I've really never been a hand-bag sort of person and until a few years back I was attached to my trusty plain black backpack. We'd had a long, easy relationship of about eight years, but as all good things do... it came to an end.
I'm a bookworm and so, I will never leave the house without a book - I also always carry a water bottle or flask, and so there's already a problem developing, I needed a bag with separate compartments to keep my book safe and my water handy. On top of this as a standard, I carry a day-to-the-page diary, a notebook, a jumper and a first aid-kit/travel bag. I like to be prepared for any situation and there have been many delayed or cancelled busses/trains over the years for which I have been grateful to have a book in my bag. Having a bad back meant that one shouldered handbags were never an option, but every backpack that I have had since has disintegrated within a matter of weeks.
I tried to design a backpack, but it just got too complicated and big and so I decided to give a handbag a try. It's safe to say that now I am not often seen without my handbag. I made is specifically to be my new 'Mary Poppins'' bag, and to do so without impacting on my back. It has a few features that I'd like to share with you:
- It's triple stitched through and through for durability, it's also overlocked and top-stitched
- It has a very very wide strap to distribute the weight across your shoulder, this can be folded and shaped to fit your body
- The strap has a flannelette lining which makes it incredibly soft as well as being cool in summer and warm in winter.
- A large zip that goes up the inside of the straps for security
- It has a large, external, zipped pocket, in which I can fit: two phones, a purse, a massive bunch of keys, business cards, lipbalm, pens, headphones and sometimes more
- It has a large internal 'book' pocket which is usually filled with a large book (I just don't get kindles), a day-to-the-page diary (I can't figure out how to digitalise my diary without deleting everything regularly), a note book and a sketchbook and pens.
- And it still has enough room in it that I can fit a one litre water bottle standing up, a jumper, my laptop, my travel bag, lunch, my hard glasses case, my hard sunglasses case and still have room left over
- The outer cotton is 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, the inside is 100% certified cotton flannel and the lining is currently recycled cotton, I will be using new cotton in the future and for the moment it won't be organic, I am currently working on finding a supplier of plain organic cotton and will keep you updated as to when I can swap over.
- The zips and label are all Nylon. Last year I paid for some gorgeous organic cotton brand labels from the US, but they never arrived, so again, I am trying to source a new, reliable source so that I can phase out the nylon labels.
- All the thread used on the bag is 100% organic cotton from the US.
This gorgeous brown and blue bag was custom made for a lady in Brisbane who took it all across Europe over the festive season.
The bags are available online now at www.pixieinthepark.com. They are currently custom order only. You can choose from 30 different designer fabrics and four colours of flannelette.
I will be releasing a new, full, range of them on Monday 4th March, which will see the end of custom orders on them for a while. As Monday is my birthday I will be doing a HUGE sale on the bags, so keep an eye on the website as it's a one day only sale.
I hope you enjoy your bag as much as I do mine.
Sunshine and Smiles.
Paisley.
