The classic Boat & Tote from LL Bean has been around for over 64 years, so you know they’re doing something right! 

Maybe it’s the heavy-duty cotton canvas, with double-layer base and handles.  This tote is sturdy enough to stand up all on its own, and with double-stitched seams, you won’t have to worry about anything breaking.  The bag was originally designed to tote ice, so you know it will taking any beating you can give it.

With a great tote like this, you can use it as a carry on bag on the airplane,pack up your beach gear, make it a road trip bag, take it shopping, let the kids have it for their toys, keep it on the boat, or just stash it away for when you need it.  When you’re not traveling, these totes are perfect for the working in the garden, packing groceries, or toting anything around town. 

The Boat & Tote bag comes in a natural color, with contrasting color handles in a 10 color choices.  You can choose handles in regular or over-the-shoulder length.

The bag is available in four sizes:

• Small  10½"H x 9½"W x 5"D. Regular handles 5", Long 14".
• Medium  12"H x 13"W x 6"D. Regular handles 6", Long 14".
• Large  15"H x 17"W x 7½"D. Regular handles 8", Long 14".
• Extra-Large  17"H x 19"W x 10"D. Regular handles 10", Long 14".

Affordable priced from $17.95-30.95.  You’ll find them at a local LL Bean Store, or at LL Bean online.

Photo credit:  LL Bean

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LL Bean Boat & Tote Bags

Zero Baggage, expected to launch in Spring 2010, will be an online service where you can rent, or as they call it “borrow,” clothes for a short period of time on your vacation.  After wearing, items can be returned, exchanged, and even purchased.  You make clothing selections from an online store, select your rental period, and pay a rental fee commensurate with your selections.  You’ll be able to choose from New items, or rent “previously loved” items at a lower cost.  The clothing you selected will be waiting for you in your hotel room for your arrival.

At the end of your vacation, leave the clothes in your hotel room and a staff member will collect them.  After wearing and cleaning, the clothes are returned to the online store for future rentals.

What this all means is that you can travel with fewer clothes, meaning lighter bags, and not purchase clothing intended just for vacation wear.  If you live in a city that has Zero Baggage, it also means that you can occasionally supplement your special wardrobe requirements without the necessity of a major purchase.  If you have a special event coming up, but can’t justify the cost of a wardrobe purchase for a one-off wearing, you can rent appropriate clothing for a fraction of the cost of purchase.

The first two cities to launch this service will be Toronto, Canada and Gold Coast, Australia.  The company is currently seeking investors to keep on track for its Spring 2010 launch date.

What do you think?  Is this more-with-less an idea that’s time has come?  Would you rent clothing for your vacation?

Photo credit: SXC

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Pack Really, Really Light with Clothing Rental

That’s what I think about the Canvas Tool Bag from Klein Products.  Klein has been around for over 150 years, originally making pliers, and now selling a broad product line for the construction, electronics, and mining industry.  They make things that will stand up to hard use and last.

Their Canvas Tool Bag comes in a heavy duty #8 natural canvas, with a moisture resistant vinyl bottom and lower sides.  This baby is durable enough to carry tools – and tools are heavy.  Along with those heavy duty features, some nice touches include a nice wide opening (all the better to pack and unpack your things), stitched and riveted leather handles and restraining straps (these babies aren’t going to rip off), and there are non-scratch studs on the base to protect against wear (and make sure that this bag doesn’t scratch anything else either).

If it’s strong enough to tote around a bunch of tools, just think how it would stay up to miles and miles of air travel. Put your laptop in a sleeve, and pack it and all your other electronics gear in the tool bag.  Or you could use it to pack for a weekend away.  It would work as a gym bag, shopping tote, or even a fun weekend bag.

The tool bag comes in varying sizes, starting at 14 inches and going up to 20 inches, and is available in fun colors of blue, orange, and yellow, as well as natural canvas.  Look for a Klein Canvas Tool Bag at your favorite online or local hardware store.  Prices start around $70.

Photo credit: Klein Products

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Canvas Tool Bag Makes Good Weekend Tote

Cute reusable bags from three beans & co shown above.

I agree personally, because plastic bags are a complete eco-nuisance, but I am wondering how a law like this might affect everyone without reusable bags. Paper bags will still be around for sure, but paper bags are almost as un-eco-friendly as plastic. I’m thinking that if this becomes law, stores will make a move to a more eco-friendly bag material somehow  OR have massive chain wide promotions of store brand reusable bags.

What you should do – start learning more about your reusable bag options asap. You can always go with store brand reusable bags, but with few exceptions, these bags seem to have a very short lifespan and can be made of questionable materials. You’re better off going with a set of more expensive, but stronger and longer lasting cloth bags.

Do you think a worldwide ban on plastic grocery bags is a good idea? I do, even though I’m wondering about the logistics.

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Plastic supermarket bags ban

My ears perked up when I got my weekly email from Quilting Arts Magazine, offering free patterns for seven of their popular quilted bags!

I’ve used their patterns for quilted bags before – in fact, I made three of them last Christmas.  I was tickled pink with how they turned out – I just need some free time so I can make one for myself too.

If you want to get your own free patterns, just click here and follow the instructions.  You’ll need to join their website, and provide an email address.

image: C Findlay-Harder

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Free Patterns for Quilted Bags

ACME Bags – Plastic Bags Blow Dual-Handled Tote via Reusable Bags

Reusable Bags offers the following facts about non-reusable bags…

• According to the EPA, the U.S. uses over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps annually.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually.
• AND that’s just the U.S.
• The bags we use also have a negative environmental Impact
• “Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.“
• When plastic bags break down they don’t technically biodegrade they break into small pieces that can contaminate the water and soil plus animals can ingest the pieces and choke.
• The Center for Marine Conservation reports that plastic bags are among one of the top 12 items found in coastal clean-ups.

Tips for using reusable bags:

Get a lot. Once you start using them, you’ll never want to use plastic again. You need about 7-8 sturdy bags for a cart of groceries. However, get more than you think you need, because you should leave some in your car for when you forget the bags at home.

Get good bags, not store brand bags that will bust up sooner rather than later. See some amazing bag options or read Cute Bag Designs for the Picky if you happen to be, well, picky.

Don’t forget about other reusable bags. For example, don’t use disposable bags for your lunch or your kids lunches. Check out earth friendly lunch boxes.

Do you use reusable bags at the grocery store? How about at other stores.

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Why use reusable grocery bags

It needs to be large enough to serve as both a wallet (money,credit cards, ID, etc.) and also a purse that will hold your phone, camera, glasses, makeup, and more. Add in that you want it to be a little fashionable, easy to carry, and bonus points if you can slip it inside a larger bag when necessary.

We travelers don’t want much, do we?

One of my favorite wallet bags is from Baggallini.

It’s a 4-way bag, meaning you can wear it four different ways – across your body, over your shoulder, on your belt, or as a fanny pack around your waist.  OK, just because you CAN do that last one doesn’t mean that you SHOULD.  It’s just not a good look – for anyone!

The main compartment zip opens on three sides to reveal a number of other zippered compartments, elastic holders for pens or lipstick, and credit card slots.  There’s plenty of room to keep a other valuables without it losing too much of it’s shape.  And with a handy outside pocket, you can keep handy a few items that you always need close at hand.

This is a great bag that is sized right to slip inside a carry on, tote, or even a larger purse.  It’s made of a durable micro-fiber and comes in a variety of colors.

You can buy the Baggallini Wallet Bagg at eBags. Specially priced now for Mother’s Day at $32.36.

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All-in-One Travel Wallet Bag

Bowen Day Bag from Property Of. . .

It’s easy to think that a cheap tote can do the trick, and I’ve gone that route.  With a well crafted bag, you won’t have to worry about the straps breaking when you’re out for the day, and you won’t have to worry about the contents spilling out because a zipper has broken.  I’ve found that a quality bag has zippers and fasteners that are durable, is comfortable to carry, cleans up nicely, and last for years.

Property Of bags have a great selection of summer bags, and this Bowen Day Bag would be perfect for both men and women.  Made of a coated cotton exterior, the interior has a twill lining and storage pockets.  A covered front pocket lets you keep small things handy, and the bag is then covered up with a snap pocket that conceals snap fastenings.   A little leather trim and binding finishes it off, giving it a fashionable look.  An adjustable heavyweight shoulder strap let you choose the most comfortable length for carrying.

I love this day bag!  It’s big enough to carry a guide book, camera, maps, and a bottle of water in addition to a wallet, glasses, and a notepad. But it’s not so big that it’s bulky or slopping looking.

You’ll get lots of use out of this bag, traveling or not, and with a $180 price tag, quality is affordable.  Order online or check for a retailer in your neighborhood.

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A Day Bag from Property Of. . . .

I made three “Origami” needlework bags using this fantastic pattern from Quilting Arts TV.  I sewed the bags, wove the handles and my DH made little metal tags to go on the front and back flaps:

It’s just not Christmas without making at least one men’s dress shirt:

I also made a couple of shirts using the “Soft N’ Stretchy” transfer paper – which were awfully popular!

My husband requested a pair of suspenders, so my mom, Noreen and I collaborated to make him this pair:

Noreen wove the fabric strips and I sewed them together.

He had requested a pair of trucker suspenders, which definitely took some detective work to get together…  I still need to shorten up the back straps though:

I’ve got a couple of more projects to share – but that’s for another day and another post!

images: © C Findlay-Harder

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Want to see what I’ve been working on?

I just found the Yahoo group, “Bags to Brag About“.   It’s an online community specifically for hand-bag makers to share inspiration, tips and how-tos.   The group description is:

“Handbags are a woman’s accessory to her
individual style.
She chooses what makes her feel good,
stylish and a look she wants to call her own.
The bags you find here are original and one of a kind.
Here in this group you will find talented artist from all over the world who just love making handbags.
Join this group for the love of handbags wether you make them or just love to keep up with all the new trends.
If you knit, crochet, quilt, stitch, weave, sew or in any other way create handbags, you can ask questions, discuss techniques, and share photos of any handbags you have made or bought that is unique. What ever the medium, what ever inspires you. This is a place to share all your ideas, ask for advice, give advice with great handbag photos and free patterns.”

Sound like your cup of tea?   Go join the fun!

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Bags to Brag About