About the Bags
Each and every Kualè Girl Designs bag in my collection is a handcrafted gem! Far from being mass-produced, I design and sew each of them, one at a time. Quantities are limited, and once I am out of stock of a particular fabric, it is often the case that I'm unable to find it again. So, if you spot a Kualè Girl Designs bag that you love, don't wait too long to order it—you may never see it again!
The photos included here are representative of the various bags I make. An individual bag may vary slightly from the photo shown here. For instance, a bag may turn out slightly different due to the "repeat" of the fabric design (this is especially true in toile fabrics, which usually incorporate several different scenes, only one or two of which will be seen in a single bag). Occasionally I need to substitute buttons, zippers, or handles that are slightly different from the ones shown in the photo. However, most of these changes are hardly noticeable and don't affect the overall look or appeal of the bag.
About Kualè Girl and How Kualè Girl Designs Got Started
I have been sewing since I was in form one home science class. My grandma was an accomplished seamstress. My mom and my aunt used to make some of our clothes. So I guess sewing is in my blood. And at some point along the way, I told everyone that I wanted to be a home science teacher when I grew up! *glurp*
I ended up scrapping that idea and went on to do my own things instead. But I love to sew and continued to do as much as I could whenever I could, teaching myself new techniques and expanding my horizons along the way. I made my first quilt, over 10 years ago when my second child was a baby. I also started to made my first bag, but unfortunately I can't remember of when was that. Pretty soon lately I found myself making more because I never seemed to have enough on hand. I'd make a bag and use it for something, and pretty soon it became dedicated to a specific purpose (like a meeting bag, or library bag, or travel bag, etc.). Then the next time I needed a bag for something, they were all already being used for something, so I'd have to make a new one! Then I realized what great gifts bags are, so I started making bags to give to family and friends. It wasn't until later that I found that I could adapt what I'd been doing with making totes to make purses for myself, too.
In the meantime I was collecting all kinds of beautiful fabrics. I wasn't always sure what I was going to use them for, but I had to have them. When recently, I had to clean out my stuff, and that's when I first realized just how much fabric I had! It was time to do something constructive with all of it. I was also at a point in my life when I needed a new challenge and a creative outlet. I'd always wondered if I could make something that someone else would want to buy, so I started making tote bags and handbags to sell—and that's how Kualè Girl Designs got started.
So now Kualè Girl Designs is a full-fledged one-woman enterprise with some different product lines. I design and sew each Kualè Girl Designs all myself, from cutting the fabric at the beginning to making the hangtag to attach at the end. I make my own patterns. I managed and maintain this site myself, do my own bookkeeping, and . . . you get the idea. Like most entrepreneurs, I wear a lot of hats (well, all of the hats). I juggle my bags business with my shoes as a working single mom. It's a lot of work, but it's challenging, rewarding, and fun.
Anyway, thank you for your interest in my handmade bags and how I got my start. If you have any questions about anything, you can email me at:
You can also send an email to this address if you'd like to be placed on my mailing list. I'd be happy to keep you updated on changes on the Kualè Girl Designs website: new items, bag options, promotions, and more!
Thanks for visiting!
Kualè Girl
Owner, Kualè Girl Designs
This week’s Friday give-away is two $20 gift certificates from Sheree’s Alchemy in Texas. See below for your chance to win.
