Search Results for: art tote

Here are two samples of the new 121 bag, cobalt blue and pewter. These are each made with remnants of simply beautiful pieces of leather. The bags are approximately 9″ tall and 8″ wide with darted bottoms for extra room and a 46″ cross-body strap which can be shortened with a knot. The rounded flap is backed in black leather and closes with a magnetic snap. The bags are lined in 100% cotton, the blue from Kenya and the tan polka dot from Ireland–both glimpsed in the last photo–with a leather phone pocket. This bag will hold all your essentials for a evening out or as an extra with a larger tote. They will be in the on-line store tonight.

I’ve had a couple of requests for coated cotton pouches for travel. I spent an afternoon this week using up some remnants to make a few small makeup bags, big enough for a tooth brush and other travel essentials, but compact enough to fit in your tote. And to give a boost of colour!

From the left two striped coated cotton from Chartres, one with a lime zipper one with a cobalt one. Then two magenta flying birds with cobalt and fuchsia zippers and then I could not resist two more wonky birds. The wonky birds are lined with water-resistant orange waxed canvas. The remaining are lined with crisp blue and white striped canvas. A few of these will be in the shop very soon.

This bag is made of the same fabric you saw here, but this one is a smaller version with a cross-body strap. The brilliance of these Marimekko graphics is that they work large or small and each side of the bag provides a different colour punch. This particular bag is 14.5″ wide, 11.5″ tall and 3″ across the base. The leather trim is both recycled from a beautiful man’s coat and a new piece for the strap. Inside it has four pockets: two leather pockets for phone and keys and then two canvas pockets, one with a zipper.  More views below.

This shot shows you the interior canvas pockets with the birdbrain robin and for the first time, a leather label. I now have my own birdbrain branding iron, so all future bags will have an embossed label. Such fun!

I am leaving for a couple of weeks–but will stay in touch here. In the meantime I wanted to show you two more new bags which will be available when I come home. The first is another part-time backpack, this time in slate leather. The camera finds it hard to capture this lovely leather–it has a shimmer which lets you know it is not black, but its own neutral shade. This PTBP is larger than the first one: 12.5″ wide, 11″ tall and 4″ deep with a double leather bottom, wide leather strap, exterior zipper pocket and interior zip/slip pocket in birdbrain canvas and a leather phone pocket. This bag converts easily from cross-body to backpack and can be worn with the pocket against your back for added security.

The second bag is a Sherbrooke bag in tobacco leather. I have been using one like this and find it a great size. It has a zipper pocket outside and three repurposed leather pockets inside. Height 9.5″, width 9.5″ with a long adjustable strap. A perfect day bag which can easily slip inside a tote if you like. High quality zippers and hardware.

This cartoon appeared in the Globe and Mail on Monday. The sketch really captures the wistful feelings I have at summer’s end, even though I am not going back to school, or even to a fixed schedule. The feeling comes with Labour Day.  And then Jian’s piece yesterday with which he began the fall season is an important reminder of  ‘the sombre summer’ many people experienced.

So it’s with all that in my mind that I’ve been working in the studio. It is what I love about studio work; my hands and part of my brain are busy, but I can listen and process while I work. It’s activity that allows, even encourages reflection. I’ve decided to do a series of bags. Usually I make a ‘one-off’, a version of a previous one, maybe, but with enough variation that I am starting afresh each time. I made a blue bucket bag (out of this leather) and I like the proportions so well I decided to make a couple more. I’m varying some of the details, but the proportions are the same. Here is the first, the Blueberry Bucket:

This bag is made from durable pebbly leather, has a front inset zipper pocket, and three slip pockets inside. It is lined in striped red canvas, has metal hardware, including protective feet on the base, and an adjustable strap which can be worn cross-body or over one shoulder.  It measures 10″ high, 13″ wide and is 4″ deep. It will be in the shop tomorrow.