Here are a few glimpses of the last bag of 2013, the Rugged Grosvenor. It is made of a remnant piece of upholstery leather with lots of character. I find I enjoy working with limited material–it makes me look at the design in a new way. I have made two other Grosvenor totes, but this one is my new favourite. The fittings are brass. The pockets are many. A great travel bag for sure. 
This is another modification of the basic Keller bag. This one is not as tall and has an extra exterior pocket behind the zippered pocket. I think this will prove to be a useful and comfortable day bag. The pocket extends to a double bottom, making the bag very sturdy. Inside are two of my favourites: the great checked lining and the wwwdot birdbrain graphics on a double pocket.
This bag is made to specifications for someone very special. It is the third bag of this leather, one of the most beautiful and largest hides I have ever used. I like to use recycled pieces but every once in a while something comes along that I know I want to work with. And there is enough left for two or three more. Meanwhile this one is wrapped and under the tree.
Two new Friday pouches in two sizes are in the on-line store. The top one is a great leather, a kind of black/green, which was a skirt in a former life and the bottom one is a larger size in the traditional black with pebbly pocket. These pouches are made of recycled leather, have an exterior zippered pocket and an interior slip pocket as well as a removable wrist strap. Great on their own to hold your essentials on a Friday night or on another day, thrown in a larger bag. Lined with the Montreal striped fabric. 
Here is a great versatile tote. The outside is white screen printing on black denim with recycled leather bottom, sides and pocket. It is lined with canoe canvas, a very sturdy weight, so this tote is set to carry all you could want. The leather handles are sewn in twice and then riveted for extra strength. There are two ample pockets inside, one screen printed canvas, wide and deep enough for your ipad, the other a slip pocket recycled from a leather jacket. This tote is taller and narrower than the others of its kind and the perfect candidate for a shoulder strap. A super comfortable strap of wide webbing snaps on to tabs on the side, but can easily be removed. As I said in an earlier post, I have test-driven a tote of this group and found it well up to the task of carrying my travel and shopping needs. The metal zipper closing keeps all your belongings safe.
I feel like I have been sewing for months, but do see the pile finally dwindling. I love making things. I am not complaining in the least. But it is time for a break. This is one of the last orders– a new turquoise Keller. It is finished and on its way to a someone very patient and understanding. I hope she finds that it is a good fit for her lifestyle and that the colour and design give her pleasure. This is roughly the same bag with a couple of additions. Inside, you will see a leather tab with ring for keys as well as a zippered pocket. The flash of orange inside attached to the ring is an additional key chain. The strap is a little wider and a little longer. But overall it is the same Keller Bag, a great bag with ample room inside and a generous outer zippered pocket. It has a double bottom with metal studs to help it wear well. Here are a few more shots of it including that great lining from Kenya.
My pile of orders is dwindling finally. Today I am making another turquoise Keller bag for a special order. This is the second bag out of this beautiful leather and I think I may have enough left for a smaller shoulder bag. The lining is a piece of wax cotton from the market in Kisumu, Kenya. To me, it evokes the Homa Hills around Lake Victoria and is a perfect lining for the turquoise leather. This bag will have a zipper pocket on the inside as well as one on the outside. You can see the beginnings of the bag above.
Last weekend in Montreal we attended several shows, one of which involved Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs. There were many great vendors there including Afriqua Wax. Here is what I brought home, 6 yards of Vlisco Wax Block Print. I love the complexity of the colours and the design and can already see it lining some new bags.
I have made bags to order before, but this is the first time I have had such a wonderful graphic to follow. As I mentioned yesterday, we were in Montreal for four days, but I am now back and finishing up my Christmas orders. This one is for a special person–another Jan– I enjoyed making it, even being held to account for such precision.
The Jan II is made from pebbly red leather and lined with canvas screen printed with birdbrain graphics. It is small and light and yet durable. As instructed, it has a pocket inside with a zipper closing and an adjustable strap. I have been using my own version of this which is just a little bigger and I find it a perfect day bag. I hope Jan likes this one!
We were in Montreal for four days and I was able to give my new tote a thorough test drive. We loaded it up with all our purchases each day and it didn’t flinch. It is wide and deep, lined with durable canoe canvas with straps riveted and sewn–so it stood up to all the tests–even transporting une tarte aux bluets without incident!
I love Montreal and we were able to take in several design shows as well as enjoy the cuisine and the landscape. I put more pictures on instagram–the button is under Navigation on the right. Below is a shot from Dog&Pony’s amazing hobby horses made from recycled fabric. We saw these at the Smart Design Show and there are many more photos of great things at this link.
This is a new design and I liked it so well, I made one for myself. This one is made from a remnant I bought from a cordonnier or shoe designer in Montreal. This is a compact bag which is easy to carry, but still holds all you need. It has a generous outer pocket and a canvas interior pocket and an adjustable strap so it can be worn cross-body or shortened to position it just under your arm for those times you want it to be in your total control. The strap also unclips and you can use the Sherbrooke as a fold-over clutch. Very versatile. The colour of this leather is mahogany — a great neutral. You can find it in the on-line store.
When I was in France with my friend Anne last fall, we bought some wonderful basque canvas in Chartres. I found one last piece in my bins of fabric, enough to make one final tote. I love the bright colours, especially combined with the beautiful red leather on the bottom, straps and pocket. This is a good size, 16″wide, 15″ tall and 5″ deep, and is lined with canoe canvas, so it is sturdy enough to carry many things. Inside there is a triple canvas pocket and it closes securely with a metal zipper. Great for travel or for using every day. A flash of the colours of the south of France.
