An Update on my last post about Enid Collins handbags

As most of you know, I just posted about Enid Collins and her handmade handbags...........just realizing that I have actually had one in my possession all of these years..........and not knowing how special it was.

You can read about this and Enid Collins in my previous post.

This weekend, I went out on a picking adventure and to my delight, found two more Enid Collins handbags!

( you can click onto photos for a better view.)

Isn't this beautiful?? As you will read in the previous post, she named each bag with a different name.......

this one is called Floral basket. As you can see the "Collins" brand mark is on the bottom part of the bag as well and can also be found on the inside.

It  has a long strap to it. 

This is one of the popular wood bottom and leather strap kind. 

the name and brand are on the back of this one. This one is called

Les Fleurs.

Here is the one I have had for many years. The strap actually unsnaps and can be longer.

It is called Soft Touch. 

Now they are in my vintage shop and look so pretty! Don't you think?

How about you?.........do you collect vintage handbags?

What is your favorite?

I would love to hear!

Enid Collins.............the jewel in handbag designers

 Enid Roessler grew up in San Antonio, Texas . She then met and married a sculptor, Frederic Collins  and they  moved to a Texas Hill Country Ranch immediately following World War II. Both were craftsmen. Enid had studied costume design while working for a fine arts degree at Texas Woman's University. Frederic was an engineering draftsman whose hobby was animal sculpture.To help out with finances, Enid opened her first shop in 1959.

Combining their talents, they made some leather handbags, all hand-dyed and stitched, with ornamental brass closures sculptured by Frederic. The living room of their ranch house soon became a leather workshop as they filled special orders for friends and supplied the small shops at nearby dude ranches.A dress-designer friend suggested that they submit samples to the handbag buyer at Neiman-Marcus. They did--and to their great delight an order for $500 worth of handbags and matching belts followed. This was the beginning of Collins of Texas.

Soon the two of them could not fill all the orders, so additional workers were hired and trained, one at a time. More working space was require, so they rented a workshop in Medina, a tiny village of about 350 people. As the business grew, Frederic and Enid became more specialized in their individual contributions to it.

The leather handbags which they made were a seasonal item, and it was the search for styles which would enable their operation to keep busy all year around that led to Enid's creation of the decorated totes and wooden box bags that were to set fashion trends in casual handbags.

The designs all had names,--each told a story--each had something special or personal that the prospective customer could relate to. Some of Enid's classic designs are "Money Tree," "Road Runner," "Night Owl," "Carriage Trade," "Cable Car," "Sea Garden," "Love," and many more. There are currently 100 designs in production in the two Collins of Texas factories.

As the business grew, the need for a less expensive item became apparent, and Enid came up with the idea for a handbag made out of a wooden box, painted and jeweled. Acceptance grew slowly for such an original concept of fashion accessory. When it was copied, or in the terminology of the trade, "knocked of," by a New York firm, it received the boost it needed, and the wooden box bag is now a classic. There are many imitations, but no more copies, as all Enid Collins designs are copyrighted.

I have had this bag in my collection of purses for over 30 years..........not realizing that it had the Collins logo and name on the outside and inside. I just thought it was pretty and kept it all of these years. I recently found and article about these wonderful purses and the native Texas lady who made them and  remembered this bag in my collection. I am always delighted to be surprised by finding out about each piece I find as I learn the unique history or origin that it belongs to. This purse  looks to have never been used. Yes........it will be for sale in my shop. 

How about you? 

Do you remember these bags?

Did you own one are did your aunts, mothers, or grandmother's own one?

I would love to hear!

Once again, a beautiful piece of material

once dreamed about and in wait for embroidery, found it's way into a box at a flea market and  was taken home by myself to be brought to it's full potential that it was once designed for.

A small tablecloth, still stiff from starch, it's cotton material not stained..........

and designed with these cute dish motifs for embroidery!

I think these designs are from the 40"s ?  There is one in each corner of the tablecloth. 

There are holes throughout the piece, but that will not be a problem because I can easily patch them.

It is edged in a colorful crocheted edging. I am not completely sure, but I think that this is a piece that was probably already stamped for embroidery and sold in a five and dime store........

am I wrong?

So I took the time this week to embroider one of the motifs. I think I am going to embroider each motif in different colors...........instead of matching them up. 

What do you think? 

Also to my delight...........I came upon a whole set of vintage scissor pockets. Do you remember these? These were used to store the seamstress scissors. And they were not to be used by anyone for any other reason than for cutting fabric.  

Each piece is  so unique and in wonderful condition. The collection looks wonderful on the walls of my vintage shop and studio. 

I have not listed them yet, however, I am willing to sell a few. My shop is now open and ready for business. I have  cleared all  the rules and licenses and now can enjoy selling..............if I can get customers to find me. 

I want to show you my kitchen area. It is full of  vintage dishes and kitchen items.

(click on picture for a better view)

I have vintage dishes of every shape and size..........with roses on so many of them!

Do you like the " Homemade Pies" cutting board in the center? A friend gave this to me a few years ago because I always talked about wanting to have a pie shop. So it is for display only, because I love it!

I have a shelf of vintage glassware on the other side of the kitchen area........

and I love the old quilt tops on top of the vintage Royal Crown soda box.

Don't you?

I have embroidered linens in the drawers of the dressers, but I had to display some on this cute little cart that I recently found.

A small vintage night case has hand crocheted pieces spilling out over it. 

This is a very special piece and you can read the story about this, if you would like , on my country blog.

Just click onto the link

Eggs In My Pocket

Now that spring is here, I am hoping that you are finding the weather warmer and sunnier? 

What are your plans for this spring season?

Are you planning gardens..........or are you planning projects.........

or both??

I would love to hear!

A cardboard box sat on the floor of a resale shop...........

it's flaps pushed open just enough for me to see roses.

Vintage dishes with roses. I posted about this beautiful set a few months ago, 

showing you the design I created and embroidered to match the dishes on a tablecloth. 

Well the tablecloth is finished ..........

and I made a set of 6 napkins to go with it out of this beautiful rose print fabric . I finished the edges in a buttonhole stitch to match the thread in the tablecloth. I had planned to sell these in my vintage shop...........

instead.........

 they are on their way to San Francisco. One of my readers fell in love with them the first time I posted about them and told me that  when I was finished with the embroidery, to let her know.  I am so delighted that they are going to a beautiful home where someone will really enjoy using them! 

Now these once loved dishes have a new life to be loved all over again!

This is what gives me joy, most of all in the embroidery work I do. I love hearing that you are picking up a project that you had put away, ...........awhile back, and are inspired to start stitching on it again. 

I love knowing that you enjoy using embroidered linens and vintage dishware to serve your family dinner with!

So now you have me wondering...................

who among you still use linens or dishware for your family meals??

With all of the pretty paper products that are available.........

how many of you choose to use those in your fast and hurried life?

Tell me!

With my needle and floss.............I am making the beautiful English Daisy bloom

on fabric. 

My eyes......and heart...........caught the attention of these beautiful flowers the other day at a nursery...........

I would love a whole flower garden of these.........

wouldn't you? 

I brought an armful home to decorate the window box

of the front of my vintage shop...................

but you know me very well .......

that as an embroidery artist........

growing these were not my first intention............

I would much rather grow them and watch them blossom.......

with my needle.

 I lightly sketched them onto plain cotton fabric

and explored every blossom and leaf

to get the right color of floss and 

to capture their likeness in French knots.........

straight and short stitches, chain stitches and whipped stitches.........

Their round yellow centers and almost fluffy appearance

(click on image for a better view)

had me stitching , until I got the results I liked. 

Although I have been doing embroidery like this for years..........I still feel intimidated when I cut the stitches to make the flowers look like this. 

I need to add a bee, I think.........

How about you?

What flower attracts your attention the most?

Have you ever grown English Daisies? 

While going through and organizing

the projects in my work basket, 

the ones, unfinished..........and sometimes forgotten..........

I found this shirt............

if you remember..........I had posted about  awhile back

and I showed you how I was beginning to embroider on it.........

to make it my garden shirt. I embroidered the front pocket and on the inside and up above the pocket to make it look as if flowers were spilling out of it. 

Since then, I laid it aside and , never gave it another thought.....until this weekend. So in trying to decide what to it  add next..........I had been thinking about how much I cant wait to see the morning glory to start growing and blooming here on the grounds..............

I decided to stitch morning glory on the other side of the shirt. I have them going across the shoulder, 

and dipping down on the front facing. 

And I want a different array of color..........

They also dip over the shoulder and down into the back

where the smallest bud lies, I think I need to add a bumble bee here.........

don't you ? 

On the side shoulder, I wanted the flowers to fall off a little.

Now the shirt is starting to bloom. I also want to add a graceful butterfly...........

and a few other things, without it looking gaudy. 

What do you think should be added?
Do you like to embellish shirts or clothing?

If you do, do you like to embroider,.........or paint?

Or maybe you like to add jewels or studs?
I would love to see and hear about it!