Fan Mail

(Sorry if it's immodest to post these props, but it just tickles me when we receive happy customer messages, so I had to share!)

Hi,
I can't help myself, I just had to write you guys a note saying how much I LOVE my photo wallet and wristlet. It is a mother's day present and my mom is going to love it!!! I am truly amazed at how incredible the quality of your works are, the friendliness of your staff, and the speed at which these were sent to me!!!! So, I just wanted to thank Laura Bee!

Sincerely,
Zaneta

She's a Keeper

One question that people often ask is if I have a huge collection of handbags. I think they picture a huge wall of purses that I can choose from every day and change frequently like shoes. Another version of this question is, "Do you ever make something that you just have to keep for yourself."

My rather disappointing answer is that I do have a bunch of bags, but they are usually experiments that I'm testing before I sell them. Since I make all of the patterns from scratch, I often play the mad scientist with structure. I'll change materials, or hardware, add a zipper here, change a closure there. So I like to take these experimental bags for a test drive - to really throw them around - before I launch the pattern into production.

The new bag above is the Amy sample that's hanging in the store. I made a coordinating wristlet for fun. These are definite Laura colors - green, rust brown, etc, so I'm tempted to keep her. But I'd rather send her out into the world on a fresh new shoulder to be filled with a wallet and keys, and other stuff that's not mine.

Mailing List Perks

She Sells Seashells

I made these new simple earrings recently, inspired by the lovely shell disks that remind me of summer. Above, pink shell with faceted bronze glass beads. $16

These abalone shells have so many colors floating in their steely depths. Pewter lotus blossoms dangle. $16

White shell glistens in the light, and sage Swarovski pearls float beneath. $16

See more jewelry.

You are Here

These glass pebble charms by Cyn City are quite popular in our shop. Pictured above are the best-selling styles. The Seattle map is a great gift for those who've moved away from our fair city. The Ballard map references our favorite Seattle neighborhood. To know Ballard is to love it for its mix of industrial grit, water views, and Nordic history.

Now for sale on our website too.

Silver Silk

We recently made this petite purse for a bride who wanted something to match the silver accents on her white dress. The silver dupioni silk purse with tulle and sequins embellishments is something she'll be able to use in the future for an evening out. How about honeymoon dinners and anniversary celebrations?

Going to a Garden Party

Too many toys

Tool of the Month - Rotary Cutter

At LBD, we have these supremely satisfying moments of sewing nerdiness. One such moment is using a fresh new rotary blade to slice through layers of fabric. Like a pizza cutter for sewers, a rotary cutter is an indespensible tool. The dangerously sharp blade glides through stacks of fabric, and makes precision cutting a breeze. The model pictured above by Olfa is the studio favorite. It's comfortable in the hand, durable and worth the few extra dollars more than the competing models.

Rotary cutters need to be used on cutting mats that absorb the blade and protect tabletops. You can see how much cutting we do by our worn out mat in the picture above. Those hazy white areas are supposed to be crisp yellow gridlines, but have been eroded by thousands of cuts made each month in the studio.

Fever

Daylight savings time means that when I close up shop at six, it's still light outside. It means that some of our potted flowers outside the door of the shop are blooming. It means it's time to craft a bright, bold spring display.

Early next week we'll change the window and center table of the shop and the theme will be Garden Party. I've been excited about this table for a while, but I told myself it had to wait until April.

In the meantime, I've been making these tissue paper flowers to use in the display. I love the way the tissue flutters and lets the light pass through. Here are two of my favorites. I've never been much for fake flowers, but these will do just fine.

Time for a Day Off

The view next to my sewing machine after a busy week.

Boastful

I ***love*** getting emails like this! Thank you Penny in Boston! - Laura B.

"I have a Lucy that I got over 2 years ago that is in fantastic condition still, despite lots of use. It has become my tried and true travelling handbag. I've taken it to Morocco and Argentina and it packs like a dream, looks great and is deceptively roomy enough to even fit a sweater or wrap for unexpected foreign city chill!"

Details - A Collection of Clutches

A vintage glass button sits atop interwoven chocolate grosgrain, stitch to a pink silk dupioni Luxe clutch.

Ruched chocolate silk dupioni topped off with a dollop of pink grosgrain ruffle.

Pink and chocolate dupioni bisected by a floral ribbon with an antique resin button embellishment.

Sneak Peak

I've been working on lots of new bag shapes recently. The great thing about having a store is that I can make something, hang it in the shop, and get customer feedback immediately. Above are two new styles - the olive bag is Amy, and the red is Eleanor. They are cousins with the same basic shape.

Eleanor has many of the recent features that I've been incorporating into the newest bags - hardware, zipper closure, and Naugahyde on the bottom and single strap. This version is made from this gorgeous brick tooled material embellished with a dusty brown velveteen and braid ribbon.

Amy has an exterior pocket made from a print, framed by suede and trimmed in Naugahyde. This actual bag has sold, but there are infinite fabric combinations that would be perfect for this functional bag. Amy has the same single strap, hardware, and zipper closure as Eleanor.

Just like Candy

Check out these big red resin beads. They resemble red hots, or candy covered cherries.

A Brief History

The other day I noticed that Ashley had posted these tags on our shop bulletin board in chronological order. The top tag is the silkscreened style that I used when I first started the business. I used my Print Gocco machine to screen the logo onto quilting cotton, fused the tags to the lining of each bag, and then machine applique stitched around the tag. These were circa 2000-2, and I made them in pink, mint, and blue.

In 2002, when I opened the store, I decided to splurge by upgrading the tags and to order custom woven tags to match the ceiling of the shop - lipstick pink. At the time ordering 1000 (the vendor minimum) seemed insane and I thought they would last forever. The light pink tag went into circulation around 2004, and graced our first mini wallets an additional new styles. This time I ordered 2000 tags!

Some time last year I ordered the green and brown tags - one of my favorites because I adore the color combination. Recently we started using the light blue. We still have some green left that we use when the colors are just right. Each tag is still sewn on painstakingly with the applique stitch. Each tag represents an little mini era in our growth.

Bubbles

Introducing our newest bubble necklace styles - Parasol and Chubby Bird.

Visit our newest items, including these bubble necklaces.

Doggie Bag

If there was a contest for worlds cutest Labrador Retrievers then this pooch would surely be a contender. We made this Maggie Bag for a customer who ordered online. The bottom and straps are licorice Naugahyde, while the trim around the image is black microsuede.

Learn more about the Maggie.

Pet Me

This is a picture of John and Otis. Both weigh twenty pounds. One is three and the other is nine months. Both love snacks, petting and Kongs.

Sometimes shop antics have nothing to do with handbags.

Earrings for You

I dug into our collection of yummy components to make these earrings. I matched vintage jewelry parts like lucite flowers and glass burst stones with iridescent dyed shell disks that measure 3/4" in diameter. Tomorrow I'll add ear wires and poof! a limited edition earring collection. (March 28: These are finished finally, and a few are still available.)

These won't make it onto the website because we don't have enough components to make a whole bunch. However, they are for sale for $16 in the store. If you're not in Seattle call or email if you'd like a pair and we can send them your way.

(206) 789-4044; leb@laurabeedesigns.com