bahamas until the pandemic sideswiped all of our lives. Through it all I have loved to sew and make clothes.
I’m the Mom of a little girl who is the muse for my clothing line, and wife of an Englishman named Nick.
I worked as a fashion model and an actress since I was a young teenager (tv, film, runway & print – IMDB) and my love of fashion bloomed from there. I have admired modern and vintage fashion designers since I was a child, especially beautiful fabrics and clothing. I have loved to sew for many years but after quite a few life changes (my Endometriosis diagnosis and moving to another country amongst other things), sewing became my solace. No matter what I could dream up, I could make it (or at least try to!).
First, it was small things like Christmas stockings for our family, then garments for me, then costumes and dresses for my daughter. No matter where I was, I always was taking classes and learning from the best. I have had some amazing international teachers! Years before I was born, my parents had a handbag and clothing line so it was in my blood from the beginning. Now I am working on my degree in Fashion Design and have my own line of children’s wear coming soon (see the ATS Store page).
Previously, I wrote a travel column for a women’s magazine as well as a few different styles of travel blogs and columns. Traveling frequently for work, moving to Bahamas, (New Providence) and to visit our family internationally (they are spread out on multiple continents now), I became quite knowledgeable at the best/easiest/most user friendly ways to travel. Then I learned how to do it with a baby. That changed everything, and is where “A Tiny Suitcase” was born.
About 10 years ago I was finally diagnosed with Endo. I spent many many years before that in incredible pain and years of misdiagnosis. It made the very long hours on sets of tv and films impossible for me and is the reason I left filming. Many young women suffer from this disease, often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. I have included a section on here with information about my journey with it and can hopefully make this disease more known and talked about. See my Endo page for more about it.
A Tiny Suitcase is built around all of theses loves of mine and the goal of “making it all fit”. I have done a lot of things in my career and life and this is my one place to blend it all. My baby daughter that this website was made in mind for is now a little girl and I’m learning so much everyday. I hope you and your whole family come back often and find something you are interested in here!
xoxo
A Tiny Suitcase
