Photo by Green Suitcase Guides

You can now buy Pansy Maiden bags at MooShoes! I know I've already mentioned this on Facebook and Twitter but I just can't shut up about it! I now have bags living on the shelves of this most-beloved, 100% cruelty-free, legendary New York City boutique. Whoa. And look at how beautiful the shop itself is! Beautiful, Kind treasures on beautiful Kind shelves. I cannot wait to stop in next time I'm visiting NYC to see my bags in this gorgeous, vegan shop! It will literally be a dream come true :)

 Please let me know which you like best, the Abstract Floral or the Boho Floral. And then let me know your favorite color. Remember, think about which color/floral you'd prefer to carry around with you in the form of a bag. Sometimes I may look at a print and love it as, say a skirt, but as a bag, not so much. Feel free to chime in here or over on Facebook where I'm rewarding voters by entering their name into a drawing for a free bag if they comment on the photo. I'll keep voting open for a week. Now is the time for your voice to be heard! Tell me what you want! And I will make it happen!

Whichever prints come up on top will be seen in my shop for the next three to four months. Sometime this Summer, I'll pick a new theme with new fabrics and you guys can vote again. I want to keep things looking fresh in my shop.

Thank you guys so much for letting me know your preferences!

When local, socially-responsible, kick-ass business lady Heatherjean MacNeil, the powerhouse behind Proxy Apparel, asked if I'd be interested in partnering with Proxy for a limited run of my Lady Day Clutch, I jumped at the chance. This company does such good work! 

Proxy Apparel is an ethical fashion company dedicated to empowering women through fashion. They believe in a sweat-shop free, equitable world and are passionate about fashion as a vehicle for social change.

Proxy's mission is to empower and employ women in a sweat-shop free, sustainable world. This mission drives their daily efforts, and they are working to infuse it into every aspect of the Proxy brand. Talk about amazing! And did I mention that their headquarters are located right in my backyard? I mean, not literally but they are just a stones throw and bicycle ride away. I am just so stoked to have the chance to help them in their mission, even in such a tiny way.

If you've been considering purchasing my Lady Day Clutch, why don't you run on over to Proxy's online shop and cash out there. If you choose to accept this mission, you will be supporting two (2!) socially responsible, female-led, bootstrapping, Boston-based companies!

Pansy Maiden Bags in Classic Twill, 2009

I started Pansy Maiden three years ago using only solid-color twills but, my friends, all things must pass. I remember how exciting it was to make that decision, order twill swatches, and decide on color combos. This is all "everyday life" for me know but that first batch of twill swatches...oh! I felt so squeefully-happy! Like I had made the right decision to leave my full-time job and follow this crazy dream! Twill was my very first fabric-obsession and so it will always live in a little corner reserved in my heart. But not to worry! I have so much exciting stuff coming up very soon, you won't be sad for long. I promise!.

I've been doing so much sourcing over the past 30 days (well, longer than that but for the past 30 days, it's been "insanity sourcing"). Sourcing this go-round has been incredibly fun, incredibly frustrating, incredibly taxing, and incredibly exciting. All that work has paid off though. I have found a couple of socially responsible companies to align myself with. These companies supply crazy-beautiful patterned fabric to the commercial market. For a long time, I have really tried to avoid working with patterned-fabric that is commercially available because I had felt like that would be a sort of "selling out." That people would be buying my bags more for the fabric design than for the bag design. My friends, I feel as if I have graduated from crafty middle school and have gotten over that immature misconception. I still believe, that even if I use some fancy-patterened material, the quality of my designs will shine through. Ultimately, I'd like to have my own fabic designs manufactured exclusively for Pansy Maiden. That time isn't quite now. And I don't want to wait any longer.

In short, come Spring 2012, Pansy Maiden will be offering 100% cotton canvas bags in patterned fabrics (fabric offerings will change every few months to keep things fresh), water-proof totes, waxed canvas bags, and a few faux-leather bags as well.

If you have ever thought about picking up one of these bags, please do it soon. I can't guarantee that they'll be around come mid-February.

I've said this before and I'll say it again--I love making diaper bag sets knowing that someone's little baby's precious stuff will be toted around in the bag, and that I'm making a new mom's life just a tad bit easier by providing a means to organize all that precious stuff.