The "Essentials Bag"

I got this idea from a friend of mine from college, Jennie. One afternoon I was hanging out at Jennie's house and we were getting ready to go somewhere and she pulled out this little, zipper top bag and I asked her what it was. She said she kept all of her essentials (i.e. wallet, chapstick, hair things, etc.) in it and just transferred her essentials bag into whatever cute bag she decided to carry that day - genius! I am always fumbling through 3 different purses trying to find my keys or wallet that I left there and forgot about until I'm ten minutes late and trying to run out the door. I loved the idea and didn't think about it again for another 2 years, when I started Teresamia with my sister. I knew we HAD to have a line of essentials bags because they are .... essential!

So, last week I was putting some stuff in my basement and moving things around and found a box of essentials bags I had made and forgotten about last season and was struck with the cuteness and usefulness of them once again and put them up on the site. Check 'em out here!

mia bag

So ... I was talking to my husband a few nights ago and asking his opinion of the bags I was making lately. I asked if he had a favorite and he did! He said he really liked "sunset" and suggested I make another one that was the same style. I always ask for my husband's opinion about bags and purses and then I'm always surprised and totally laugh when he actually has input for me.

Anyway, so I found just a little of this flower print cotton left over from a yoga bag I made for my sister, Christina, and I LOVE it, so I used it.

What's funny about this design is that it is the most popular style of bag that Teresamia has ever created, and yet it was a comlplete mistake! I was trying to make a bag with handles as a fluid part of the bag (not sewn on seperately), but it was a hideous mistake and so I just cut the handle parts off and I was left with this very strange, long, shallow purse. I didn't know what to do with the remains, so I started brainstorming. I decided to add a drawstring effect on either side of the bag to make it shorter and added ties to make it cute. Then I put on some handles to cover the stitching left from the scrunchy drawstring portion and viola! Our most popular style was born! The Fall Line has this style bag in three different fabrics - and it always turns out fun and cute with all the ammenities people are looking for (magnetic snap closure, cool, cute and bright fabrics, and a cell phone pocket).

Anyway, thanks for the insight Daniel and here is the "mia" bag!

tracie bag

I was talking to Christina on the phone about a week ago and she was all excited about pleats! We started discussing the design and then I started searching through my fabric to find an interesting fabric that would stand alone with this kind of design. I came across this pink and brown vintage style fabric.

I don't even remember where I picked this fabric up, but it always reminds me of my friend, Tracie. Tracie is the most fashionable woman I have ever met! She was wearing leggings and leopard print heels 2 years ago before anyone else was wearing leggings and I loved it! I loved her funky style - chunky, long necklaces, brooches, orange sweaters, black leggings, polka-dotted galloshes and leopard print heels - so fun!

She used to nanny for an executive that worked for a well known clothing line. The executive loved Tracie's style, as I do, and would sometimes base designs in her professional line off of clothes Tracie wore to nanny in! Tracie and I spent time together at play dates for our kids and then sadly, she moved away about a year ago.

But before she moved, she came over and looked at some of my bags in my studio at home. At the time I was making a large diaper bag out of this same pink and brown vintage style fabric and she fell in love with it and asked for me to let her buy it when I was finished making it. Now, everytime I see this fabric I think of my stylish friend, Tracie and I miss her!

This tracie bag is an ode to her!