"one of a kind" granola couture

Welcome to the Bonna Bag blog!

Freshman year of college I handed my mom a canvas bag and asked her to paint it so that I would have something to carry my notebooks in. It turned out so well that I decided to make some myself and give them to friends as gifts. After receiving a bunch of compliments I thought, "hey, why not sell them?" Now, four years later, I'm starting a little business called Bonna Bag.

In the past I bought canvas bags from crafts stores that I'm certain were products of sweatshops in the third world. That just would not do. I certainly do not want to be supporting factories with horrible working conditions that do not pay a liveable wage. So, I started looking for a factory I could trust. I found a company called Enviro-Tote based in Bedford, NH. By using them as my supplier I am supporting a fair labor, all women owned, local business!

And so, Bonna Bag was born. (Bonna is my middle name for all those wondering).

I am currently in production of my first 300 bags. I am starting with three different sizes. The fabric I am using is made of recycled cotton and recycled plastic bottles. Enviro-Tote gives me the panels of canvas, I paint unique-original work on each one and give them back to be sewn up. I have just finished painting the first 100 panels and am now getting them ready to be made into bags.

I am painting the bags in my grandfather's old studio. My grandfather was an artist and he passed away this past winter. My grandmother has generously allowed me to work in his Bear Island studio (Steven Colbert, I apologize in advance. I did not name the island-- I simply work there). As the logo inside each bag will read, each Bonna Bag is hand painted on a lake near a tree.

I have yet to decide where I will be selling the bags, but I am considering vendor fairs in NYC as well as the craft website etsy.com. I will use this blog as a way of letting you all know how things are going and where you can purchase your very own Bonna Bag. So check back frequently to learn more! The photos on this site are a bit of a peak at the work I've done so far. I hope you like them.

As one friend concluded after I told her what I've been up to: "it's 'one of a kind' granola couture!"