From Shirt to Bag

It all started with a question…

 My daughter Katie – a new mum – phoned me frustrated at baby-changing chaos when out and about with daughter Florence. No matter how well-packed her changing bag with clothes, nappies, creams, wipes, toys, mayhem always ensued at the next ‘poonami’ – frantic digging for the right vest, pair of trousers or tee-shirt at the bottom of the bag.

“Mum. It’s ridiculous. Can you help me better-organise my changing bag?”.

I had an idea suddenly that huge pile of good quality old shirts I had hoarded for years, came into their own. An avid recycler and life-long sewer, I got to work.

One year and six prototypes later, the Original Shirt-bag – in three different sizes – began to roll off my sewing machine!

Since then I have recreated ‘Cockalou’, a hanging bag I had as a child in the 1970s that I kept my pyjamas (and many other things) in.

I have also designed a tote bag which uses the shirt cuffs and an extra large Shirt-bag, from preloved duvets, for those larger items in response to requests from customers.