It's been a long-time thought in my (Anne) mind to be able to design and hand print the flaps for the Gal Friday style messenger bags. Over the years we have had to reinvent ourselves many times as much loved fabric producers and designers have stopped printing canvas or even closed their doors. This year we have seen two of our canvas suppliers close and a third--our beloved and biggest supplier of organic cotton canvas will probably be forced to close. The last five years have been incredibly hard on small businesses with decreasing availability of quality supplies and ever rising costs. We have worked really hard to keep our products priced at a fair price for our customers but it's been a difficult road.
Sometimes the challenges that we face, cause us to look to other options and that can be a good thing. I was able to connect with one of my favorite artisans, Lynn from Crisp and Tart (https://www.crispandtart.com/), and she was gracious to start teaching my daughter Roslyn and I the art of screen printing. This has been something that I have wanted to do for years so it was really a blessing to get this opportunity. We currently have two original hand printed designs that are featured on the Gal Friday flap. As I continue to grow in confidence and skills, I will be releasing new designs.
This quail is an original block-print design by my daughter Roslyn. We have adapted it to use as a screen print. You can see more of her work on her Instagram page: @gentlehorsecreations
The Butterfly design in the middle is one of Anne's current original designs.
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