Shoppe Local

Now you can find Recycling is Rad merch at Patina's new partner store, Shoppe Local, which just opened up near 50th and Bryant in South Minneapolis. Shoppe Local features Patina-style products, all made by local artists and craftspeople. More details here, or stop by the store:

Shoppe Local
813 W. 50th St
Minneapolis, MN

612.820.3071

M-S 9:30-9, Su 11-6

3 Clutches

Three new clutches in my Etsy store! Made from upholstery fabric samples (still working on that same batch), they're kinda fuzzy and tactile. Each clutch snaps shut with magnetic clasps, and the buttons I used as accents are vintage pieces from a collection someone gave me in an ancient metal tacklebox.

I started carrying a smaller clutch just for going out and whatnot, but I kind of loved the idea of not having to drag my entire life around with me everywhere, so I ditched my giant tote for now. It turns out, I don't need three novels and a 4-month supply of Kashi bars with me at the grocery store. Anyway, get the facts or buy a purse here!

Wool Shoulder Bags on Etsy

I made some shoulder bags for my Etsy store this week. These ones are a little bigger than the wristlets and clutches I've been making, and I love the colors I found to work with. The blue isn't actually wool; I think it's a cotton, but it's a thick fabric with a lot of texture. The pink and orange bags are both nice soft wools, and I used a roped strap for those two. All three of the purses also feature vintage button accents from my collection. See these and more new items at my Etsy store.

Photo Love

I can sew. I can dream up design ideas in the middle of the night, and I am REALLY good at digging through yard sales and thrift stores and whatnot for vintage textiles. But no one besides me would ever see any of the stuff I come up with if it weren't for this sweet photo hook-up I have. Yeah, I'm married to a photographer. Who is really talented and amazing, and who is great enough to always help me out when I have stuff that needs to be shot, and who never complains. So this is just R is R's official ThanksAMillion to TC Worley. (His blog is cooler than mine.)

See how awesome this looks? Skills.

Upholstery Sample Wristlets. On Etsy!

An enormous stack of upholstery samples rescued by my mother-in-law (go Judy) traveled in the rooftop carrier of our Scion all the way from North Carolina to Minneapolis just so these awesome wristlets could be available to you today. Made from said upholstery samples, these bags are tactile AND sophisticated. Who knew garbage could be fancy? Fancy. (Oh, and yeah, they were never actually IN a garbage can, just destined for one. So no banana peels.) Zipper closure, wrist strap, fuzzy feelings. Go shopping now.

Zips at SF MOMA

R is R has been focusing all attentions on wholesale productions over the last few months, as I've mentioned. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA) has been placing a zip order nearly once a month, which is, well, super rad. The zips I've been making for them feature SF MOMA's own label, and I'm excited about the possibilities of new venues for this kind of product.

Custom Diaper Bag

Here's some photos of my latest custom order. R is R has been pretty wrapped up in wholesale the last few months, so getting a chance to work with fabric was a nice change of pace. The bag was created for a couple expecting their first baby, and they were looking for a diaper bag they could share, something with room for all the essentials plus maybe a camera once in a while. Also, something that didn't look like a diaper bag. The client had a specific fabric pattern in mind, so for this one I used a new material on the exterior from our local Crafty Planet and lined the inside with recycled plastic for extra sturdiness and waterproofing. Since they were planning on using cloth diapers, we decided to add an extra zipper pocket on the back of the bag that was lined with a waterproof fabric as an emergency storage for the dirty diaper pouch.