Please give a warm welcome to Olivia!

Let's hear it for my latest Diva! This one is not for sale. It is a gift to a special woman in my life....my mom! This Diva's name is Olivia and she was born on the first full day of summer...June 21. This gal definately has several facets to her personality (purse-onality?). Being born in summer she loves outdoor activities but especially ones that include a beach chair and an umbrella! But note that she is no stranger to the finer things. Her rich purple silk exterior is a hint that she actually descends from royalty. There is one exterior pocket lined with a fun Laurel Burch silk fabric that features chubby cats of bright colors including red, pink, purple, yellow, blue and green. The pocket is accented with custom purple silk piping. Above the pocket, standing guard is a red cat (Laurel Burch) button with purple polka dots and blue whiskers. The interior is the Laurel Burch silk cat fabric again. I wouldn't have been able to use the Laurel Burch fabrics in a bag to sell because all her works are licensed...but as a gift to my mom it was perfect! The straps on this bag are 16" long making Olivia a wristlet. Mom, I know it will take a little getting used to...but it will save your shoulders!

Now a little side note about this bag. I have made over 400 handbags in the past 8 months(all by myself!)But I hadn't made one for my mom yet. I kept looking for the perfect fabric. I ordered some silk a few months ago but it wasn't what I had in mind. My mom's favorite color is purple. So a couple of months ago I got a nice purple dupioni...but I couldn't find something fitting to use for the lining! Finally, almost by accident I found a silk scarf by Laurel Burch on fabric.com and decided to order it. It was perfect because mom loves cats and this scarf had some pretty colorful cats on it. I cut it up but was short of being able to give her all the pockets I wanted her to have. So production was delayed again! I then went to ebay and found the same scarf from a seller in Hong Kong (less expensive than fabric.com even with the shipping) so I ordered it and waited....and waited! It took three weeks to arrive. But atlast I had the perfect elements to put together for my mom. You see, my mom is a beautiful woman. She is every bit a "lady", but she also has a fun side as only her close friends could attest to if she hadn't sworn them to secrecy. Mom, I hope you love Olivia and find lots of fun places to take her. She has already been to Hong Kong and California who knows where you two will go next?

PS...I love you. Make sure to look inside because there is an extra gift just for you!

Kealakekua

For now the bag I made yesterday is just a prototype. But in case I decide to make more, I decided to name it. I name most of my Coffee Bags after areas in Kona (since this is Kona Coffee Country!) For instance, the Kukio Bag is a beach bag and is named after a beach resort that is only about 8 miles from my house. It is one of my favorite beaches on this island. There is sand, palm trees, grassy areas, kiawe trees, clean bathrooms with showers and it has a protected cove that makes for safe ocean swimming! I rarely "swim" but I like to be able to cool off in the water without being pummeled by waves. So that is my Kukio Bag!

The Kainaliu Bag is named after a wonderful little town "up mauka" (towards the mountain). It has turned into quite an artsy little community with some fun shops and galleries. Of course Kimura's fabric store which is something of a landmark can be found in Kainaliu. My husbands family had a service station there for about 40 years. They just closed it down last September so that my dear 88 year old mother-in-law would retire! She is such a hard working woman.

The Kealakekua Bag is similar to the Kainaliu bag but it is larger. So since Kealakeua, Hawaii is close to Kainaliu, Hawaii...but larger.....well, that is how I came up with this bag's name! I have to make it simple for ME to remember, too!

I decided (probably against my better judgement) to show my new bag next to a real live woman so you can see how big it is....THE BAG! No comments about the beautiful witty, charming woman (yes, it's me!) So without further adieu...

Tell me what you think. Does it help to see the bag on a person? Sometimes I forget that you may not be able to see the size of a bag when it is in a light box or hanging on my plumeria tree.

Finally feeling better so made a new bag!

Hi gang!
I have been sick for almost two weeks and haven't felt very creative AT ALL. The doc said it is just a cold (which makes me feel like a whimp!) but I have just been really tired and had a nasty...some would even say "irritating" cough! (sorry honey!) But I must be getting better because yesterday I spent the whole day sewing. I am trying to come up with a new bag. My sweet cousin, Karen, got me to thinking about a slouchy bag out of the coffee bags. After about 12 hours in the studio, I was feeling pretty defeated. It takes a lot of tries to come up with a great new pattern. The one that was created yesterday unfortunately does not fall into that category. But it is all a learning process. Before I could quit for the night I did come up with a twist on the Kainaliu bag though that I DO like. It has more pockets and bigger ones. I also put a cellphone pocket inside for convenience. It has the magnetic snap, cotton webbing strap and I lined it with some palm tree fabric that has been taking up space for a couple of years on my shelves. I need to pack it around and see what works and what doesn't! I like the size of it. It is larger than most my bags and I added a gusset so it holds more than the regular Kainaliu. It measures 16" wide and about 13" tall.

They're Here!

So today my favorite mailman rings my door bell and hands over the purse hooks I have been waiting for. They are even lovelier than I expected! The black one is a flocked velvet with silver embossed flowers on it. All the crystal ones are really beautiful too. There are 12 Swarovski crystals embedded in the ring that surrounds the faceted face. I am really pleased with these and I think they make a great match for my handbags!

Bag accessories coming soon!

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still working on my SasakiBags.com website. I have a little html glitch that many of you have noticed when you go to my homepage! But the folks at Yahoo are working hard to resolve this little irritant.

Meanwhile, back in paradise, I have just ordered a product that I know you are going to love because it complements my handbags beautifully! I will soon be offering high end purse hooks, purse caddies, or whatever you choose to call them. I recently went out to dinner and had the age old dilemna of where to stash my handbag. Putting it on the floor is just nasty! On the table and I fret about a water glass sweating and spotting my silk bag! So I decided to search and find that there are some fabulous solutions out there. They should be on my site by the end of the month. I will let you know when they arrive! If you have any favorite colors, just let me know. For now I have taken care of my "purple" gals and also have on order a gorgeous black and silver neutral and a random selection of other popular colors.

Emily

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Emily is an "everyday" handbag and was made with a fancy embossed denim fabric in a dark denim blue. There are two exterior pockets accented with custom piping and lined with an Amy Butler fabric.

There is a detachable sage green heart shaped pin in an alligator-embossed faux-leather with silver-toned paisleys. It can be removed and worn on a jacket or anything else you can imagine.

The handles are manufactured dark denim blue faux leather 13" straps that are accented with antique gold toned hardware. This bag is a wristlet.

The closure on this bag is a gold-toned magnetic snap.

The lining is an Amy Butler print (blue gothic rose) that has paisleys and flowers in tones of green, brown, rust, yellow, peach, and blue.

There are two interior pockets with custom piping to match the lining.

Emily was born on June 5 making her a Gemini. She is a casual down-to-earth gal who loves picnics on the beach and horesback riding.

"Holly"

The exterior of this bag was constructed of a shimmering lime green or chartreuse dupioni silk. There are two exterior pockets lined with a vibrant Amy Butler paisely print with shades of green, blue, burgandy, pink and brown. There is one exterior decorative metal button.

The handles are 17" long making this a wristlet.

The interior is the same fabulous Amy Butler print cotton as used inside the exterior pockets. There are two interior pockets that are accented with custom green silk piping.

This bag closes with a gold-toned magnetic snap closure.

I have named this bag "Holly". She was born on June 4 making her a Gemini. Holly is vivacious and as determined as she is beautiful. She will be the perfect punch of color for any neutral outfit you may wear or pair her with other brights for a bold look.

size:
9" tall
6" wide

Handpainted Silk Bag - Dong Song

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I am thrilled to be releasing this line of handbags. I have several silk paintings on order that I will be making into bags in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. I have a Chinese painting of a man by a waterfall and a couple of paintings with chinese women that are SO beautiful. I can hardly wait to show you!

I finished the exterior of this bag a couple of weeks ago. I even made a laotian silk lining to slip into her interior....but it just didn't seem to match her personality. So I waited. Well, yesterday, my beloved postman delivered some fabric that I got from Jacki over at Fabricobsession.com, a great fabric co-op. In my little box was a couple yards of an Amy Butler print that I adore. I got it thinking it would look marvelous if I hand beaded some of the paisley type designs and used it as an exterior of a bag....but last night, this fabric spoke to me and before I climbed into bed, I had finished the lining for this new handbag.

This is the first in my new line of Hand Painted Handbags. I actually used a silk painting in my Hanoi Map Bag, but I decided to make this a more elegant look.

I named this particular beauty "Dong Song" which translates into Vietnamese as "To sail up the river". (according to an online translator site, so forgive me if someone knows otherwise!) The painting which is on the front panel of the bag, was done by a Vietnamese artist. It is a scene of a small boat filled with seven women making their way to market.

I see so much symbolism here....
1. Women facing the world together....
2. Overcoming obstacles...
3. Taking time to enjoy girlfriends

What a great gift this would make for a girlfriend who has been struggling with an illness or overcoming a divorce. Just reminding her that "we are all in this boat together, honey!"

This may be WAY more than the artist had in mind when he/she painted it...but in Barb's world...(and that is where you find yourself right now, by the way!) I can make up any story I like and stick to it! ha!

The colors in this painting include shades of blue, ochre, tan, soft yellow, and green.

The Thai Silk that was used to construct the rest of the exterior of this bag is a golden tan color with a luscious sheen.

There is one exterior pocket on the rear of this bag.

The handles are light brown faux leather with antique bronze hardware. They are 13" long.

The interior is an Amy Butler 100% cotton print. It reflects the same colors of the painting plus a few colorful additions of peach and rust.

There are two interior pockets accented with brown piping.

This bag closes with a gold-toned magnetic snap closure.

This is a one of a kind bag. You will be the only person on the planet earth with this bag!

Size:
10" tall
6" wide
This bag is a wristlet due to the length of the handles.

Dong Song was born on May 22, making her a Gemini. Being a "good twin" Dong Song has a multi-faceted personality. She may appear self-assured and confident but at times she is still shy and self-conscious. She is comfortable in groups but thoroughly enjoys her own company. Maybe that is why I like her so much!

Here Comes The Bride

This beautiful bridal handbag was constructed of dupioni silk. The majority of her exterior is an antique ivory color with her front and rear pockets faced with a soft ivory (whiter)dupioni silk. I utilized an ornate embroidery on the front pocket. The embroidery is two-toned, blending both colors of silk used on her exterior.

I decided to make this bag two-toned because I have found that there are many shades of white and ivory. So, instead of having to match perfectly with your dress, she will blend beautifully.

There are two exterior pockets accented with antique ivory silk custom piping.

The straps on this bag are approximately 18" long.

There are two decorative "pearl" and antique gold-toned buttons on the front above the pocket with an east-west orientation.

Inside is the buttery antique ivory silk making up every component from pockets to piping.

There is a gold-toned magnetic snap closure on this bag.

The fabric on this bag is very rich with a soft sheen to it.

Size:
10" tall
6" wide
straps 18" long

On your wedding day here are a few of the items you may want to pack in your handbag:

lipstick
compact face powder
water-proof mascara
bobby pins
safety pins
breath mints
travel sized deodorant
comb
camera
tissues (in a beautiful tissue tote)

Knit One Purl Two

This bag can be used either as a sock knitting bag or a cute wristlet for your favorite knitter! There is a firm stabilizer sewn in to make this bag able to stand on its own.

The exterior fabric is a cotton print with a black background. The words say, " decrease, stitch, bind off, rep knit, purl, tog, increase, skip, row, yarn over, p2, cast on, yfwd, ssp," and other knitting instructions.

There are two exterior pockets that are both accented with a maroon piping and black ribbon with white woven sheep on it. The pockets are lined with a yarn print fabric that is on the interior.

The bag closes with a loop and metal button. The button has scrolls and hearts on it.

The handles are 16" long making it a wristlet.

There are two interior pockets accented with maroon piping. The fabric is a white cotton background with balls of yard and knitting needles on it.

size:
10" high
7" wide
straps: 16" long

Tamiko

May Day is Lei Day! Happy Lei Day to everyone! To celebrate, help me to welcome a new Geisha into my line. Let me introduce Geisha Tamiko.

Tamiko was embroidered on gorgeous shimmering "platinum" dupioni silk. The pocket she is embroidered on is layered upon a panel of silk fabric that I recycled from a vintage kimono. The Kanji characters on the fabric, according to the Japanese source I purchased the kimono from, represent "Wealth and Congratulations".

There are two external pockets which are accented with custom dupioni silk. They are lined with the Kanji silk fabric. As an embellishment, there is a ceramic fan dangling above the Geisha. It is for decoration only.

The straps on this bag are lined with fleece for structure and comfort. They are of the Kanji fabric also. They are 16" long making Tamiko a wristlet.

The interior of this bag is lined with more of the Kanji fabric. However there is a lush surprise inside. To line the pockets I used a red tone-on-tone silk fabric from yet another vintage kimono. It is a beautiful fabric. Almost too lovely to have hidden on the inside of a bag!

This bag easily goes from day to evening. The richness of the Platinum silk dresses Tamiko up exquisitely. But the casualness of the Kanji fabric makes her go just as well with a pair of jeans. I can imagine a gal carrying this bag while wearing dressy indigo denim jeans and red heels!

Tamiko was born on Thursday, May 1st making her a Taurus. She is thoughtful and sensitive to others feelings. Her friendship is valued by any who meet her.

Kona Coast Novely Map Bag

So finally I have added a Kona Coast Map to my line of Map Bags. The fabric is a fun novelty cotton/poly with famous Hawaiian locations and surf spots written on it. For example, "Big Island, Haleiwa, HaNauma Bay, Lahaina" etc. There are also little hula girls and surfer dudes with boards on the fabric. Too cute! This one is just for fun! You can't take yourself too seriously and carry a bag like this! Life is too short...

Niko

I spent a glorious day locked in my CLEAN sewing studio yesterday! I got a lot done and felt very inspired for some reason. I began making a new Geisha bag on some golden silk. I was going to make my standard wristlet but half way into the process I changed a few things and....10 hours later...(ugh) Geisha Niko was born! It is a roomier bag that slips over the shoulder (for all you shoulder bag gals). My inspiration for this bag was the design of a kimono. I have incorporated details that I feel represent the details on a kimono, from the "wrapped" front panels, the beautiful silk fabrics and more! Niko has a machine embroidery on her front side of a Geisha holding a fan. After machine embroidering, I hand beaded detailing on the fan and hair ornaments. There is a hidden front pocket behind the Geisha. It is accented with custom black silk piping and lined with a very expensive ($30/yd) obi fabric with black, red and gold colors woven into the design. For the sides, bottom and back of the bag I used black dupioni silk and made matching piping to outline the whole bag. The pocket on Niko's backside is of the same obi fabric and is made to represent the striking obi that would be on a beautiful kimono. The lining is actually the silk lining I took out of a kimono I purchased from Kanazawa, Japan. It is black with red wavy stripes and occasional bundles of flowers and leaves tossed upon it. The fabric is very textural as well. There is a 7" zipped pocket on the interior. The pocket is lined with black silk fabric from another kimono. It has a tone on tone print of fans which adds an unexpected touch. As a closure, I made a small flap of the obi fabric and lined it with the dupioni. A gold-toned magnetic snap is added for security. The handle is made from combining two black tassled silk cords and attaching them to gold-toned rings at the top of the side panels.

This bag is very elegant. I am trying to decide if I will keep it myself!

Niko was born on April 10 making her an Aries. She loves to shop but prefers boutiques over malls any day. She may be spotted having lunch at a sidewalk cafe and nibbling on finger sandwiches with a glass of iced tea (ocha)nearby.

Queen of my domain!

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Today I spent most of the day reorganizing my sewing studio. I have new fabrics on order and have to find someplace to put them! I have 5 yard of a luscious silk that should be arriving any day. Mom, this may be the fabric to make your bag out of!

I find that sometimes if the clutter gets TOO out of hand, I completely get "designer's block". But once I de-clutter my space, the ideas usually flow more freely. Anyone else like that???

Monday I finally purchased my domain. I now own www.SasakiBags.com! I was working on my site until 2am this morning and back up at 6:30 going at it again. I am using Yahoo to host my site mainly because of the simplicity of using their templates. Not being a computer whiz kid, I decided simple is good! Before I get the site running live, I have got to make some new bags and accessories. Then I have to take some photos. I am still a little weak in this department but have been reading lots of tips on web photos so wish me luck!

I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist (who is that laughing in the corner?) Yes, a bit! But I am bracing myself for the realization that the whole website journey will be a learning experience and a work in progress for quite some time. If I waited until I could set it up perfectly...what would the women of the world do for great handbags in the meantime???

I still have my Etsy store but have been neglecting it I fear. I have really been trying to focus on my wholesale accounts for the past two months so that they never run out of my bags. So because of this, I am doing a lot more sewing and less "interneting".

I am really itching to make a new Diva. I saw a hat the other day in a movie that gave me some inspiration for the details on my next bag. The movie was a bit lame but I guess it wasn't a total waste of time.

Well, it is back to the sweatshop for me. I will let you all know when my new site is up and running.
aloha

Deluxe Omiyage

The "Omiyage" bag has been extremely popular at the Kona Mountain Coffee Company. So last week I came up with a larger version of that bag. I also added grommets that the cotton webbing straps are suspended from and a large outer pocket. This one is big enough for taking home all sorts of gifts while visiting our Island. Once home, it will make a great shopping bag, or book tote. The deluxe Omiyage is even large enough to make a good sized beach bag! I am working on fresh designs all the while trying to keep up with current favorites. Stay tuned! Aloha!

Deluxe Shopper

Aloha!

Well, the wonderful gang at Kona Mountain Coffee Company keep me posted as to what their customers are requesting me to make. I created a large shopping bag with a solid bottom for the store to use as a shopping basket while the customers are browsing. It seems that people wanted to buy them! So Mark ordered a half dozen to have in the event anyone else inquires. I also made this version which makes it more of a "purse" since it has a flap on it. March has been a good month for me at the coffee shop. Everytime I go in there, they are sold out of atleast one of the four styles of bags I designed for them. I must get busy!

Lydia

Lydia was born on February 25. She is a Pisces. Lydia was crafted from taupe Thai silk accented with pheasant feathers and teal Thai silk piping. She proudly sports two decorative metal buttons plated in 24kt gold. Her lining is a rich teal Thai silk, making her beautiful on both the inside and out. Lydia enjoys the finer things in life. She is loyal and can keep a secret.

I actually hand picked the silk used to make Lydia while on a trip to Thailand three years ago. (my how time flies!) Both pieces used to make this bag came from the Jim Thompson Silk factory warehouse which in "Barb's World" is a little piece of heaven! It is a three story building in Bangkok with hundreds of rolls of the most gorgeous silk fabrics. My only regret is that I didn't buy more!

Bernice

Let's hear a big cheer for Bernice! She was born on February 23 making her a Pisces. She is a woman of few words but knows how to make her point heard! Perhaps she could be YOUR new best friend!

Bernice is the latest in my Diva line of Sasaki Bags. She is made from an icy blue Thai silk. She has one exterior pocket on her backside, accented with custom black dupioni silk piping. On the front of Bernice, I have layered black and white polka dot guinea feathers for a striking entrance! Above the feathers is a panel of blue silk accented with two antiqued gold tone buttons and a row of black silk piping.

Manufactured faux leather handles add to this bags high-end appearance.

My momma always said it is important how pretty a girl is on the inside so not to disappoint momma, she can proudly show off her interior. I added a touch of whimsy by lining Bernice with black and white polka dot cotton fabric. There are two interior pockets which are accented with the blue thai silk piping.

Bernice has a magnetic snap closure. She is a wristlet. These 13" handles will not fit over your shoulder. She is 10" tall and 6" wide.

Featured on Asian Buzz

I just wanted to send a big thank you out to Lilie at Asian Buzz for featuring my asian inspired bags on her site. Here is the link: http://asianbuzz.blogspot.com/2008/02/sasaki-creations.html

Stop by her site and check it out. She has a great blog.

Baby Goth

This wristlet sports a little hardware to enhance the whole "goth" look. It is made from black poplin which is such a crisp fabric to work with! The front and back panels show off the pink and black baby goth fabric with skull and cross-bones and a delicate white swirl in the background. There are two exterior pockets. The one on the front has been accented with 3 extra large grommets with skulls peeping through the opening!

The closure on this bag is an ornate pewter look button that slips into a black fabric loop. The handles are 16" long which does indeed make this a wristlet. It will not fit over an average sized woman's shoulder. The interior is more of the pink skull and crossbones fabric. There are two interior pockets lined with a heavy duck cloth.

This bag is sure to show your sassy side. Black nail polish not included!