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Things have been absolutely crazy since my little bird pouches were introduced last week and disappeared in only a few days. I have finally gotten the logistics of making more of them sorted out and here are the new bunch expected to hatch in the next few days… so keep a close watch for them because they are expected to ‘fly’. 
A bird in the hand is better than mess in the bag.
Instead of throwing away all the off-cuts from Wren bags I have used them to make these lovely little bird pouches (above).
They are just the right size to hold all your bare essentials at 5.5″ x 3.5″ (excluding tail height). Your cellphone, bank cards, money or cosmetics can fit in. What more do you want when you are going out and do not want to tote around a giant purse. If you have small enough hands you can slip it on your wrist and not have to worry about forgetting it behind. OR you can clip the tail onto or into your bag (Wren bags come with a perfect clip inside them) making it easy to find.
Each bird is made with great care to detail. Each bird pouch is lined, has a wing and even has an embroidered eye. They are adorable.
If you would like a bird pouch, hurry over to my etsy store quickly.
The early worm gets the bird in this case!
It begins with a treasure hunt – I set off in search of treasure, which I know I will always find, at three (a list that is ever growing) of my favourite fabric stores here in Cape Town. (I never make it to all three as I usually blow my budget in the first one). I then head home and lay the fabric out on the floor and sit with a cup of warm coffee and take in the smell, texture, colour and patterns of the fabrics.
Soon the fabrics are paired off into their ‘bag stories’. I either then migrate to my sewing machine for the rest of the day or head off to visit my team of sewing ladies (pic below).
From Left to right: Zerina, me with the flu and Fatimah
I explain each bag combination to them and help with the cutting of the fabric. They then usually kick me out of their little house (as I’m a painful perfectionist) and tell me to come back later. A few days later I meet up with them and I have the gold from the bottom of the rainbow slung over my shoulder!
It is the best feeling to see a bag finished. Then I take it home, to the place it all began. Once home, I fill a lavender pouch and tie the ribbon and tag on. Then its photograph time and to my computer where I arrange for it to be put next to its sisters and brothers in stores or online…or both. From here they go to you and a whole new story begins.
I am both proud and excited to present to you the new BIG TOWN WREN BAG!
It is 30% bigger than the Small Town Wren Bag (the one you are familiar with), the inside zip is bigger and it includes a pen and notepad pocket which doubles up as a wallet pocket.
You can fit just about anything into the BIG TOWN BAG including your 15″ laptop, 1litre water bottle, reading book(s), A4 notepad and magazines. It can also double up as a beach and tog bag fitting a towel and other gear in. I also hear it can serve as a good diaper bag….
The Wren Big Town Bag is exactly the same in design as the Wren Small Town Bag. Each one is completely unique and is either made from the South African fabric Shweshwe or from the ends of English linen and cotton fabric rolls.
There is a hidden and lined exterior pocket which is perfect for your ipod, cellphone, keys or coins. The interior is fused and lined in a complimentary colour to the fabric exterior design.
There are 4 pockets inside: On one side there is a cellphone, notepad/wallet and pen pocket and on the other side there is a 8-10″ zip in a complimentary colour.
Each bag, like the Small Town Bag, comes with a special hand-picked and died French perfumed lavender pouch from Franschoek in South Africa. This is perfect for keeping your bag or draws smelling great.
The bag is closed by two hidden magnets which are very strong but will NOT cause your cellphone, laptop or any other electrical objects any damage.
The bag is approximately 16″x4″ at the bottom and 13″ high. The shoulder straps are approximately 25″.
Once again, the Wren Big Town Bag is supremely crafted by hand in and by South African(s). Great care is taken to ensure that it is of the highest quality standards so that it can last you a long long time.
Also, remember that the Wren Big Town Bag has special packaging. It is wrapped in a hand-made map of South Africa paper-bag.
I haven’t been able to draw for ages! Last night I couldn’t sleep and decided to try and draw Mischief sleeping on the end of the bed. I thought it would end like all my other drawing attempts in the past year where all I achieved was a pyramid of crunched up papers. I am so excited to see now that even though my drawing skill is a bit rough on the edges, it has not completely deserted me. Phew.
