After seeing the knit hat and fused glass pendant I made for my mom at our family Christmas gathering this past year, my middle sister jokingly asked, “Hey, when am I going to get something made by you?” True, the only person in my family to receive anything handmade from me up to that point was my mom, unless you count my daughter or husband. It was a question she had asked me the previous two Christmases as well, when my mom received a knit clapotis and the subsequent year a pair of knit socks. I love making things for people that I know will really appreciate them, so I figured it was time to make something for my sister.
I had purchased an Amy Butler pattern for Stash and Dash Bags a year earlier and had been wanting to make some for awhile, so I got to work on a toiletry bag and a cosmetic bag for my sister. I had some great fabric from Crafty Planet in my stash that I’d been itching to use, so I was all set. They were quick and easy to make and I had them in the mail to her in just a couple days. When she received them I got a puzzled text message from her wondering if I had made them and why was she receiving them? I told her I just wanted to do something nice and knew that she would appreciate them and put them to good use.
Stash and Dash cosmetic bag
Stash and Dash toiletry bag
The next day I received another excited text message from her informing me that she had showed the bags to some of her friends and that they were interested in buying some. I told her I’d happily make some to sell as it would be the necessary motivation for me to finally get my etsy shop set up. I didn’t hear from her for about a week after that and I assumed they had just lost interest. When she finally called me, she explained that the reason I hadn’t heard from her was because she was helping her friend Eryn out who was planning on opening a boutique in the Hutchinson mall in the near future. She showed her the bags I had made and she was very interested in having me sell them on consignment in her boutique once it opened. It was really exciting news and ideas of what I would make began to brew in my head.
I promptly began designing a pattern for a cosmetic bag and clutch of my own that included a few design elements that I liked that the Amy Butler bags didn’t include. I added a flat bottom to the bag so that it could stand up on it’s own, made it more rectangular in shape so it could hold more, removed the pleats from the bottom, and modified the zipper finishes on the top. I was super happy with the result and gave my sister a sample. Eryn loved it as well, so I was set!!
Her boutique is called Vintage Glam and is set to open later this month. She currently sells beautiful rings, pendants, and other vintage-inspired items through her etsy shop. The theme and the aesthetic of the boutique is shabby chic, so I decided I would make a couple different cosmetic bags in that style. I made some satin flowers with pearl accents as decorative details for the exterior of the bags. Check out Eryn’s blog post about my cosmetic bags. So exciting!
made in mpls 