Liberty / Sailcloth Bags online

We've just put a few Sailcloth / Liberty Tana Lawn reversible bags in the online shop. Yes, we know it's taken a while. . . 
Some are made from actual-slightly-salty old sails, others from crispy-crunchy white sail fabric. The Tana Lawn is also treated to make it more durable.

Plastic Bags - who needs 'em?

Topside in June

The garden at Topside is at it's best in June, with everything coming into flower at the same time. We thought it would be a good setting for some flowery bags.

The deep blue rose-y Tana Lawn (called Carline, we think), is a favourite and looks great in the garden. The Tana Lawn / sail cloth bags are really good to use - practical, pretty AND reversible. 

(. . . It depends if you're in a sailing mood or a garden - visiting mood). We're working on some new labels and then we'll put some in the shop. As mentioned on our Facebook page, we are also putting together a 're-cycled' sail option, which will have a liberty lining too.

Small Stripy Buckets

Small buckets, nice colours, in the shop now.

Bags

New season bags - stripes, spots and Liberty florals. 

Summer is nearly here!

St Ives Parcel

A lovely batch of colourful bags off to St Ives. And the best bit? We're going with them! 

Dr Bean will be away from the sewing machine . . . for a while.

Dr Bean arrives in Cowes

We've been rather busy on the coffee front recently. We attended the lovely Old Gaffers Festival, in Yarmouth, which was as popular as always - plenty of coffee and a large amount of afternoon tea, served up in style by Doug.
The other news is that we now have a permanent home in Cowes - situated within the PHG store at the bottom of Market Hill. This is going really well and we are settling in to the unusual arrangement of making coffee indoors. Another plus is that we are using the locally produced 'Island Roasted' Coffee - thanks Dan!

Dawn, the owner of the aforementioned PHG also sells Dr Bean's Bags, so for the first time ever, the two sides of the business are seen together!

Jumblies Bag

The Jumblies Bag is our favourite. The bags look better with more words on, that's the key. Perhaps therefore, we should do more.

And look, this one is very special - on it's way to Fife, none-the-less.

Be not afeard.

We've been making this bag for a while, but realised that it wasn't in the online shop. The quote is taken from Caliban's speech in the Tempest (Act 3, scene 2). We just liked the words and strangely enough, this extract was used in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, spoken by Kenneth Branagh, whilst dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Who could forget?

Anyway, the bag is now in the shop.

Win a Dr Bean's Bag!

May we suggest that you take yourself over to the lovely Dorset Cereals website and play the entertaining 'Spin the Bottle' game, where, alongside hearing the oddly satisfying sound effects - you can win a Dr Bean's Bag!! 

Go on- it's Thursday afternoon, it's nearly time to go home, you might as well.

This superior prize has been offered to you via Seek and Adore, a fine establishment that sells the work of selected UK based designer / makers.

Greetings, Salutations and Some News

Just when you all thought that the Speakeasy had entered prohibition, up we pop with a seasonal message. 
We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday, we hope you all have a very prosperous New Year and we would like to point out that we have officially finished the 'News Bag Daily'.
What?! You've never heard of it?! 
Well take a meander over here and you will see a collection of daily news cuttings, highlighting the glorious happenings of 2012 -from the 1 January to the last day of December- all 365 of them. (Yes, that threw us for a moment too; No newspaper on Christmas Day - that must mean only 364. . . But we forgot that it was a Leap Year, such fun).
All we have to do now is to make them into bags. . . a bit like this. (Apologies for poor photo quality).

Sailing Flags

Just something we're working on . . 

London Bags

A group of smart London Bags. . . or should that be A smart group of London Bags. 
Or. . A group of Bags, which we think look quite smart, and have words about the fine city of London carefully sewn onto them, indicating that the general synopsis for the near future will be one of happiness.

It's been a long, cold week in the garden workshop of Dr Bean.

Winter Blues (and other colours)

"Dr Bean, are you using a pair of curtains to line your bags?!"


"Why, certainly. And rather nice they look too."


We're just trying out some new lining fabrics (and some new words -to match this sudden arrival of floral elegance). We'll see if we can add more garden-themed bags to the range.


There's also a new striped lining, which, handily, looks good with the natural, blue or red canvas.

We should also point out that Dr Bean's Bags will be attending the Country Living Fair, in London 21 - 25 March 2012.

in the shop

These nice stripies are in the online shop now.

More Bags

The sewing machine has not stopped since the last post, which is a poor excuse for the recent lack of attendance at the speakeasy. No, actually it's a good excuse - making lots of bags as well as the occasional coffee outing.
We actually produce a wider range of bags than our website shows and one day they will make it in to the shop. It's also worth mentioning that any phrase can be made up in any colour, so it's always worth emailing us to ask.


Here are some new bags - Seaside Song, London Forecast and Dear Prudence.

Contemporary Craft Fair 2011

Another busy weekend in Bovey Tracey. It's extremely hard work - from making enough stock, to pitching the tent, to setting up the stand, to standing and smiling for four days. But also hugely enjoyable, with fantastic work and lovely people.

What more could one ask for? Well, maybe a little more sunshine would be good, but you can't have everything.


It's very inspiring to be surrounded by work of such quality. And there was a very high calibre of visitor too. . 

All new Bee Bag

Our Bee Bags now feature slimmed-down versions of our buzzy friends. More busy honey bee than over large bumblebee.

It's back!

We are very pleased to announce that Red Canvas is now available. 


(Now known as 'Fiasco Red'. Although we called it that before. . . but that's another story. Let's just say it has always lived up to it's name.)


Bags are available in the online shop.