Handbag Designer, Blogger, Petite Apparel Maker
Guess what the next major holiday is? VALENTINE'S DAY. Yeah, it's already almost here, so I put some Valentine's inspired bags on etsy!
Three new little coin purses:
New Gift Card Holders and Mini Bags:
And for those who aren't into all that pink frilly valentine's day-y things:
All bags here!
I'm waiting on a hardware order to make some new bags. I'm also testing out a few different vinyl fabrics for my new crossbodys. Lots of sewing coming up!
I'm super excited to show off these bags I've been working on!
I got lucky this summer when I spotted a crate full of fabric swatch books at a large rummage sale. These books were smaller than I've gotten before but had such great fabrics I couldn't pass them up- and for $1 each, I really couldn't leave any behind.
I had no idea what to do with them, so they sat in my room for months. I was constantly thinking about what bag could be made out of a swatch so small. I kept thinking to do something patchwork, but that would be too time consuming. Then the thought of a coin purse came into my mind. I could make it small enough, I would be able to work with hardware I've never used before and it seemed to be a fairly simple make.
It took a few paper patterns and multiple mock ups to finalize this bag but I am SO HAPPY with how these came together. The purse pattern is just big enough to fit on the swatch so each one takes two swatches. I've lined these with leftover fabric from another project and interfaced all pieces, making this bag able to hold its shape.
I've already made a hand full of these guys and listed them on etsy. I'll be making more in the coming weeks as well.
Back in September I put my etsy shop on vacation mode before my trip to Arizona. I kept "vacation" on because I didn't feel like etsy was going anywhere and I just didn't have the time to devote to it. A few weeks ago, I went live again! I finally had the time to make new items and re-list some old bags.
I made four new recycled clutches. These guys are made from old fabric swatches from a local store, feature an inside pocket and a turn lock closure.
I also made two of these clutches in non-recycled materials because I fell in love with the fabrics.
This awesome tote is made from recycled wool and some red pleather from mood.
If you are giving a gift card this holiday season, you should give in it something pretty 😉
These wristlets are back, with some new ones added in the mix.
There are many more bags in my shop, AND I made a new bag, which should be up next week! Here's a sneak peak…
I feel like a have a small panic attack anytime I think about etsy. I try so hard to have great pictures and descriptions but still don't seem to get very far. If you have any awesome etsy tips, I would love to hear them!
And if you have a moment, follow me on etsy! And if you have a shop, let me know! I would love to see what you make.
The last apron in my collection is the craft apron! I love this apron because it has FOUR pockets so there is a lot of room for pens, notepads, a cell phone, and anything else you may need to carry around.
My mom wears hers when she is at the farmers market to have everything on hand.
Details:
Each denim pocket : 5" wide, 7" deep.
Fabric pocket on front : 3.5" x 4.5"
Apron top to bottom: 13.5"
Top length:13"
Bottom length: 17.25"
Straps 30.5" each
On etsy!
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Today I'm introducing the Full Apron! One of the more practical aprons I mentioned yesterday.
I tweaked this pattern multiple times to get the top to lay just right and am really happy with the final result.
See the ruffle apron and fabric details here!
Bodice: 8.5" x 8.5"
Waistband: 18"
Skirt: 16" long
Pocket : 3.5" x 4.5" ( fits an iphone)
Neck ties and back ties: 29" long
Available on etsy!
I've been working on my aprons for about a year now and they are finally ready to be released! I have three designs in my mini collection so I thought I would give them each their own post. First apron I'm sharing is the ruffle apron.
I designed this apron a few years ago for my mom. She wanted a cute apron to wear at farmers markets and needed a small pocket for her phone. This was the result! Out of the collection, this is the "fun" apron. The other two are a little more practical (still cute though) and I'll show them over the next few days.
A little note about the fabric. All the printed cotton is from Monaluna, an organic fabric company. This fabric is stunning. I had been searching for pretty, colorful and fun organic prints and didn't find what I was looking for until this collection.
Now the details:
From the top of waistband to bottom of last tier, 15.5".
Pocket 3.5 x 4.5"
Length of waistband 18.5"
Back ties, 31" long, each.
Now available on etsy!
See those teeny stitches? Can you see how pretty they are? I'm a little crazy when it comes to quality control. If a line of stitching isn't acceptable, I rip it out. Sometimes it happens multiple times. While this may take extra time, I'm not just selling a bag. I'm selling my skill and talent that has taken years of work to get to where I am. I take so much pride in each piece that comes off my sewing machine. This is just one of the reasons I sew: to create something beautiful.
New bags in the making.
A new tote is on my ironing board this week. I haven't had the chance to sew for Mini Pip much so I'm making some new product for the shop!
Wow, bad blogger over here! These few weeks have (of course) been crazy. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday, the work load is really hitting me. But I do have some exciting news! I will now be an official full time employee at Anthro! I'm so excited for this change because I've worked really hard to get to this point. But that isn't the reason I'm posting.
My new handbag collection is up on etsy! I fell in love with this fabric collection the first time I saw it and have been hoarding it for years waiting for the moment to use it. This fabric has fantastic colors and designs.
My bags on etsy
When I was trying to name the collection, the vibe I got from this was Folk. I pulled some inspirational photos that I wanted to share!
Folk really comes from the color and detail in design. It's a little "homey" with a touch of ethnic and so bold it really captures your attention.
These little prints by Beci Orpin are so cute!
{The last print comes from here}
My new wristlet has an improved wrist band. The previous wristlets I made had a wider band, so I made it a little longer and skinnier.
Go check them out!
On my ironing board tonight. The first bags from my favorite fabrics. Hope to get some photos of these this weekend.
follow me on instagram: @trish_mcl
trish stitched 