Bessie's Bags officially started as a business in 2018 but its roots go back to 1921 when Mom - Elizabeth, better known as Bessie was born.  A child of the Great Depression, Mom made all my school clothes until I was in junior high and even sewed beautiful suits for me when I entered the workplace in 1985.  In time, Bessie made clothes, toys and blankets for all her grandchildren and she loved making Christmas pajamas for the 11 great grandchildren as they came along.

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As Mom began to struggle with short-term memory loss and eventually dementia, one of the things that survived largely intact was her sewing skills. She loved making Easter bunny sachets, small clutch purses, Christmas stockings and tote bags for the great grandchildren that we worked on together.  Mom was always up for a trip to the fabric store as they hadn't changed much over her lifetime.

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When Mom passed away, I inherited her sewing room stash and have used it for making gifts for family and friends. With the encouragement of my daughter-in-law  Christina and the support of my son Adam, the business got started.  My mom always felt there should be an additional surprise inside each gift she made, a lovely tradition I have tried to move forward with the interiors of my bags.  

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My goal is for women to have a unique handbag, apron or other item that will not fall apart and is both practical and fun.  Each bag's design is dictated by the material as to shape and style. Many of my bags are still using some of Mom's sewing room stash - zippers, special buttons, etc.  Hence, Bessie's Bags is in honor of Mom and her love of sewing.