Cha Change

These are brand new, just made yesterday. Heavy leather, screen printed with a variety of graphics and sewn into convenient little change purses great for transit tokens, laundry money or what ever you want to stash inside. These will be available this Saturday at Guilty Pleasures for $12 each. Available online at the "Cha Cha Store" in the next couple of weeks.

I get it.

For the past few years most of my work has been done from my living room and often still while wearing my pajamas. There were many things I loved about it,but my favorite part of the day would be lunch when I would put on a more appropriate "in public" outfit, grab a new "cha cha" clutch I had just made and take it for a test run to the local Middle Eastern cafe for lunch. There I would often see other ladies lunching. Next to their chairs on the floor would be their life stuffed into an awkward over flowing shoulder bag with stretched out straps and bulging pockets. I would think to myself "why would you ever stress yourself out by trying to carry 25 pounds of baggage everyday" at which point I would glance down at my small leather clutch, made just hours before and feel relieved that I traveled light. Fast forward 6 months... I have split work and home life, I rented a studio space to sew in and an apartment just to live in. While much of it is great, one thing I don't love is taking public transit everyday. The trip it's self is not so bad, I like sitting on he street car just watching people go by, its lugging all my stuff back and forth, forth and back everyday. Slowly over the months I have been surprised by the amount of things you need to bring with you when you are out of the house for 10 hours a day. The other day while out for lunch ( still my favorite part of the day) I caught a glimpse of a reflection in a store front window. The reflection was of a huge handbag bulging with "necessities". Carrying the bag was a small woman with short brown hair, wearing a parka and knee high winter boots. With a closer look I realized it was me, the women who just months earlier would have never left the house with a purse that had a strap. At that moment I finally understood big bag lovers! I hope to have pictures of new bags up in the next 2 weeks.

BELTS BELTS BELTS

Here are just a few of the items that will be available at the Guilty Pleasures Sale at the Drake on Feb. 2. There will be belts, change pouches, clutches, canvas shopping totes,shoulder bags, pillows and more. The show will be open to the public from 2pm-530pm. This will be a cash only event with a ATM available in the Drake. Come check it out!

There are only 5 large bags left from the 2007 line and they have all been marked down by 25%. Check out the great deals here!

HANDBAG designer 101

Cha Cha is featured on HANDBAG designer 101

A little tease

Here is a teeny tiny sneak peek of a few of the finished 2008 pieces. A lady can't reveal it all at once, we have to work up to it. Many more to come.

Stage 1

This is how each piece starts, scribbles and swatches.

I love leather.

Today was spent doing one of my favorite parts of my job, shopping for new leather. It's hard for me to go to my suppliers and not go crazy and buy a little of everything, but today I did pretty well, kept focused and bought a good mix of colours and textures that will soon be the spring line. I have finally finished up a few 2007 projects that were lingering so now I am free to spend all my time on new pieces. The new line will include 7- 8 brand new styles and 8 re- vamped current styles as well as belts, key chains and a few travel pieces. Check back next week, I will be posting pictures of this line from first pattern drafts to finished sample pieces. Can't wait for Monday! (bet you don't hear that often)