The Laura Bee Designs custom process is our way of sharing our love of textiles and design with you, our customer. You don’t have to know anything about fashion or design to have fun creating a bag at our shop.
To make your experience the best it can be, we offer the following suggestions:
Make an appointment. We strive to give you our full attention when you are designing your bag. If you plan to visit on our busiest days (Saturday and Sunday), or with a group of three or more, it is helpful to us if you make an appointment in advance. We have limited design space, and appointments help us provide you with the best customer service.
Allow one hour for bag design. Some people make decisions quickly, and others prefer a more methodical approach. Be sure to arrive an hour before our closing time.
Arrive ready to make decisions. You will have the most fun designing your bag if you are prepared to make a series of decisions about fun things like colors, patterns, and pockets. Make sure you aren’t hungry, tired, or in an indecisive mood. Trust your instincts and have fun with the process. Don’t worry, we will help you through step by step process, and will guide you through your decisions along the way.
Bring the things you want to carry. If you want to have certain items in your new bag, bring them with you so that you can see how they fit in our various shapes. Customers report this step helps greatly in the design process. Consider how you will use this bag; every day bags have different requirements than evening bags in terms of size, color, and durability.
Consider bringing an advisor. Do you have a friend or relative who understands your style and aesthetics? You may find it helpful to bring that person with you to help you design your bag.
Alternatively, fly solo. The adage of, “Too many cooks in the kitchen,” can definitely apply to our design process. Some customers prefer to come alone to stay focused, rather than bringing a group. Of course, our expert staff will guide you through the process either way.
Kids rule! Since we opened in 2002, we’ve gotten to know many of our customers’ children. We’ve watched them grow up from tiny babies into smart kids ready to buy wallets to carry allowance money.
Through the years, we’ve noticed that childhood attention spans don’t always last through the custom design process. Restless kids can distract Mom from the fun of design, so we provide a basket of toys to help.
Many mothers tell us they enjoy some “me” time in our shop while designing on their own, so choose to leave the kids at home. (Think of it like a purse-designing spa day.)
If you have an infant, consider bringing a stroller or separate seat (rather than a sling) so that you can pull fabrics, materials and enjoy the full experience. Or bring a friend to help you.
We adore dogs but… Pooches and custom designs don’t mix. Most dogs would rather be outside doing dog things. Plus, our shop pug Otis prefers to be the canine king at Laura Bee Designs.
