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…and now nests in a new address: http://www.thewrendesign.com
I now officially have my own domain and from now onwards, this blog will continue to run from there. This is an exciting milestone for Wren.
To everybody who so kindly linked to me, RSS’ed me, or bookmarked me, please can you change the link address. I am sorry for the inconvenience.
Thank you to all my readers for your support over the past 3 months. It is becuase of you that I am able to reach my goal of having The Wren domain. I hope you will continue to visit and support me at my new address. See you there….
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 value the wrapping of gifts and I carry this through to Wren bag packaging.
Each Wren bag is packaged in a brown paper bag sealed with a safety pin decorated with brightly coloured beads. The safety pin is a traditional South African clothing item used instead of a button to hold clothes together and in my context, it serves as a sticker closing the classic and simple brown paper bag. The safety pin can be used later for whatever reason you can dream up.
This weekend I was playing with a new and ‘bigger’ bag design that I am hoping to introduce soon. For this bag I realized I needed bigger packaging. Brown paper bags come in standard sizes and the one I use is the biggest one available. I gave this ‘problem’ some thought and this is was what I came up with:
I have used the maps that I had under my bed. These maps of Cape Town and the Cederberg were being thrown away due to printing errors, name changes or because they were out of date and I ’saved’ them thinking I would find a purpose for them someday. Until now the only purpose I have found for them were my wall-art swallows but now I can finally say – they were worth keeping. I have taken something that was waste to somebody and have given it ‘new’ life. I copied the pattern from the brown paper bag and adjusted the size proportions. I have never been good at origami, maths or patience so this was a true challenge (and I was doing it on a Sunday afternoon!). After many frustrating samples I finally got it right and I am so excited with the result.
To seal the ‘map’ bag I came up with the idea to use old stamps. This relates to the map itself, distance and ties back to the theme of ‘no waste’. To get the old and already used stamp to stick I use double-sided tape.
So now you know – if you buy a Wren bag it comes beautifully wrapped. The current size bag is wrapped with the brown paper bag and beaded safety pin, if you buy more than one Wren bag you will get the recycled map bag and South African stamp and if you buy one of the bigger Wren bags that will soon be launched you will also get the recycled map bag and SA stamp.
This magical blue fabric has a fascinating history. The story begins in Europe where the fabric was imported from Asia, mainly India. The cloth was originally made using natural indigo dye but a synthetic substitute as well as two additional colours (a rich chocolate brown and a vibrant red) is now used.The original German Print, ‘Ujamani’ or ‘Shweshwe’ fabric was introduced to South Africa with the German settlers in 1858/9. Xhosa women took a particular liking to this stiff blue fabric and gradually replaced their animal skin garments for these newly available cotton ones. Over the years Shweshwe fabric has become an intricate part of traditional ceremonies in the rural areas.
Slowly the production of Shweshwe fabric has disappeared from Europe and today the only known producers of the Indigo Dyed Discharge Printed Fabric are in South Africa. This factory is 45% owned by the workers, creating a sustainable future for them in the Eastern Cape. Authentic Shweshwe fabrics can be identified by a trademark back-stamp on the fabric: the Three
Leopards, the South African version of the original and traditional Three Cats trademark or Toto 6. The stiff touch, smell and taste of the fabric are also unique ways to ensure the fabric is genuine. The reason for these characteristics lies in the fabric’s history:- During the long sea voyage from the UK to South Africa, starch was used to preserve the fabric from the elements and gave a characteristic stiffness and smell. Today the fabric is starched for traditional reasons. After washing, the stiffness and smell slowly disappear to leave behind a beautiful soft cotton fabric.
(Note: When washing Shweswhe for the first time the excess indigo comes out and therefore, it is advisable to wash items separately).
Wren bags are very special. Each one is unique, a one-of-a-kind, and with its own personality – just like you! A lot of time is spent making sure the colours and patterns of each bag work together. All the bags are made perfectly so that they last you a long time and meet the highest quality standards (as I am an admitted perfectionist).
Every bag is personally made either by me, or when the work load gets too much I ask for the help of two very special seamstresses from the local community.
Bag Description
- Shweshwe or traditional fabric from England (eg. Sanderson, William Morris and Liberty) are used for the bags in different combinations. Shweshwe fabric has a long history in South Africa and is the only known producer of this special fabric today.
- Hidden exterior pocket perfect for ipod, cellphone, keys or coins.
- 3 interior pockets: On one side a cellphone and wallet pouch and on the other side is a zipper pocket lined in a contrasting colour fabric.
- There is also a snap hook inside for your keys or small pouch to clip into.
- As a special surprise – each bag comes with a pouch filled with hand-picked and dried French perfume lavender from Franschoek – perfect for keeping your bag smelling great.
- The bag is closed by two hidden magnets. These magnets are very strong but are not placed close enough to cause your cellphone or other electrical objects any damage.
- Approx. Dimensions: 12.5”x3” at the bottom and 10” high. The shoulder straps are 24”.
- All Wren products are supremely crafted by hand in and by South Africa(ns). Great care is taken to ensure that all Wren products are of the highest standards.
