Pesky Cat Designs

Lots of new purses with handmade bird appliques have arrived at the Pesky Cat Designs shop.  The most requested bag in my shop is the Wayfarer Purse with a bird applique. Upon perusing my inventory last week I realized I did not stock enough of this style considering it was my most popular item. From here on I plan to have a nice selection available in many colors. Right now I am loving the faux suede. It's a textile for all seasons and sews up beautifully. The new batch of bags that were added to the shop today are made from faux suede with contrast stitching and are adorned with pretty wood buttons. I also added a handy faux suede zipper pull to the interior zippered pocket. There's one zippered pocket and one slip pocket to keep your things organized and a magnetic closure on the flap. In the upcoming weeks I'll be adding more bird purses to the shop in a variety of colors. I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. Enjoy!

Just added a batch of Foldover Clutches   to the shop made from cotton stripes and Ikat that was hand-woven on a treadle loom in the highlands of Guatemala. Each pattern is unique and gorgeous. I have a limited amount of yardage left, just enough for a few bags and some more clutches.  What are your plans for this weekend? I plan to work in my studio on some new ideas.  And if weather permits, we plan a drive or bike trip to the ocean. Maybe a seaside picnic. Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Enjoy!

Faux Suede Hobo Bag with Feather Appliques Just added a batch of new bags to the shop .  Faux Suede Wayfarer Purse with Feather Appliques The feather is a new applique design I created this week. I'm really pleased with the result. Faux Suede Hobo Bag I also drafted a new bag design, a hobo style bag, that looks great slung over the shoulder or worn cross body. The above is made from faux suede and adorned with a southwestern style woven trim. Faux Suede Hobo Bag with Bird Applique This new batch of bags are all made from faux suede which is my favorite textile of the moment. I just ordered some more swatches of colors and can't wait to peruse them.  If you've been wondering what Anni is up to, this is pretty much what she did all day.

Inspired by the latest color blocking trend, my new purses are created in blocks of velvet, chenille and corduroy. These bags are one-of-a-kind and now available at the Pesky Cat Designs shop . In the next several weeks I'll be working on re-stocking the shop with some of my staple bags such as the bird on a branch applique messenger bag. I plan to have a nice selection in time for the upcoming holiday season.

This week I spent some of my time in the studio creating birthday gifts for two dear friends. One friend only uses backpacks since she has trouble with her shoulders so I designed the bag above for her. I wanted to create a back pack that was both elegant and practical for her. I lined the inside with a waterproof quilted fabric since I know she always likes to carry a water bottle with her. I added a deep exterior pocket for things she might need easy access to such as keys or a cell phone. I plan to carry a backpack design in my shop soon! The tapestry purse above is for another dear friend.  The happy kitty purse will be available in the shop tonight.  The purse above is made from a gorgeous fabric designed by Iman. Yes, the lovely super model and David Bowie's wife. I was not able to resist this fantastic print. It will also be available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop tonight!

Harris Tweed Collection Fall 2010 In the next month work begins on the new Harris Tweed collection for fall 2011. I've already imported a nice selection of tweed from Scotland in beautiful shades of deep ocean blue, heathered blues, speckled grayish blues and a variety of check/plaids. The main theme will be earthy browns and coastal blues. Can't wait to get started! And wishing all the dad's out there a very Happy Father's Day!

  Sale Alert! UPDATE: Sale extended until Monday, May 30th (until 12 a.m. EST) You are invited to a sale on handbags and wristlets at Pesky Cat Designs!  Chose from among many new designs and fabrics and get a 15% discount on all purchases. WEEKEND SALE 15%  off all items Saturday, May 28 (starting 8 a.m. EST)  to Monday, May 30 (until 12 a.m. EST) For the discount, during checkout use this coupon code: SAVE15 Enter the Shop Here

Just added this faux leather duo in bone to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. It's a perfect color for the spring and summer season. Made with PVC-free faux leather that cleans up easily with soap and water. More faux leather bags in warm weather colors are coming soon. We spent most of today riding our bikes. The weather here has been beautiful. Today it was 84F/28C, mostly sunny and slightly breezy. Anni our kitty spent a lot of her time sleeping on a beach chair on our porch enjoying the warm breeze. Hope you are having a great day and wishing you a wonderful weekend!

The Harris Tweed Equestrian Satchel Just added a couple of Harris Tweed Satchels to the shop adorned with equestrian-inspired appliques for all you horse lovers out there. And now I'm off to my studio to complete some more handbags. Wishing everyone a great day!

Today was a perfect day for a photo shoot by the sea. Shown above is my revised Semi-Circle Purse with an adjustable shoulder strap so you can wear it on the shoulder or messenger style.  Modeled above is my latest Harris Tweed Patchwork Satchel. Two of these will be available in my shop tonight. And last but not least, here is my newest design, The Carryall. It looks great worn on the shoulder or cross body. It's quite roomy so you can bring along all your essentials. Perfect for watching pelicans diving for fish or a walk downtown. To see more photos go to my Facebook fan page. Stop by, peruse and become a fan if you like!       

In the next hour I'll be adding new Harris Tweed patchwork bags to the Pesky Cat Designs   shop. I will also be adding a Harris Tweed messenger with a bird on a branch applique.  Last week I received a shipment of Harris Tweed from Scotland and quickly got to work using this iconic textile. In stock right now are a blue check weave, a Macleod check and plain weaves in medium gray, mustard and honeysuckle pink. Deep brown is soon arriving. It's always so hard making my choices when I place an order and I am never quite sure which color or check will be popular. This past holiday season the medium gray was the most requested tweed. If you are interested in a custom order just contact me via my shop . Wishing everyone a great week ahead!

Yesterday I spent most of the day photographing new handbags and also re-shooting older bags to give them a fresh start. The new bags are now available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop . Wristlets are coming soon as well as more clutches. I placed an order for Harris Tweed wool from Scotland last week and I can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime I am working with my supply of cotton corduroy and faux suede.  Below is a shoot of my studio taken last week. It's a bit less organized right now but in full activity!

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!

I am thinking about introducing a custom order listing that will be available in my Etsy shop sometime in the near future. I recently purchased a large stock of the most wonderful cotton-blend upholstery fabric in a linen-look weave, see purse posted above, in a variety of great colors. The custom listing would allow my customer to select this fabric in the color of their choice and select an interior print fabric. Included in the listing would be a list of applique designs you can choose from. So basically my customer will be able to create their own purse!  In the past I was not able to take on too many custom orders as I always purchased my fabric in small quantities and often ran out of something a potential customer would request. I'm hoping that by offering a custom listing, my shop will appeal to a larger audience . I'm pretty excited about this. Now all I have to do is wait for my shipment of fabric to arrive. If you have any suggestions or ideas I would be very happy ...

The Wayfarer Purse with a Seahorse Applique This past Thursday, after reading Star of the East's post, Nature Inspirations ,  I  was so inspired to create purses with seahorse appliques again. Seahorses are quite fascinating creatures. According to Wikipedia "there are over 47 species of seahorse mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. The male seahorse is equipped with a brood pouch on the ventral side. When mating, the female seahorse deposits the eggs in the male's pouch, which the male then internally fertilizes. The male carries the eggs until they emerge, expelling fully developed, miniature seahorses in the water. Throughout the male's incubation, his mate visits him daily for "morning greetings". The female swims over for about 6 minutes of interaction in which they change color, wheel around sea grass frond, and finally promenade, holding each other's tails. Then the female swims away until the next morning....

Thought I would give you a little glimpse into my creative space today. The purses above are in various stages of production. I usually work on several at once. The process starts with the cutting of the fabric and I always have so many ideas that I end up cutting many patterns in different fabrics and colors. After that I decide on the interior fabric and then the applique design if I plan to use one. At the moment my purses with the  cherry blossoms  seem to be the best sellers. I recently added an  equestrian inspired applique  for all the horse lovers out there. Since summer is on the way, seahorses  will be making a splash very soon! Purse with Seahorse Applique

It has been a wonderful week for me on Etsy.  Yesterday I discovered that my Downtown Bag in Lilac and Chocolate made it to the front page. Thanks Etsy! It was created by an administrator browsing through Etsy's categories. I received a lot of traffic to my shop because of this feature. :) Today I learned that my Wayfarer Purse with a galloping horse applique is featured in Etsy's gift guide, Equestrian Prep !   My Limited Edition Downtown Bag made it into two Storque articles this past week! It was featured in  Summer Fashion Showcase on June 8th   and Etsy Finds: Bag Lady on June 10th . Thanks Etsy! Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend! :)

The Limited Edition Downtown Bag in Chartreuse and Olive Green I've decided to start producing some limited editions of my creations. I usually purchase my fabric in small batches but I plan to start ordering larger amounts in the future. This will enable me to produce more than one of a particular design. But where to store all this fabric? I will have to come up with an idea when the time arises. I would love to have large bolts of fabric hanging from the wall like they do at my fabric shop. With that day dream I will end my post here and head to my studio. Have a great day. :)

What do vacations and handbags have in common? Both are necessary in life of course!  I closed my shop yesterday to take some time off to rest and recharge. I'll be taking a road trip at this time and I also plan to spend some time in my studio experimenting and trying out some new design ideas. My shop will reopen the week of May 11th.  For my upcoming road trip I decided that I would treat myself to a new handbag from the shop.  The lilac purse posted above is my current everyday bag. I've been using it for about a half a year.  If you were wondering if I use my own handbags, I do!  That is the reason I starting making them in the first place about a year and a half ago.  I wanted a unique one-of-a-kind handbag for myself so I decided to buy fabric, did some research on the internet on how to sew a handbag and made my first simple tote bag out of sage green cotton velvet with a bird on a branch applique. Everyone loved it so I decided to start up a shop and sell them online. ...

T oday my trip to the garment district in NYC was a total success! I was looking to replenish my supply of corduroy that was down to zero. Well, I hit the jackpot! I found a wonderful shop that carries corduroy in every color that you can dream of.  I mean probably at least 40 different shades to choose from. I was in heaven! I had such a hard time deciding but finally selected cerulean blue, cherry red, grape, pumpkin, camel and chocolate brown. I left the store with a big smile on my face. I couldn't wait to get back to my studio and take another look at my treasure.  I plan on creating some new Messengers and Wayfarer Purses in corduroy that will be available end of next week. I also plan to make some Pleated Everyday Bags using this lovely fabric!