BBBlog
For laundry, toys, teddy bears and ....... sometimes Mrs. Littles too
and sometimes Mrs. LIttles, the kitty too..... in our BBB Petite Catchall!
Read moreInside the Brave Brown Bag logo
The logo for the BBB started out with a family crest that looked very much like the boar's head on the Gordon's gin label. The family moniker in Latin - "fortes fortuna juvat" translates "fortu...
Read moreDame Elisabeth Frink's Flying Men
At first alarming then hilarious, I have found the sculptures by British sculptor Dame Frink to be. Called the Flying Men (or the boys in speedos, is a good fit too), the pair are very much sta...
Read moreA Japanese trademark looks like ....
Our US and Canadian trademark for the Brave Brown Bag are very dull indeed by comparison to the Japanese presentation. The BBB has many fans in Japan I am surmising because of their incredibl...
Read moreThe colours of this rather eclectically constructed barn are all the Fall shades I love. A collage of various metal and tin repairs assembled over the years using everything but the kitchen s...
Read moreI actually thought this was Mustardseed but the seasoned gardening eye (in this case my sister Bonny's in whose garden bag was plunked) will know it's Fennel. Nonetheless the fennel flower yellow...
Read moreI remember visiting Robert Wu at his studio in Toronto several years ago. He was preparing the pigments for his marble paper prints from hand ground minerals . He still executes this amazing att...
Read moreI love the perspective of this photo. The BBB has a very proud architectural look for a bag that otherwise does a great impersonation of a paper bag..... which it is not! Perhaps you remember ...
Read moreBBB in FOOD & DRINK 20th anniversary issue
Just so honoured to be included in the 20th anniversary issue LCBO Food & Drink magazine available at all LCBO locations. http://www.lcbo.com/fooddrink. Our thanks to editor, Jodi Dun...
Read moreWaxing Autumnal ... Cabbagetown Fall Fair Time
Leaves are starting to turn. Our Brave Brown Bag in a display of Fall colours will be making their way to the Cabbagetown Art and Craft Fairs the Sept 7th weekend following Labour Day. Say farew...
Read moreThe Grand Catchall aka windbag
The Grand Catchall is as light as a feather but meant to weather carryall. Such are the unique qualities of sailcloth. A laundry list of uses over and above the obvious superlative beach bag a...
Read moreRemembering our sales agent Shelly Renfrew
Shelley Renfrew was our BBB salesrep for Western Canada and California. Cancer sadly took her life this year. A fond memory I have of Shelley and friend (also salesrep) Sandra Todd was our d...
Read moreWoofing about our Toile de bark...
Trees inspire my Toile de bark textile patterns shown above. As you may well know Toile de jouy is a the traditional French cotton with patterns depicting all manners of country and courtly lif...
Read moreThe 'greening' of the/our/my rural skyline
On the left the view South... on the right the view North: the latter shows a row of giant 100' plus poplar trees shot from the farmer's field of lush soybeans looking towards my lakefront h...
Read moreThank you Philippe Stark, this bag lasts.....
In a recent movie filmed by DEZEEN, about designer Phillipe Stark's new Organic tap for Axor, Stark advocates the ecology of buying timeless design versus fast fashion. (http://www.dez...
Read moreOur Japanese dealer, Gojuon http://www.bbbag.jp/ asked us to make a very small BBB for their paper and pencils etcetera... We are still looking for a very tiny magnetic closure of sort...
Read moreWell not exactly, but sailing, yes.... and hope to test a few Catcalls on the way. As a boarding ship BBBlog entry: the sailfish box as I call it, featured above, is a not so socially correc...
Read moreWhy Gingham? When at my wits end...
With the plethora of patterns in today's vast textile offerings - a humbling experience in and of itself - the simplicity of gingham can be a zen-like experience for my weary designer...
Read moreFortes Fortuna Juvat to Nik Wallenda
Niece Sarah in Sarasota Florida took this photo of high wire artist, Nik Wallenda, on an afternoon stroll. It's a family tradition of sorts to follow their travels above from be...
Read moreHeave ho, make way for the grand Catchall...
Heave ho... make way for the grand Catchall! A carryall stitched entirely from sailcloth (due to make landfall on our site this week). A sail one could say is a container for the ...
Read moreThe beauty of sailcloth and the BBB
The history of sailcloth is an ancient and fascinating one: imagine a silk spinnaker or a 100% cotton canvas mainsail next to a mylar/kevlar jib. I know a bit about traditional sailcl...
Read moreL'apres-midi avec le BBB or....
L'apres-midi avec le BBB or perhaps it is before sunset or after sunset or gosh even a nooner?! Our Julie Delpy/Ethan Hawke doppelgangers are happily ensconced outside their favourite...
Read moreFabio & Luigi of Pianoprimo Milano
In 1998 Fabio and Luigi discovered the Brave Brown Bag in MoMA in nyc and there began the BBB journey to their dealer showroom in Milan ever since: Quoteth Fabio "The Brave Brown Bag ...
Read moreMemorial Day Paw Paw tree blooms
Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch, as the Appalachian folk tune goes, except this Paw Paw tree is where I am in Canada. As a Canadian southern belle, so to speak, the Paw Paw tree is a pe...
Read moreBooks, bags & Donald Sutherland
Circa 1999 Canadian actor Donald Sutherland was interviewed on the CBC TV programme, In Conversation With Peter Gzwoski. The host looked puzzled because his guest appeared to be carry...
Read moreLast Saturday, I was honored to have a BBB trunk show in Toronto at the elegant boutique, Ewanika. Fashion designer Trish Ewanika has an exquisite sense of simplicity th...
Read moreNo, this is not my being esoteric, tis' the beautiful whimsical shapes of Japanese script... and the homepage of GOJUON, our Japanese dealer; they are amazing purveyors of all things ...
Read moreBrave Brown Bag treasure hunt.....
The angels are in the details here: this is my designer family tree so to speak. Out of the English bird tin come artifacts of artistry, industry and nature. Do you see the silkworm's cocoo...
Read moreThis Brave Brown Bag went to market ....
My Geneva based friend/filmaker Katarina gives 'swisshy' style to her daily shopping with her BBB. Hope this will encourage the arrival of Spring flora and fauna to hurry up and arri...
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