One thing I get super-de-dupery excited about is local artists. This one just happens to be one of my good friends from elementary school and what’s she’s been up to is phenomenal. She’s an interior design graduate working in a tiny design and furniture store called Cottage Antiques and Interiors. It’s partner store Fabric 101 is right next door in Northeast Columbia. Perhaps it was the side effect of working in a fabric store, but one day Mary Catherine got all inspired and productive and started sewing purses. She designs each one to be completely unique from the other (hence the name uniquely MC). She’s also in love with giving old furniture new life – and with her junction at cottage antiques she can refinish/ paint furniture and set up displays in store to show people how to make it work.
Holding one of her bags in person for the first time, I was so impressed by the quality and thought that she puts into each of them. They are sturdy, evenly sewn and the fabric paring is impeccable. She even goes on cool button hunts to find the perfect closure. A few of her designs are reversible but they are more or less derived from the same pattern. My new bag is double lined and has a sweet little pocket on the interior- it’s the perfect size.
She includes a write up about herself in her bags and I feel that Mary Catherine’s story is such a good example of finding yourself as an artist. She like most entered the real world after college unsure of what to do next. Instead of wasting her time second guessing herself, she started to create…and the purses came from that labor of love. If you’d like to support her art, stop on by Cottage Antiques and Interiors and Fabric 101 where you can see her bags on display. You can message her directly about her bags at Mcinteriordesign@gmail.com
these baby ducks came over to check out her bag while we were shooting : )
they approved but they were disappointed by the bags inedible quality.
Um, I LOVE these!! really LOVE them!!
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