BBBlog

For laundry, toys, teddy bears and ....... sometimes Mrs. Littles too

and sometimes  Mrs. LIttles,  the kitty too.....  in our BBB  Petite Catchall!  

Inside 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...

Dame 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...

A 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...

Happy Thanksgiving barn!

    The 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...

Fennel and dash of Dijon BBB

I 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...

Robert Wu's Marbled Paper

I 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...

"I AM NOT A PAPER BAG"

I 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 ...

BBB 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...

Waxing 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...

The 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...

Remembering 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...

Woofing 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...

The '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...

Thank 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...

Microcosmic Mini BBB

Our 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...

Gone sailfishing........

Well 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...

Why 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...

Fortes 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...

Heave 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 ...

The 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...

L'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...

Fabio & 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 ...

Memorial 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...

Books, 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...

The line of the lyrical LSC

      Last 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...

The BBB found in translation!

  No, 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 ...

Brave 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...

This 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...

The BBB myth in the making

    Carrying a brave brown bag is much easier than this I promise .... but this earth-ball-rolling event with children really did take place very close to where I grew up near Chatham Ontario o...