Gift bags galore...

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Good evening to all. We are up to our elbows in cloth bags here in our Gabriola Island studio! These are the first round of gift bags, with another stack being prepped for stitching... and more bread bags and some trinket bags to follow... and our countdown days are at 8 to our opening market at The Commons Christmas Craft Fair...

In the Feature Showcase this evening: a versatile Gift Bag

...Choice of print or plain outer fabric (poly/cotton) 

...Lined with contrast fabric to compliment the outer fabric 

...Built-in handle for easy transport or for hanging on a stocking hook 

...Attached ribbon tie 

...Plain outer fabric also has a medallion embellishment hand-stitched to the front ...Trimmed with decor stitching along the handle

Photos courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

...Finished size approximately 6¼” wide (12½” diameter) by 14½” tall ...Large enough to hold a bottle ...Smaller version measures approximately 10" tall 

...Either version makes a great bag to fill with jams & homemade preserves, bath salts, an assortment of candles, or anything else you may be able to think of to put in it 

...Environmentally & tree-friendly; reusable 

...A gift in itself!

What features do you look for in a cloth gift bag? Sturdiness? Uniqueness? Versatility? What features would you like to see in our gift bags? More colors? More print outer or plain outer with embellishments? Bags for other holidays and special occasions? Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions or questions below... we are open to all feedback regarding our blog and our products. Join us on our Facebook page too! Or if you prefer a private communication, please email Carla's Victorian Heirlooms at the address on the sidebar (use the @ symbol in the address)... And we are accepting orders for Christmas and New Year's delivery. 

Until next time... one month today is Christmas Eve! who's left on your shopping list?... stay safe, be happy.

Feature Gallery: Cotton Bread Bags

First an update...

Good evening to all. It was a long day spent behind the desk to catch up on paper work again... finish one file and on to the next. Plans have changed for the weekend... no Vancouver trip to visit the Make It! show... no Parksville visit either. We are instead going to stick closer to home and visit a couple of the small local markets going right here on Gabriola Island... The Feedlot Studios is running a market Friday November 25 (5pm – 9pm) and Saturday November 26 (10am – 4pm)... As well, the 2nd Annual Gabriola Artisan Christmas Fair is taking place Saturday November 26 & Sunday November 27 at the Rollo Seniors’ Centre, 685 North Road.

That’s the news of the day from the studio... now on to our feature of today... 

cotton bread bags! 

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

The bags are ...Reusable and environmentally friendly (no extra plastic in the landfills) ...Made right here in our studio, with 100% cotton fabric (toss them in with regular kitchen laundry instead of washing bulky plastic containers) ...Have a drawstring at the top for easy open and close (no more broken plastic clips or worn twist ties) ...Finished measurements are 8½” wide by 15½” long to fit a loaf of artisan bread nicely ...Add a unique touch to your kitchen decor ...Each bag is completed with a finishing "artisan's touch" of the hand-stitched embroidery “Bread” in a contrasting color to compliment the fabric ...Makes a great bag when you want to take that fresh bread to your next dinner invite!

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Up next in our Feature Gallery will be the small version of a gift bag with a built-in handle... until then...

stay safe, be happy.

Bags, bags, and more bags...

Carla's Victorian Heirlooms is excited to showcase the featured stock for our very first Christmas season. An assortment of cloth bags... reusable, decorative and friendly to the environment by eliminating the need for wrapping paper... 

We gave you a sneak peek of a gift bag on November 7, when we showed off the red bag...
yesterday was spent cutting more bags.


For the festive season, lots of red and green... and of course, the holidays would not be complete without the holly fabric.

 

      A smaller version of the handled bags...

Trinket bags to hold small treasures...

The cotton bread bags are also cut and ready for sewing. We posted a bit about those on November 9. We had a few issues with some lettering on them and that is sorted out... finished photos of those will be posted as well this week... 

The studio is becoming a flurry of activity with preparations for our upcoming market December 3... our blog followers are the first to see what will be available at our public debut...

There may be 33 more sleeps until Jolly Old St. Nick's arrival but we will back tomorrow... stay warm, stay safe and be happy.

Thank you to Shawn at S. D. Jackson Photography... your camera, your support, and your creative input are deeply appreciated.

Moving right along...

The last couple of days have been consumed with paperwork here in the studio... supplies list for the upcoming market in December, sales forecasts for 2012, working on new product release line sheets... business workshops coming up... and of course, stitching and sewing to work on too...

Hard to believe the New Year is only 6 weeks away! That time will certainly fly by fast just as this past year has... We have the opening Gallery Showcase coming up here on the blog in less than a week so we are busy with those preparations... mark November 21st on your calendar to see what we're kicking off our very first Holiday Season with... Very exciting! We've also been busy getting ready for our market trips to Parksville and Vancouver coming up on the 25th & 26th of this month... I love the hustle and bustle at this time of the year.

Until next time... have you started thinking about those letters to Santa?... stay safe, keep warm and be happy.

Gallery production is underway...

A busy day in the studio today... more production is underway in the inventory division of Carla's Victorian Heirlooms. Next off the sewing machine are some cotton bread bags. These bags are wonderful in that we will no longer have to use unsightly containers or plastic bags for storing bread... we can save the landfill from a bit of unneeded waste... and every little bit helps. Cloth bags will certainly outlast any plastic bag that can only be used a few times before it looks like something the wind got a hold of. Throw the cotton bag in with your regular laundry and it is ready for use again and again. Not only all that, they are a decorative addition to your everyday kitchen linens.

Constructed with 100% cotton, the bags have a drawstring top for easy opening and quick closing. They're fantastic to put a loaf of homemade bread in to take to your next dinner host or hostess. Each one is embellished with a bit of decoration as well for a finishing touch of creativity. They are multifunctional ~ you can use them for storing pretty much anything you can think of to put in them.

The new inventory of bags will be showcased here on the blog during the week of November 21. Along with the bread bags, we will be featuring the choices in our jewel-toned gift bag selection... these gift bags wrap a bottle much easier and nicer than a brown paper bag... We have started a pre-order list for the upcoming holiday season so best to order soon to ensure delivery in time for the shipping rush. Ordering and shipping deadlines will be posted during the showcase week as well. 

Until next time... don't let your thread run too short... stay safe, be happy.