08 June 10
Maybe for sale after all
I happen to have found this very fabric and just may be able to purchase enough to make a few bags just like this after all. I’m going to mull it over and see if I want to duplicate this (bag-making is emotional people) for sale. I’m leaning toward a very strong maybe. Now if the wrist strap hooks can easily be found, I’m definitely selling this bag. I need to figure out what the true cost would be before creating a price, but I’m hoping to keep it affordable.
07 June 10
Wedding Clutches
Not mine, obviously. But I’m so proud of them, and so happy to have something new to show off, that I had to put up even a crappy picture of one.
This bag was made for a friend and is a custom order. The fabrics represented are in the bridesmaids dresses, so they will be a bit matchy at the wedding, but afterward, I could see someone using this clutch with a casual to semi-dress outfit.
Starting on Saturday I started cutting out scrap fabric and mocking it up. I tried it in three different sizes before I got something that seemed to have the right balance. I knew the width I wanted the center panel to be. Any narrower and the buckle just looked out of scale. Any wider and the buckle seemed ineffective. With that as my constant design-wise, I played around to find the perfect height of the bag. I wanted something that fit right in a hand, but that could also be held by the corner.
There is a zipper under the flap to keep all of the contents truly secure, so the gold-tone buckle is purely for show, but I really, really like it. I’ve had them for years and always imagined they’d be on a clutch but couldn’t quite get them to work. I think this solves that problem.
When I made the prototype bag I was using a faux-suede for the body (the solid red part) and a polyester satin for the flap and the stripe. It came out great, or so I thought. I like the prototype bag enough to use it myself, actually. But, I took the same measurements and went to make the bag out of the Thai silk and linen light-weight canvas print. And that’s when I realized I’d made an error in judgment. Faux suede + polyester satin ≠ Thai silk + canvas-weight linen. Which means that the measurements for the zipper, the height of the flap, the corner curve angle. the placement of the buckle, and the measurements of the lining weren’t matching up. Which means I pretty much spent two days making a pattern, just to spend today making it again and then making 3 complete bags.
But in the end, despite my lapse in judgment (and we won’t talk about the 2 hours I spent ripping stitches because I was lacking in enough fabric to start over) I’m really happy and proud of how these came out and I think the woman giving them as gifts will like them as well. The wedding is in a few weeks, so I’ll hopefully get to show off how they look in person. There’s one bridesmaid in particular that I’m really hoping likes it. She’s kinda girly retro punk-rock and I think this may be rock-a-billy enough to make her happy.
Comment [1]
27 April 10
The Liberty Waxed Canvas Bag in Burgundy
This bag is now available for sale on Etsy or you can click the Buy Now button below. The price going forward will be $100. It’s the most expensive bag I’ve sold that isn’t custom, but the materials used in the bag are more expensive and the construction is more complicated and requires more time to construct.
I’m particularly happy with the new pocket flap design and the closure that makes the bag adjustable. The pockets can be opened and closed with one hand. The tongue and groove closure will keep the contents secure if the bag tips over or you place it on it’s side. However, the lack of hardware means that the bag is lighter and the pockets can be overstuffed a bit.
And speaking of overstuffing, the magnetic closure is now adjustable and constructed differently than it was previously. This makes it possible to overstuff the bag a bit. And the raised design means it is easier to sanp and unsnap the closure with one hand. Cause not only do we like lotsa pockets here at Poise.cc, but we also like convenience and multi-tasking. Oh, yes we do.
Comment [1]
01 April 10
April Charity of the Month: Harpswell Foundation
The mission of the Harpswell Foundation is to provide housing, education, and leadership training for children and young women in the developing world.
Since April happens to be Genocide Awareness Month, and since I’ve admired the work that Anne Elizabeth Moore has done regarding genocide in Cambodia and the Harpswell Foundation, I have decided to donate $20 from the sale of each bag I sell during the month of April to Harpswell Foundation.
Thanks to the generous matching grant program offered by my employer, I’ll be able to have them match each $20 donation I make, which increases the total going to Harpswell to $40. But! wait there’s more! The Jay Pritzker Foundation with Dan and Karen Pritzker are matching all donations Harpswell receives this year. So this translates to:
You buy 1 bag.
I donate $20 to Harpswell and fill out a matching grant form.
My employer matches that donation.
The Pritzkers match those two donations which means that $80 makes its way to Harpswell Foundation.
Harpswell has a great list of what they will be able to do with the funds they receive. I’m duplicating it below, but it is available on their donation page.
* A donation of $150 will pay for a teacher’s salary in Tramung Chrum for six months. * A donation of $300 will pay for a year’s food for one woman in the Leadership Center. * A donation of $375 will pay for a year’s college tuition. * A donation of $1000 will pay for a year’s health care for Tramung Chrum. * A gift of $1300 will pay for a year’s internet costs in the Leadership Center. * A gift of $5000 will pay for a year’s 24-hour security service in the Leadership Center. * A gift of $500,000 will pay for half the endowment of the new dormitory and leadership center and will entitle you to name the building
So that’s the “what” and the “how”, but here’s the “why”. Why Harpswell Foundation and why these women.
I owe a great deal of gratitude to Anne for my knowledge and awareness of issues related to women in Cambodia. In 2007, Anne traveled to Cambodia to document what it was like to teach women in Cambodia how to make zines. It seemed like an odd Westernized idea to present to a group of women who were living in a country where I knew freedom of the press didn’t exist. But as I began to read more about how little these women knew about their country’s history, how little it was discussed among the population, not to mention the media or in school, as I realized there was only one dormitory in the entire country for female college students to live in (there are now other options, but Harpswell runs two dorms), as I began to think back about how empowered and encouraged I felt when I was of college-age and reading zines and how I’d seen the following generations grow empowered and encouraged reading blogs, I understood exactly why Anne’s work in a country like Cambodia was important.
She recently did a question and answer session and has graciously posted the dialogue on her website. I encourage you to read it.
But it really is more personal than just hearing about an organization doing great work. It’s about seeing a bit of myself in the words of these women in another country whose life situation and abilities are drastically different from my own. I was also a poor young woman who was lucky enough to attend university classes and become acquainted with ideas and classroom experiences that changed the core of my being. But even more than that, I had a woman who came into my life by chance who explained the basics of feminism to me, gave me zines to read, and my broadening world view blew up. I remember reading the personal story of a woman who didn’t share her real name in a photocopied and stapled set of pages. And I felt connected to this stranger. And, even more importantly, I began to feel that my words might also affect someone else I’d never meet.
I wrote text that I intended to turn into a zine, but I never did. I wanted to, but it just seemed so intimidating. And now as woman in her late 30s who has a HUGE network of people she’s met through the internet, who’s life has changed and expanded because of this socialization tool and through reading the words of women I’ll never meet, I see that in these women in Cambodia. And I want to help that influence increase and spread. I want these women to have more opportunities to change their world and to stand as mentors for other women, the way I had a feminist mentor, and the way that Anne has been a mentor, an educating force. Everyone deserves to have that encouraging and educating force in their lives. And women who had an encourage and educating force deserve the opportunity to pay it forward. I believe that Harpswell Foundation has created an environment where this force can continue.
And, as I look at the images on their website, and I see these smiling young women, I can hear them giggling and talking. Just like the college-aged women I encounter in Chicago. It may be egotistical to think so, but I imagine that they’d be delighted to know that someone else’s desire for or gift of a bag would enable them to continue in their education. But it’s true. And even if you can’t purchase a bag, don’t like the bags I have, I encourage you to make your own donation.
01 March 10
March is National Women's History Month
I think we should incorporate women in history throughout all 12 months, but I know that this doesn’t happen frequently enough, so we have a month where teachers, news media, bloggers, writers, historians, and more focus on women who have done great things in history. It’s a great way to be reminded that women have really helped shape the way the world is now, for good and for bad.
If you’re a teacher or a writer and you’re looking for more information about women and their role in history, I think the first place you should start looking is at the National Women’s History Project. This 30 year old organization is focusing on writing women back into history, getting them included throughout the discussion, and not just as a sidebar or footnote or a once a year discussion. In 1980 less than 3% of teacher training textbooks mentioned the role women played in history. There are more than 116,000,000 sites on Google that come up when you search “women history”. I think that has to be a vast improvement. And if you’re interested in taking a quiz to see how much you do know about women in history, they have one. I did much worse than I expected, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
But I’m interested in focusing on the future right now. I want to thank all of the women who have done something that has made someone utter the phrase “for the first time in history, a woman”. They deserve our gratitude, our honor, and our respect. Whether that woman is a suffragette who was starved and beaten because she wanted to vote, or a young Japanese Olympiad named Mao Asada who got the silver, and a spot in history.
I didn’t watch much of the Olympics, but as I sat there hearing the giddy announcers “the first woman in Olympics history” I was reminded how even now, in 2010, there are women who are doing things for the first time. And we need to hear about them now so they make their way into the history books later. We need to hear about them now so they are honored, respected, and thanked now.
This is why I’ve decided to choose Women In Media & News as my March donation organization for Poise.cc. During the month of March, for every bag I sell, I will donate $20 to WIMN (clever, eh?). Thankfully I work for a company with a great matching funds plan, so I’ll be able to get that $20 matched. This means that if you buy a bag, I’ll donate $20 and my company will match it so that $40 goes to help WIMN.
WIMN has four goals. They have a database of female experts for journalists to tap into. So all those journalists who say things like “I just don’t know any women economists”, you can send them to WIMN instead of smacking them. They also have a large group of media-savvy women who critique news coverage of women as well as coverage that doesn’t include women but should. They provide education about the media. Jenn Pozner, the executive director, is an engaging and hilarious speaker who travels all over the country giving lectures at schools and organizations about how media can cover women better and how organizations can challenge their local media if they don’t cover women. And they also help conferences who want to include more women. So all those people who notice that Conference X or Y doesn’t have any female speakers should send the organizers to WIMN.
So this donation focus is two-fold. Not only do I get to honor an organization run by women I support and admire by supporting them financially through my creative small business, but I also get to encourage people to seek out the services of this organization. WIMN is a valuable resource, a necessary resource, for March and every month of the year.
10 February 10
The Liberty Waxed Canvas Bag
About a year ago I made a custom bag for a friend’s sister as a gift. I was happy with the bag, and she’s worn it non-stop for a year and aside from a little wear on the cotton lining, the bag seems to be holding up remarkably well. I decided to modify just a couple of things on the bag and make it available for general sale. I made the prototype from the new pattern, put it on Etsy and it sold within a few hours. I’d hoped it would sell, but I didn’t expect it to sell that quickly.
So I have several more cut out and I’ll be adjusting just a few things on the next bags I make. For example, the pockets on the front of the bag. I like these below, but I think if you’re someone who would carry around a lot of smaller items that are possibly expensive you may want a pocket that seals. However if you do carry a notebook and a Powerbook cord then these would be the perfect size for you.
I still need to work out the details, but I’m thinking that a smaller flap with a closure is ideal. Zippers are nice but I’m not sure they create the look I’m after. I’ll likely end up making a flap with a magnetic snap to close it. It’s not the perfect solution that I’m looking for, but for now I think it will work.
I also need to work out the price on this. I want to keep it as affordable as possible. But the more pieces of hardware I add to the bag, the more expensive it becomes. And the magnetic snaps are the only non-American made materials I use in these bags so I’d like to keep the number that I use down. Until I can find an American supplier, I want to use as few as I can. If only I had the resources to know if the plant that made these snaps truly was sweatshop free.
And best of all, I think I’ve finally created a “man” bag. Finally!
Comment [6]
24 January 10
From Old Coat to a New Bag
This coatbecame this bag.
I’m honestly so wickedly proud of this that I cried a bit when I finished it. Not only do I feel like I kept the personality of the coat pretty successfully, but I feel like I gave new life to her old coat. A new life to add to the old life that the coat experienced, not take it away.
There were five buttons on the original coat. I wanted to use all of the buttons on the bag in a way that provided either structure or design, or preferably both. There are two buttons on the left side of the bag, one over each seam. There is one button on the right side of the bag. There is one button holding the flap of each pocket on the side closed. Because the number of buttons along the top of the bag is different on the left and right side, Rachel will be able to tell which way the zipper is pointed just by feeling her bag. A subtle distinction, but an important one for someone who rides public transit frequently and needs to make sure her bag is as secure as possible.
I decided to use shiny gold accents instead of antiqued brass accents because I really wanted them to stand out from the metal buttons. I got these rings in New York and I love them. They’re fantastic and I think they really make this bag shine.
You can see the single button, the flaps holding the side pockets closed, the single seam on the right side, the gathers at the bottom and the pleats at the top. The gathering really makes the bag hold as much as possible.
This is the side pocket. These pockets existed on the original coat. The edges were worn through in parts so I made a new edge. To make the pockets a little more secure, I created these flaps which also permitted me to use these buttons.
This is what the pocket looks like with the flap open.
The original lining of the coat was a black fabric with embossed stripe. It wasn’t going to work for the new bag, but I was lucky enough to find this cool lining that matches it quite closely. I created a zipper pocket to keep lip gloss and other things secure. But Rachel also needed a pocket for her phone and her pen so she could grab them easily.
Thankfully, after I got the bag put together, I still had enough fabric left over to create handles out of the coat fabric. I wanted to make the straps as stiff and secure as possible. Thankfully the loft of the fabric meant that I could get the straps to sink into the fabric pretty easily. Since the stitches sink into the fabric, they’ll have less chance of wearing through which means they’ll wear well and for a long time.
Comment [3]
14 January 10
Helping Haiti
If you haven’t heard, a 7.0 earthquake struck the capital of Haiti causing an already impoverished city to be reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands of people have died. Tens of thousands of people are likely to die due to injuries, illness, being trapped, starvation, etc. in the days and weeks to come.
I’ve wanted to help and sending a $10 text message seemed like a good idea, but it didn’t seem like enough. So I did what I often do during disasters and times of crisis, I visited the CARE website. I knew they had people on the ground when the earthquake happened so I knew they’d have some information on their website and they did. And that’s when I realized that sending money really is the only thing we can do right now. Unless you have medical training, that’s all most of us can do, just send money. And it’s important that we send it to organizations that have the ability to ramp up under chaotic situations like this to get good works done. CARE is the one I believe in wholeheartedly, without a doubt. They’re a fantastic organization because they don’t just help out during a crisis and leave. They’re all over the world, helping people who want to help themselves but need a little bit of encouragement, education, and sometimes money to be able to do so. And this is what CARE provides. They don’t come in with the opinion that they know how to solve the problems. The find a community and talk to the women of the community to find out what the core problems are and then work with the women to find a solution that the women will be able to make work for themselves.
Because I want to help CARE help Haiti, and because I get matching donations through the day job, I want to give more money to them. But, like many people, money is tight. So I turned to the one thing I do have, my purse shop. I have a number of bags available that are ready to ship right away. I’d already lowered the price on them because I want to clear them out to make room for new bags I’m starting to sew. So I’m willing to donate $20 for the sale of each bag that I make between now and 2/28 to CARE. I’ve already sold one bag that will ship tomorrow. And that $20 will become $40 after I fill out a little form and ship it off to Day Job Headquarters. So if you’re interested in helping Haiti and you need a bag, perhaps this is a good compromise? No need to mention anything special when you place the order (and if you don’t have an Etsy account, just email cinnamon at poise dot cc and we’ll handle the sale another way).
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