Whatever Happened to PieceWorks?

PieceWorks is alive and well even though its poor neglected blog has been untended for the past eight months.  We've been extremely busy with custom orders, but we want to assure you that we still sell our regular wallets & bags on-line (as well as in outlets in Asheville and a few other cities around the country).

Because we're making so many large bags and cases these days, we've added a new category to our catalog-- Bigger Bags and Cases.  We have now added this as a new catalog page, which you'll find on our catalog list.  There you'll find
 iPad -sized bags as well as market bags and small lunch bags available for purchase on line.

 The bag shown here is an iPad -size bag.  It makes a great everyday bag for those of you who like a slightly larger bag than our Not-So-Small (the iPad bag is 9" x 11" x 1 1/2").  This bag also works great as a travel bag.  I used mine on planes as a carry-on and on trains and buses in Portugal and France this past May.  It worked so well and stood up to being over-stuffed, dragged across floors to stash it under a seat, carried in the rain, and every possible abuse I could devise for it.  I'm still using the same bag today.  It sells for $38, which includes postage and handling.

Of course this catalog page is also the place to custom-order your own bigger bag or case.  Just give us instructions on the Paypal page OR, better, email us at weRpiecework@gmail.com to give us exact instructions and get a price, which you can pay via Paypal money transfer or by check.

Like Text? You'll Love this Bag!

A customer asked us to make a bag for her to take the place of her old bag that she had carried for many years.  She wanted the bag to be black and white, with perhaps a small bit of blue or red, but mainly black and white.  She needed it to be an inch or so wider and taller than our usual cross-body bags because she carries a journal with her and wanted to be able to slide it in and out of a pocket.  She also wanted us to use the clasp and a mesh pocket from her old bag.

We really love the way this bag came out.  It's made of the text areas of bird seed bags (plus one bar code), and its slightly longer front flap covers the mesh bag.  There is also a pocket on the outside of the flap.  The bag has the usual three inside pockets.  The customer didn't need a separate phone pocket, but we could have added a phone pocket to the back.

We've made so many of these not-so-small bags that we're finally going to put them in our catalog.  We'll standardize the bags into three or four general sizes, but we will continue to custom-design them for anyone who wants different sizes and features.  If you want to give us special instructions, you can email us or send us a phone number and we'll call you.

The basic bags are 8.5" tall x 6.5" wide x approximately 2" deep and sell for $25, including shipping and handling.  See the catalog page (Bigger Bags) for details and prices for the other larger bags.

The Upper Limit of our Treadle Machine

Today we finished the largest bag we've ever made--  a 14" x 19" x 3" laptop case, fully padded, with extra compartments for papers and cables and phones and pens.  Our customer wanted oranges and reds and a bird theme, which, as you can see,  was a great choice of materials.  The bag was a challenge, mainly because our little sewing machine is not an industrial model and has limited space for material to pass underneath the machine head.  It was sort of like sewing a pup tent.  But we really like designing on this scale, and we think a bag this size would be fun for many purposes-- carry-on, messenger bag, briefcase-like bag, as well as laptop and notebook bag.

What Ever Happened to those New Bigger Bags?

A few months ago we posted about a new bigger bag that we were experimenting with that we now call our Not-So-Small bag.  At that time we expected to test them for a month or two and then put them on this blog so you could have one of your own.  Our five testers gave us very helpful feedback after using theirs for a month, and suddenly we found ourselves making lots of these bags before we ever had a chance to put them into our catalog.  Most of our orders since then have come from people who see us or our customers wearing these bags and who then ask us about getting one for themselves.  

And then one day someone asked us if we could make a case for her extra- large iPad.   We really liked the way the iPad bag came out, so we made a couple to donate to silent auctions associated with a couple of craft fairs that we were a part of.  The first picture above shows the front  of a regular iPad bag.

The picture above shows the back of the small iPad bag with its phone pocket.

We still don't have a catalog entry for these bigger bags because the bulk of our orders are custom orders.  We really love custom work, but it's hard to put a custom item in a catalog.  So here's what you should do if you want to order one of our Not-So-Small bags or a bigger bag:  Email us directly at gdiehn@mindspring.com or at weRpiecework@gmail.com and tell us what length, width, and depth you want the bag to be;  tell us the colors and materials that you like;  tell us if you want any pockets (and tell us the length, width and thickness of your phone if you want a phone pocket) and where you want it or them placed.  All of our straps are adjustable and come with a no-slip piece of material that rests on the wearer's shoulder.  You can send the payment by Paypal or pay us by check.

We'll write back with confirmation of our understanding of your order and with any questions we still have.  We will write back and forth until we understand each other.  Our prices range from $25 (plus $4 for shipping and handling) for the Not-So-Small cross-body bags to $35 for most iPad bags (plus $5 for shipping and handling) to $50 for laptop bags (plus $8 for shipping and handling).  All iPad and laptop bags are fully padded between the double layers of material.  All of these bags have a main compartment as well as a full-width and height front pocket and back pocket.  The back pocket is unflapped for easy access while the front and middle compartments are covered by a velcro-closing flap.

We are happy to design unusual bags for you and will work out a price based on the size and amount of work involved.  Below are some examples of our Not-So-Small bags and iPad bags.  The standard size of a Not-So-Small bag is 8" high x 6" wide x 2" deep.  Below is a scan of my own NSS bag that is stuffed with two calendars, two sketchbooks, a small Shara wallet (also overstuffed), a checkbook,

several pens, my keys, and my phone plus several random pieces of paper-- receipts, etc.  This is the best bag I've ever owned.  I like the size (not too big, and the material itself is very light, so there's no extra weight from heavy leather or canvas) and its seemingly endless ability to hold more and more.  I often clip small foldup grocery bags to one of the D rings.

Commuter's Wallet

My son and his family are in town this week.  They recently moved from Brooklyn to Maplewood, New Jersey; so my son has now become a person who needs to flash various passes as he drives through checkpoints on the freeway.  He showed me his pathetic wallet (dull brown leather, falling apart, ripped seams, but still featuring the scuffed- but- clear plastic window compartment for his pass-- the reason he has not traded in his wallet).  He asked me if we could design a wallet for him to replace his old faithful wallet.

I based the design on our current slimmed-down standard-- no flap, no button, one credit card case;  and I added the clear plastic window for the pass.  He also wanted to be able to access his bills from the TOP of the wallet instead of the bottom;  but he was doubtful that his extra credit cards would stay in the bottom compartments.  I therefore reversed the placement of the billfold, putting it so that it opens from the top, and I put velcro closings on both bottom-opening compartments for extra security.

Here it is from the inside:

Very handy, very sleek (more rectangular than square), and it can be yours for the same price as a standard wallet.  Under special instructions, simply ask for a commuter's wallet.

Maya's Sketchbook Part Two

If you want to order a sketchbook for yourself, email us at weRpiecework@gmail.com and tell the dimensions, material, colors, kind of paper, etc.  Sketchbooks cost between $18 and $22 depending on size and kind of paper.

my scetchbook is the best thing ive ever had it makes me feel like ill never lose my memories from the beach and maybe other places ive never seen enything better and im happier then you will ever be
                                                                  Maya Diehn

A Beach Sketchbook, Posted by Maya Diehn

 hi I am Maya me my mom and brother are going to the beach. I asked my grandmother if she could make me a book to put all the things i saw and did in at the beach and she said yes. I love my new book and i will make sure it stays safe. So if you want a book to care for then order it right here right now and I am telling you you will love it. I am sure because i know I do and so don't thank me just for telling you thank my grandmother.