Pesky Cat Designs

Custom pen and ink illustration by Leslie of Chickaboom This past Saturday my fabulous friend Leslie surprised me with a feature about me and my work on her lovely blog Chickaboom ! I was so flattered! I've been following Leslie's blog for quite some time now and I always look forward to her posts. Leslie is a wonderful mom , talented illustrator and crafter , eco-conscious consumer , chocolate lover and more! Her blog is filled with lots of fun stories, creative adventures, cool finds, great tips.....well, I could go on and on! She has been so supportive of me and my work. Her comments on my blog inspire me to keep creating and always put a smile on my face. Thank you Leslie! Wishing you and your family much peace, health and joy in the New Year!

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and much peace, health and joy in the New Year!

I'll have a batch of Semi-Circle Purses made from Harris Tweed plaid available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop tomorrow afternoon. I had work this weekend that took me away from the studio but I still managed to sew up a few purses. This morning, 7:30 AM to be exact, I was on a NYC bus headed uptown along 1st Ave. About halfway to my destination the bus broke down right by the United Nations building. Instead of waiting for the next bus to arrive I decided to hop off and walk. I ended up walking one mile up 1st Ave. through the snow. I had my camera with me so I took a pic of my stranded bus from a distance. I ended up walking to my destination without any buses coming my way. I guess it turned out to be a good decision to plod through the snow!

I n the next hour or so I'll be adding a small batch of new purses to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. The purse posted above is made from Harris Tweed wool, my favorite textile at the moment. Yesterday I sold the last purse in the shop made from the brown/mustard plaid and only have a small amount of fabric left over in the red/green and blue/green plaid. When I ordered my fabric from Scotland I was not sure if my customers would be interested in this cloth. Well, it has turned out to be one of my best sellers this season. I would have ordered more yardage if I knew ahead of time. But I guess that's the nature of the business. You never know what will be popular until you put it to the test!

I've been busy in the Pesky Cat Designs studio and my normally neatly arranged spools of thread are now in a state of disarray. Balance , my mini art feeling from Artmind pictured above, was reminding me to slow down and take a break. So today I decided to take a trip on the Long Island Rail Road and visit a friend for lunch. I had a wonderful time and just got home a couple of hours ago. I decided that today would be a studio-free day. Of course I can't stay away from the studio for too long so tomorrow I'll be back sewing up a storm to get my latest work in progress finished by Thursday. I'll also be adding a couple of new bags made from chenille in robin's egg blue , to the shop late morning. Stay tuned!

This morning I discovered my Semi-Circle Purse on Etsy's front page! This list of holiday gift ideas was curated by Etsy and features lots of cool items. I especially love Ellie the horse by Annika Easter created out of corduroy, one of my favorite textiles, and yarn. I think it would be a great gift for a horse lover of any age! By the way, I have an Equestrian Wayfarer Purse available in my shop now. The horse applique was inspired by a road trip that took me through the many horse farms located in Ocala, Florida last Spring. I would love to hear from my readers what their favorite applique design is from the Pesky Cat Designs shop or an applique design they would like to see in the shop. I really look forward to hear what you are inspired by!

I'll be adding some new purses to the Pesky Cat Designs shop this afternoon. I should have them listed by 7PM. This weeks inspirations were seahorses, foliage and majestic horses. Next week expect to see birds and other nature inspired creations. I'm working hard to have lots of new items in the shop for the holiday gift buying season. If there is an applique design that you would like to see in the shop or particular color let me know. I would love to hear what you are inspired by!

The Wayfarer Purse in Robin Egg Blue Chenille I added lots of new items to the Pesky Cat Designs shop this week. The purse shown above is created with a chenille fabric, a new textile that I recently added to the studio. It has a velvet feel and looks quite luxurious. I was really pleased with how the chenille in robin egg blue compliments the chocolate brown applique. Next week I plan to add more purses with seahorses, equestrian inspirations and more. Stay tuned!

The Wayfarer Purse in Burnt Orange Corduroy with a Leafed Branch Applique It's been quite busy in the Pesky Cat Designs studio this week. I am happy to say that a lot was accomplished. In the next hour or so I'll be adding new corduroy Wayfarer Purses to the shop. My newest batch of purses all have straps that are lined with the same pretty cotton print fabric as the interior of the purse. I'll also be adding more purses to the shop tomorrow so check back soon!

It's Cyber Monday which is a marketing term that refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday being the busiest day of the year for retail electronic commerce. My Monday started off really well with a midnight front page feature on Etsy and two sales. Thanks Etsy for creating such a cool treasury and selecting my purse to be featured along with all these unique items. Don't you just love the dog with the daisy! Now for some shop news. This week I'll be adding lots more corduroy purses to the shop most likely on Thursday or sooner. Check back here for shop updates and previews of work in progress to be the first to know when new items will be arriving to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. Although I am not able to take custom orders at this time, if there is something you would like to see in the shop feel free to contact me via Etsy. I often create items with customer feedback in mind. For all the animal lovers out there I added a link to my sidebar to the Animal Re...

Holiday Dreamin g This morning I snatched a treasury! With all the holidays coming up I decided to curate it with a festive theme. I can almost smell the aroma of cookies baking in the oven wafting out of the kitchen. Etsy is such a wonderful place to find so many unique handmade items from cool outfits to wear to all your parties to eclectic ornaments to decorate your home. Wishing you all the best this holiday season!

This morning I discovered that my winter white Wayfarer Purse made Etsy's front page yesterday evening! Thanks LeapingGazelle for creating this beautiful treasury. This list was truly curated with an artistic eye. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead. Enjoy.

I'll be adding some new Harris Tweed bags to the Pesky Cat Designs shop around noon today. I just managed to photograph them before the morning sun disappeared. Rain is predicted for NYC today so I made sure I got an early start on the photo shoot. This purse has a cherry blossom branch made from ultrasuede in a tan color that really compliments the blue, brown and yellow tones in the plaid . I used a cotton print fabric that I purchased at The City Quilter to line the interior of this purse. The fabric has a combination of a subtle floral print and one that is more bold in brown, tan and gold. The print does not overwhelm the plaid and gives the bag more interest. I still have lots of Harris Tweed cloth in stock and plan on creating more purses in the upcoming weeks!

T oday I purchased some gorgeous cotton print fabric at The City Quilter , a shop located in NYC's Chelsea district in Manhattan that specializes in fabric for the urban quilter and sewer. Today my partner Tom joined me for the trip and took some photos while I perused their many bolts of cotton fabric. My mission was to find some lining fabric for my purses made from Harris Tweed Plaid which turned out to be a daunting task. I did not want a solid color, too boring, but matching a plaid with a print is quite difficult. The pattern needs to either be very subtle or match particularly well with the plaid. I walked along the bolts of fabric holding up my swatches of plaid to each print until I finally found my perfect matching textile.

The Pesky Cat's FavoritesTreasury Page Today I managed to snag a treasury on Etsy! My sweet kitty Anni insisted on helping me select the items so that is how the theme evolved. She hopes you like it!

Yesterday my new Harris Tweed Wayfarer Purse was selected by Etsy for their front page! I am guessing that the theme had something to do with their gift category woodlands. I love all the unique items that were selected. I received so many new hearts due to the feature and the purse sold! I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about my new Harris Tweed collection. Next week I plan to add more creations made from this gorgeous wool to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Y esterday I created a couple of purses with my gorgeous Harris Tweed wool that arrived from the Isle of Harris this week. They will be available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop later this afternoon. The lovely shop I purchased the fabric from included the Harris Tweed labels so I can sew them onto the back of my purses. I purchased quite a few meters of this lovely textile in a variety of plaids and barleycorn weaves so more purses are on the way!

Yes, that's Anni taking a peek behind the curtain to see what is going on in the Pesky Cat Designs studio. Yesterday my mailman delivered two large envelopes that traveled all the way from the Isle of Harris filled with gorgeous Harris Tweed wool. Anni was almost as excited as I was. She preferred to put her head into the envelope after I removed my fabric while I felt each piece of cloth and imagined what I would create with it. I received three different plaids and two barleycorns. That afternoon I cut fabric and created coordinating appliques. Today I plan to sew sew sew. I have to add that it was such a pleasure doing business with Catherine of Harris Tweed and Knitwear . She answered all my emails promptly and shipped my purchase quickly. OK, I'm off to the studio. I can't wait to get started!

Featured in Time Out New York About a month ago I was contacted by an Etsy press guy a bout an opportunity to be featured in Time Out New York , a weekly magazine that features a calendar of events, activities & things to do in NYC including restaurants, bars, theater, music, clubs and more. They were l ooking for Etsy sellers located in the five boroughs who've created some awesome thing for their personal space. I had some pillows that I created a while back so I decided to send a photo and a brief description to Time Out New York. A week later I received an email from a Senior Editor at Time Out letting me know that they would love to include my pillow in their roundup! I just discovered that my entry was featured along with 9 other designers work in their Oct 15-21, 2009 Issue. See here for the full feature.

H ere's a sneak peek of my new faux suede collection! The Patchwork Messenger bag pictured above is made from four different colors of premium faux suede in lilac, olive green, truffle and chartreuse. Anytime I purchase new fabric I make a swatch to save for future reference. When I saw all my swatches next to each other I was inspired to use all four colors to create a bag. So that is how the patchwork bag evolved. I also have a newly designed shoulder bag coming and more Wayfarer Purses. They should all be available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop late afternoon. The Wayfarer Purse in Truffle Faux Suede

Today my Nautical Wayfarer Purse made it to Etsy's front page! It has been a while since I thought of warm weather and sunny skies since NYC has been cold and rainy for days. This treasury definitely warmed up my day and put a smile on my face. Thank you TheBrassHussy for creating such a lovely list and including my purse!

Faux Suede in Olive Green, Chartreuse, Lilac and Truffle A new collection of handbags made from premium faux suede fabric are coming to the Pesky Cat Designs studio! The fabric samples posted above are some of the colors that will be available. I'm also working on revising some of my designs and adding a new creation. In case you are wondering about my Harris Tweed Collection , more is one the way. I'm ordering more fabric directly from the Isle of Harris! Stay tuned!

1 . Pesky Cat Designs 2. Sandy Creek Weavers 3. 13 Threads 4. Tweed Plush 5. Mandinka 6. Brimborion Today I want to share with you these Harris Tweed creations found on Etsy. I've become a little bit obsessed with this gorgeous luxury cloth. Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

The Harris Tweed Wayfarer Purse by Pesky Cat Designs I created a couple of new purses made from Harris Tweed wool and will be adding them to my shop this afternoon. The purse above is made from a barleycorn weave in blue, gray, brown/red and cream. I added a leafed branch applique in blue that coordinates beautifully with the tones in the purse. I purchased this luxury cloth at my local fabric shop in NYC and it was the most I ever spent on a textile. But I think it was worth every penny!

This week I purchased some gorgeous Harris Tweed wool that I transformed into a couple of Wayfarer Purses. They will be available in my shop beginning of next week. Harris Tweed is a luxury cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders on the Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland using local wool. A wide selection is available in plain, barleycorn, herringbone, checks and tartans. My favorite is the barleycorn cloth with its subtle flecks of different color all spun together. I purchased a few yards in blue, gray and brown from my local fabric shop. I'm now looking into purchasing some directly from the manufacturer. I read that they provide you with the labels pictured above if you do so. I can't wait to create more handbags using this magnificent cloth! Harris Tweed in Barleycorn

1. WiredDesign 2. Meltemsem 3. KathrynRiechert 4. LunasaDesigns 5. SeaGlassDesigns 6. KiraFerrer Today I have silver on my mind, more specifically a beautiful silver ring. These striking designs are created by some of my favorite Etsy artists. I'm very drawn to organic shapes and works inspired by nature. These unique silver designs are just stunning and I'm dreaming of having them all in my personal collection. Check out the shops for more gorgeous creations!

The Offbeat Messenger in Plaid by Pesky Cat Designs This week I completed a couple of bags using a combination of plaid wool and corduroy. They will be available in my shop this afternoon. I love how the two winter textiles work together. I also purchased some Harris Tweed and can't wait to get started with it in my studio. More plaid creations are coming soon as well! The Downtown Bag in Plaid

Beautiful plaid wool via The Plaid Wool Company I've had plaid and tweed on my mind for the past few weeks and can't wait to get my hands on some very soon. Last year I made a few purses using a gorgeous Harris Tweed wool, see photo below, that I purchased at my local fabric shop in the East Village . I have some ideas for purse designs that I plan to create in the next week or so using plaid wool and tweed. I am also thinking of a plaid wool and corduroy combination. I'll be posting a sneak preview soon. Stay tuned! Harris Tweed and Velvet Applique Purse by Pesky Cat Designs

Yesterday morning my Autumn Oak Leaf Shoulder Bag made it to Etsy's beautiful front page! I received lots of new hearts, many custom order inquiries and some sales because of the feature. The handbag pictured sold as well. Thanks Etsy for making my day!

The Winter White Wayfarer Purs e I know that Autumn has only begun but the cooler weather in NYC has me thinking of the upcoming winter season. Boots, coats and pretty soft warm scarfs come to mind. I love winter attire although I prefer warmer weather if I had a choice. Recently I had a customer inquire about a possible custom order bag in an off white corduroy. I decided to purchase a few yards of cream and winter white online. I usually order swatches before committing to buy but since it was a small quantity I decided to take a risk. When my package arrived I was a little disappointed to find that both fabrics I ordered where pretty much the same color. Now I have lots of winter white corduroy in stock and already added a purse to my shop created with my winter inspired textile!

T oday I got an email from Violet of Etsystalker letting me know that I've been stalked! Etsystalker is a blog curated by Beatrice and Violet that features their latest Etsy finds. My corduroy Offbeat Messenge r was stalked for their recent post, Fall Purses: Men Will Never Understand . The post discusses womens' need to change purses as the seasons revolve and features a selection of beautiful purses for autumn. Check out their blog for lots of fun posts and great finds. So it seems that being stalked is not always a bad thing!

I was away from my computer all day on Friday so it was a nice surprise to discover that my Downtown Bag had made it to Etsy's front page earlier that morning. Thanks Etsy! I got quite a lot of convos in my inbox and lots of hearts because of the feature. It definitely made my day. I'm wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Autumn Oak Leaf Shoulder Bag by Pesky Cat Design s Y esterday Autumn officially arrived here in NYC while the weather remained summer-like. Today the temperature is 81F and I ran my morning errands wearing a light t-shirt, jeans and my comfortable Wolky sandals. I went to go to the UPS store, the Union Square Farmers Market and the hardware store. After arriving home I realized I also need cat litter, cat food and groceries. One of the disadvantages of living in the city is that you have to carry all your groceries home since driving and parking is such a hassle. The advantage to living in the city is that you can order anything you want by phone or on the internet, including groceries and have them delivered to your home in an hour! So I ordered everything I needed and waited patiently for all to arrive by eco-friendly bicycle. Now Anni has her essentials and my partner and I have groceries for dinner. Tom is already cooking the brussel sprouts, my favorite. I didn't get much ...

Long Beach, NY circa 1923 Today I spent the last day of the summer in Long Beach , a city in Nassau County , New York on a barrier island off the South Shore of Long Island . The trip started with a 20 minute walk to Penn Station from where my partner and I boarded the 9:37 AM train that took 50 minutes to arrive at our destination. A few minutes later we were walking along the beach. The weather was a perfect 76F and sunny. Unlike the photo above, the beach was pretty empty with only a few people here and there worshipping the sun and a few surfers trying to catch a wave. We sat in the sun for a while and watched the waves coming to shore and the seagulls basking in the sun. Later in the day we ventured into town for a meal of pizza and coca cola. Cheap but filling. We returned to the oceanfront to walk along the boardwalk which is about 2 1/4 miles long. There's a bike lane on the boardwalk and many cyclists were out enjoying the beautiful weather, even a mom and dad on a t...