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.