The Messenger Bag - "The Nations" (this bag no longer available)

I have had the greatest honor of creating this incredibly special handbag, called "The Nations". It was designed for a woman who is from Poland, and adopted a little girl from Guatemala. She viewed my Scarlet Clover albums on Facebook, and approached me about making the Messenger Bag for her, with the specifications of somehow combining the two countries (order to be filled sometime in the new year). What a challenge to say the least! Little did she know that her niece viewed our exchanging conversations on my Facebook wall. Her niece then approached me to see if I could have this ready by Christmas, as she and her parents wanted to give it as a gift. Gladly accepting, I went to work researching the traditional clothing of the two countries, hoping to find a common denominator between the two. I hit the jackpot, to say the least. Although Poland and Guatemala are quite different in their histories, their customary clothing I found to be remarkably similar in many ways. With the bold use of color, and gorgeous displays of flowers, I had a lot to work with.

What is unique about the bag that my client chose, is that the center flap of the purse can be worn two ways, having two different looks to the purse. I thought, "How appropriate for this this special request! I'll have Poland on one side, and Guatemala on the other. Brilliant!!" One side of the flap has my modern take on the lovely embroidered flowers that are so prevalent in the traditional blouses worn by Polish women. I created a sort of collage, with fabric layered upon fabric, to create the distinctive look. The other side of the flap reveals the bold, bright, colorful stripes that are so abundant in Guatemalan blankets, skirts and aprons. Having done mission work in Guatemala, I took great pleasure in recreating these amazing color schematics.

If you click on the images to the left, you can get a much larger view of the photos, allowing you to really see the details on the bag. I used wool as the main fabric. The flowers and stripes are composed of cotton blends, satin, and linen.

The label card that accompanied this bag reads:

Although you and your child come from different nations, your love knows no boundaries. "From one blood, God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence, and the boundaries of the places where they would live," (Acts 17:26) God's steadfast love is "as far as the east is from the west" (Ps 103:12), and "indeed he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:27)

On the shoulder strap, I added a little touch of flowers, and two hand-carved black wooden buttons. A closer look (again, click on the photo) will give you a better impression.

Once again, the unique design of this bag allowed me to carry on the theme of the two nations to the inside. I used a fabric that is very true to Guatemalan prints and colors on the lining of one compartments, as well as the small pocket which is disguised under my signature "cascade" of fabric.

On the opposite side of the flap, I used a fabulous print that is faithful to the styles so beautifully represented in the traditions of Polish clothing. A closer look will show how I replicated the flowers from the lining to the flowers of the front of the bag (click on image).

One side of the handbag displays these wonderfully convenient cargo pockets. Perfect for keys, cell phones, and lipstick, these compartments are lined with black satin, and have a magnetic snap closure.