I am filling orders, making my own Christmas presents and generally keeping busy. Here is the second 1510 backpack ready for the mail. It is modelled on the first one, but with an added carry strap on the back. It is lined in moss waxed canvas, has three inside pockets and a zipper pocket on the outside. Antique brass hardware including a key clip inside. It is 13″ wide and 12″tall with a 4″ base.
Below are a few more shots of it. Now working on one in black which I am loving.
I’ve been working in the studio for the last couple of days while listening to podcasts of Eleanor Wachtel’s Writers and Company. Great radio, great company. Here are a few shots of the bags in process. 
I had an order for a low-profile black bag, with a flash of hidden colour, 10″ x 8″ x 2″ with good storage and a cross body strap. And here it is, made of black bison and lined in bright pink leather and pink and orange batik. It has a zippered pocket on the back and a zip/slip pocket inside as well as a leather phone pocket. This bag features no hardware, save the magnetic catch–the simple stitching keeps the bag simple and elegant. A great small day bag for your essentials, or transitions perfectly for an evening out.
I was delighted the bird pouches flew out of the online store with more orders that followed. I have filled the orders and made another batch, but these are all for now. Here they are all together so you can get a sense of the design variety. This is the same coated canvas with water-resistant linings. They will be in the on-line store by Tuesday, but if you see one you love, just send me a note describing it and I’ll save it for you.
There are six in the first group. These are all lined in orange waxed canvas and are approximately 6″ high and 7″ wide with natural zippers and orange leather pull tabs.
And here is the reverse side of the ones above.
There is a pair with orange zippers, also lined in orange wax canvas. 6.5″ x 7″
And finally a pair with red zippers. lined with crisp blue and white striped material. 8″ x 5.5″. I love all of these wonky birds, but this trio is my favourite. They just make me smile.
I have been working on this design for a while in collaboration with its new owner. It is made with a remnant piece of gorgeous leather–how I wish I had more of it–and fastens with a repurposed Diesel belt. This is a full-time backpack lined in moss green waxed canvas. It is 12″ tall, 13″ wide and 3.5 inches deep. There is a zippered pocket tucked securely on the back, and three pockets inside: a leather phone pocket and two more, one of them zipped. The bag does up with a leather drawstring as well as magnetic closures and the leather strap. All the seams are doubly stitched and the bottom is reinforced with a second piece of leather. The bag will wear well.
I am happy with this design and plan to make more out of other leather. If you are interested, let me know.
I have finally begun to fill the orders that are waiting. This Keller bag is designed to be a compact size, yet still hold an ipad. It is made of leather from a man’s jacket with lots of life left. This bag is understated, a durable everyday bag with minimal hardware. It’s only when you look inside that you see some verve–crisp blue and white stripes. The bag sports a large outside zippered pocket, inside phone pocket and reinforced bottom with feet, as well as an adjustable cross-body strap. It measures 13″ wide, 12″ high and 4″ deep.
It is Friday before Thanksgiving and I am doing some preserving (tomato butter, recipe here) some cooking (squash soup) and some baking (carrot cake with the essential cream cheese icing for #1 son’s birthday). The markets are bursting with wonderful produce and it is such a pleasure to cook with vegetables grown in our own neighbourhood.
Like so many homes in Canada this Thanksgiving, our place will be full of family. And we have lots to be thankful for. But as all this goes on, I am also designing a new bag, a backpack. I have a remnant of beautiful caramel leather and I’m juggling the pieces to make it work. I’ve been fooling around with this design in my head for a while, my first with grommets, and talking to its potential owner about what she needs in a backpack. Here you can see I’ve joined two pieces to make the body the size I need to have a 4-5″ base and an overall height of 12 inches.
And finally some decisions this morning. An exterior pocket for phone will be on the back of the bag, a secure spot. The lining will be moss waxed canvas. And I think I have enough leather to make the flap, the straps and to have a double bottom. May line the flap with recycled leather as I did in the last bag–it is lighter in weight and adds a nice contrast. I find this juggling with not quite enough leather often results in design decisions I would not normally have come to, usually for the better. Once I get the cake in the oven, I’m going to do some practice grommets…
And on another note, I received these lovely photos yesterday. The KD Delta is now in Victoria BC and getting good use. 
This is a first for Birdbrain, a unisex messenger bag. This one is designed specifically to fit a 7″x10.5″ tablet. It is made of mahogany leather, a great weight with a mildly distressed finish, the same as used in this tote. This messenger bag has an air of efficiency, slim and light, ready to be carried in to a meeting, or worn cross-body on your bike. Tablet, papers, phone and pencil as well as passport and boarding pass all tuck inside.
It has a simple flap with magnetic closures and is lined in orange waterproof waxed canvas. There is a front zippered pocket for valuables and a slip pocket inside for additional belongings. Hardware is low profile brushed metal. 
All stitching is reinforced and there is a double leather bottom for extra strength. The shoulder strap is adjustable. This messenger bag has been designed and made as a special order, but other orders are welcome. Just use the contact button on the right, under Navigation.
Meet the latest Keller bag made from same green leather as you saw here and here. As you know, I am a very small design/sewing enterprise and most things are single-run (made from recycled leather like this one) or single hide where I can maybe get two or three bags from the same piece of leather. So this is the last of this green leather and a special order. I know it is not at all clear how to order bags on the blog and I plan to work on that when we are home from Ireland.
This bag is 12″ wide, 13″ tall and 4″ deep with an adjustable cross-body strap, an exterior zipper pocket and three pockets inside. It has a double bottom and reinforced seams for strength. It is lined with green/gold wax print cotton from Kenya. This is a hard colour to capture in a photo; the bottom shot taken last night on the deck is closest to the right shade.
The KD Delta bag is finished and soon will be on its way. This bag is 17″ wide, 13″ tall and has a depth of 5.5″. It has two ways to carry it: a removable and adjustable cross-body strap as well as padded carry handles reinforced with rivets. The outside has a pocket with magnetic closure and inside there is a leather phone pocket and canvas zip/slip pocket. The bottom is well reinforced: double leather on the outside and durable waxed canvas inside. It is big enough for a lap top, or would make a great weekend bag. The bag closes securely with a durable metal zipper and inside is bright blue and brown patterned cotton from the Bodo market in Kenya. 
