Pesky Cat Designs

New in the shop Handmade from start to finish in my studio in beautiful St. Augustine, FL.

My purses and bags made with Liberty of London fabric have been selling quickly. I will be working to restock as quickly as I can for the holiday gift-giving season. But keep in mind I have a limited amount of this wonderful fabric in stock so if you see something you like grab it. 

New in the shop! These tote bags are made from exclusive Harris Tweed wool imported from the Isle of Harris, Scotland. Harris Tweed is a luxury cloth handwoven by the islanders in their homes on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local wool.  This bag is certified with an authentic Harris Tweed label. A glimpse into the studio earlier today. This year I was not able to place an order for new Harris Tweed wool. I missed perusing all my samples and making my selections. Luckily I still have several meters of various solids and check weaves in stock for my fall collection so stay tuned! Update 8/28/13 : I was able to purchase a few meters of single width Harris Tweed! I'll have a little more to work with in the studio very soon.

These purses were added to the shop last week. Made from faux suede in shades of gray and robin's egg blue.  A glimpse of the studio earlier this month. Feathers, cherry blossoms and birds. Above is a glimpse of the studio this morning. Should have this batch of purses in the shop by tomorrow. I've got lots of ideas at the moment just not enough hours in the day to complete them. My next project is a bag for myself with feather appliques. Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Just added a batch of Harris Tweed Satchels to the Pesky Cat Designs shop . Adorned with handmade appliques and pretty wood buttons. Anni pretty much hung out in the studio all day doing this...... .....and doing this.  Had to watch out for her tail as I rolled around in my chair from one sewing machine to the other. Wishing you all a good week ahead!

Today I finally have a day off to work in the studio! Hope to have a batch of new items added to the shop by Sunday. The bags pictured above were completed more than a week ago. The light blue one is still available in the shop . The Harris Tweed purse sold to a wonderful customer and the red corduroy purse was a gift.  The Wayfarer Purse design seen above is now slightly larger with a 3" gusset. The overall dimensions are pretty much the same but the larger width gives you more interior space. If you would like to receive timely updates on the Pesky Cat Designs shop become a fan on Facebook . See work in progress, new purses when they are added to the shop and more. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

First of all I want to wish you all a Happy New Year! With the new year here I am now looking ahead and planning my future at Pesky Cat Designs.  My studio time will be a lot more limited this year due to other obligations. Because of this I need to plan my studio time very wisely. Keeping the shop stocked with more popular items such as the Wayfarer Purse pictured above is one of my plans for the new year.  New fabrics for 2013 are now available in the studio. A thick cotton/hemp with a linen weave in oatmeal and a sky blue will be perfect for spring bags. Also in stock is a heavy-weight faux suede in sky blue, dark slate and lipstick red that I am excited to work with. A selection of pvc-free faux leather is available as well. Of course, a very important part of planning for 2013 will be making sure I leave enough free time for myself to enjoy family, friends and walks on the beach. Wishing you all wonderful and well-balanced year ahead!  Balanc...

Corduroy Foldover Clutches are now available in the shop! Perfect for autumn strolls and trips to your favorite cafe.  The Owl Print Wayfarer Purse is back by popular demand. There are two available in the shop at the moment. My studio time has been a bit limited these days but I'm still working on new items and also hope to introduce a new bag design or two very soon. A larger tote design is in production as well. If you are interested in timely shop updates, special offers and more, become a fan on Facebook . Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead.

New corduroy purses adorned with faux suede handmade bird appliques have just been added to the Pesky Cat Designs shop.                                         Available in slate blue, chocolate brown, red and olive green upholstery corduroy.  Adorned with a lovely engraved wood button and lined in cotton stripes. A shot of the studio last week with the bags in progress along with a batch of custom clutches wrapped for shipping.  This week I'll be creating Harris Tweed foldover clutches in a variety of check/plaid weaves with a new batch of tweed I just received from Scotland.     Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Corduroy color selections for the Fall/Winter 2012 collection have just been ordered. Interior fabric choices will include florals, stripes or cream cotton drill. Starting from top left: khaki, slate blue, stripe interior, red, tangerine, chocolate brown, olive green, charcoal gray and a floral interior. All of these colors should be in stock at the studio starting August. I can only invest in limited amounts of each color at one time but will be re-ordering as needed. Please keep in mind that when I re-order fabric it can take 1 to 2 weeks to arrive, so if there is a purse in the shop that you like and want right away you might want to snatch it up. If you are interested in a custom order just contact me via the Pesky Cat Designs shop. These purses can be created with or without an applique. I also have a selection of appliques you can choose from that include horses, birds, seahorses and more. Corduroy colors in stock at the moment are olive green, chocolate brown and kh...

Ikat, pronounced 'ee-kaht', is a word of Indonesian origin which refers to fabric that is patterned by binding the warp threads to resist dye before the fabric is hand-woven on the loom.  The resulting motif has a "blurred" appearance that comes from the slight bleeding of the dyes into the resist areas.  The ikat design is created by tying areas of the threads into bundles with wax, grasses or even plastic to prevent penetration of the dye in those areas. The weaver has to figure out where on the loose threads the dye should penetrate in order to create the desired pattern when it is woven.  I kat is one of the oldest forms of textile design and is a universal weaving style common to many world cultures. At the moment I have clutches and purses available in the shop made from ikat that was  hand-woven in India.  Come peruse them all at the Pesky Cat Designs shop.

Cat Messenger in Vintage Cotton Tapestry and Faux Suede When I saw this vintage cotton tapestry with a cat surrounded by a floral wonderland I just knew I had to create something with it. I decided on a basic messenger made from faux suede and used the tapestry to make a sweet flap that would be the centerpiece. The kitty is quite regal looking sitting so majestically but we all know she/he is chasing butterflies and birds in the garden when we are not looking.  Equestrian Messenger in Cotton Tapestry and Faux Suede Also added to the shop is this sweet messenger made from a rustic looking cotton tapestry. Market Tote in Cotton Tapestry This tote really shows off the cool images on this tapestry. Almost every farm animal that you can image is featured. And I also love the quilt block motifs. All these bags are now available in the shop .  Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday. Enjoy! 

Just added four new Wayfarer Purses adorned with handmade bird appliques to the Pesky Cat Designs shop   in nutmeg, steel gray, fuchsia rose and sage green. The Wayfarer is great size to use as an everyday bag. These purses have one interior zippered pocket and one slip pocket perfect for a cell phone or something else you want quick access to. The strap length is about 25" end to end which works for most body frames. This week I'm working with reclaimed leather. Stay tuned for the results. Wishing you all a great week ahead!

New Harris Tweed messengers are available at the Pesky Cat Designs . The one above has a sweet bird on a branch applique made from wool felt and a pretty cotton floral print interior.   Wear it across the body messenger style or on your shoulder.  All our Harris Tweed is imported directly from Scotland. Harris Tweed is a cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local wool.

Leather apparel sourced from a charitable thrift shop was deconstructed and then given a second life in my studio, transformed into this one-of-a-kind satchel.   I'll be keeping my eye out for leather treasures to repurpose on my future excursions to thrift shops and consignment shops!

It's been a while since I posted a glimpse into my studio. This past Friday I was able to purchase some plastic storage bins and finally organize my space. The 90" long work table below was pretty much covered with various supplies, fabrics and finished bags leaving me very little space to actually work on. Now everything is in its place and I have finally regained my work space. It will make cutting fabric and drafting out patterns so much easier.  Below is my sewing station complete with my trusty and reliable Juki. On the left is a glimpse of a Brother machine that I use for applique work. I purchased the chair for $10 dollars at a local second hand shop and reupholstered it with faux suede. It works perfect.  The lovely sign below was designed by Tom and given to me as a gift. It comes with a stand that can be used for outdoor markets. And on your right is Anni tucked away in her favorite basket taking a rest from all the recent activities taking place at Pesky Cat ...

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.