We are Changing Henrietta's Handbags

We have officially opened our new website at PursePatterns.com and will be eventually moving all our purse patterns to this site!

Currently we have over 1,000 different bag patterns available and will be adding hardware such as purse handles, purse feet, etc. so that one stop shopping will be available for all your handbag making needs.

This move will take place over a 6 month period and we will be adding lots of new already made purses to Henrietta's Handbags, including a larger selection of Laurel Burch bags.

I will also start updating this blog again and will be including brand new bags and information, both about our site and useful facts about the handbag industry.

Thanks!

Henrietta

Louis Vuitton Loses Court Case

A federal court case was just recently lost by Louis Vuitton, the luxury designer handbag giant. The French corporation brought a suit against a Nevada company called "Haute Diggity Dog" (I'm not making this up!), who Louis Vuitton claimed infringed on their trademark handbag.

This upstart Nevada company makes a line of dog toys they call "Chewy Vuiton" that sells in pet stores for about $20. The toy has the well know monogram except instead of "LV" it reads "CV" and is in the shape of a handbag.

The toy is obviously a parody of Louis Vuitton but the key question the judge asked was could one be mistaken for the other? The somewhat obvious answer is a resounding "no"! To me, the question is does anyone have a sense of humor anymore or are they so intent on making money that common sense has gone out the door?

Air Force Personnel Handbag Policy

I just ran across the official United States Air Force Personnel manual and it even had provisions for the design of women's handbags, which I found very interesting. The following information is taken from the "Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel" policy, Instruction 36-2903.

"In accordance with Table 2.3, a woman's handbag will be plain black leather or vinyl without ornamentation. Leather handbags may be patent or high gloss. The handbag's dimensions will not exceed 13 by 9 by 4½ inches. The handbag may have a plain fold-over flap, and the flap may have a single-placed silver- or gold-colored clasp. The handbag may have up to two adjustable shoulder straps, either with or without buckles. The clutch-style handbag will be plain black smooth or scotch-grain leather, patent leather or high gloss; it may also be made of manmade material without ornamentation. Handbags being carried while women are in mess dress, formal and ceremonial dress uniforms will be fabric, suede or patent leather. Purses will be no larger than 6½ by 11 inches. It must have a concealed closure and may have a wrist strap. Females wearing the semiformal uniform may not carry a patent leather purse."

Does anyone else find it strange that any armed forces branch cares what kind of handbag one of it's enlisted women carry? I would like to have sat in on the meeting where these standards were discussed!

New Handbags From Designer Isaac Mizrahi

Move over, Louis Vuitton because the latest logo on handbags is the Teletubbies! These cute little creatures came to prominence about 10 years ago when they had their own show that became popular with the toddler set.

In 1999, they became even more popular among the hip when the Rev. Jerry Falwell "outed" one of the characters, declaring that he had the voice of a boy but carried a purse and was therefore gay (The Teletubbies emphatically stated that it was a "magic bag").

Isaac Mizrahi noticed that the Teletubbies were back and bearing down on the Apollo Theater for a show and also invading trendy Greenwich Village so he designed a handbag featuring the colorful cuties. So far, 5 bag designs have been created and will be auctioned to benefit autism.

I am sure the designs will eventually hit the stores so watch for your favorite Teletubbie!

Lexibags Capture A Sense of Romance

Do you want a unique handbag that is truely feminine yet can take you through your busy day in style?

Lexibags was started by M. M. Adams in August , 2006 and began from a deep and abiding love of handbags. Ms. Adams wanted a bag that was intriguing where a woman could express her real personality instead of buying into the "cookie cutter" mode of big department store purses.

The designer of Lexibags was exposed to the arts at an early age by her father, who was accomplished at film shooting as well as having his own photography studio. Ms. Adams pursued her artistic side in the field of interior design, fashion, and still photography but her love of bags drove her forward into handbag design.

In Lexibags, you can see the beauty of Northern California and Ms. Adams takes inspiration from the natural elements that surround her studio. Her eye for detail is unique and her handbags reflect her own sense of quality and experience. Visit Lexibags and see a true artist at work!

New Spring 2007 Line for Vera Bradley Handbags

Vera Bradley has added 5 new Spring colors to her handbag fabric line for 2007! The new colors reflect the happiness that Spring can bring after a dark winter with brighter colors and bolder prints.

The 5 new prints are as follows:

• Capri Blue - contains a mixture of violet and lavender with turquoise, yellow, and kiwi green in a paisley design


• Capri Melon - bubble gum pink and geranium mixed with turquoise, yellow, and kiwi green in a paisley design


• Pink Elephants - My personal favorite. The motif is small pink and white elephants and for each Pink Elephant item sold, 10% of the net proceeds go to the Foundation for Breast Cancer


• Botanica - Fabric with a black background and pink and green flowers


• Peacock - kiwi green, turquoise, teal, aqua in swirls.

Five Vera Bradley colors will be retired as of Spring, 2007. These are:

• Piccadilly Plum


• Chelsea Green


• Alpine Black


• New Hope


• Bermuda Pink