Welcome to Clark Hill Creations!
One-of-a-kind handbags and pillows by Donna Durbridge
It all started three years ago when I decided to make a pocketbook for a friend. Not being one to follow or to be concerned about fashion, she was carrying her wallet and personal items in a plastic bag. I teased her about her "handbag" and said that I was going to make her a proper bag. She asked that it be a "cow bag!" She raises a rare breed of cattle and they are her only interest, her one priority A cow bag? Now here was a challenge I couldn't resist. I found a scrap of brown chenille with white spots. With a little imagination it could pass for cow hide. I combined it with a brown suede, took out my sewing supplies and sewing machine long dormant and got to work. Having absolutely no idea where I was going with such a project I began. The result was a "cow bag", a fun accessory, which has been in use ever since. It has been washed, thrown around and abused on a daily basis. It still looks pretty good and still attracts attention wherever she goes. The surprise to me was that it had turned out so well and that it had been so much fun to make.
For the rest of that winter and spring I was consumed with only one thing, making handbags. But being a person who gets bored easily each project had to be unique. Making pocketbooks gave me a new mission. I scoured fabric shops for remnants and thrift shops for antique findings. I learned that old belt buckles were very well made and easily adapted to my bags. Pieces of antique jewelry could often provide just the right finishing touch, making a pocketbook very special. One fabric shop in particular has provided me with extraordinary trims, the perfect finishing touch for evening bags.
When I begin with a piece of fabric, rarely do I have a particular design in mind. The fabric truly does dictate what happens. And then there's the lining! The shop where I purchase the trims carries exquisite fabrics. Although yardage of such fabrics would be beyond my means, often there are small pieces, just big enough for a lining. Making the linings has became just as exciting and just as much fun as making the outside. The linings are always a wonderful surprise to people when first opening a bag. I love to watch their reactions.
One bag, a particular favorite, was made from a fabric which was a marvelous replication of snakeskin. I decided to make a "Wristlet", an evening bag with a bracelet handle. Browsing through a shop carrying goods from around the world, I found a bracelet made by a small tribe of women in Africa, the San Bushmen women. These women collect broken ostrich egg shells and from the broken pieces make the tiniest of beads. They had taken these beads and put them together into a bracelet. The resulting bracelet looked just like a snake vertebrae. I attached it to the snakeskin bag and the result was very exciting and totally unique. It sold the next day.
Another bag was made from a Valentino velvet jacket that had been owned by the customer's late mother. As it did not fit, and not wanting to give it away or to sell it, she asked me to make something with it. She now owns a truly unique memento, a constant reminder of someone she loved.
From making pocketbooks to making pillows was not a big step. Again, a love of beautiful fabrics and exquisite trims would lead the way. Before long there were a dozen or so pillows. A cow fabric pillow teamed nicely with a faux leather pillow. Silk pillows had exquisite trims. Tartan pillows were edged with contrasting brush fringes and backed with contrasting ultra suede. I found that a new set of pillows could change the entire look of a room.
At one of our local artisan fairs a customer asked if I could make pillows from an antique obi which had belonged to her mother. I agreed to look at it. When she brought the obi to the house, I was rather surprised that it had previously been made into a dress. The obi had been cut into very narrow panels which had been sewn together to create a very beautiful dress for her mother. The widest part of each panel was about 10 inches, the narrowest part of each being about 5 inches. It took several days and nights to come up with an idea. It had to be very carefully planned and executed as there was no room for error. The idea of a Japanese fan came to me and with great trepidation I took on the challenge. The results were more than pleasing, meaningful both to the customer and to me.
Each of the pocketbooks and pillows is truly one of a kind and each is truly a labor of love. They take many hours of work, both in design and in execution. They have been lovingly and enthusiastically created and have provided enjoyment to many people across the country and in Canada. The pillows are priced from $100.00 and up depending on fabric, trims and labor. The pocketbooks are priced from $75 to $175 again, depending on fabric, findings and labor.
For the rest of that winter and spring I was consumed with only one thing, making handbags. But being a person who gets bored easily each project had to be unique. Making pocketbooks gave me a new mission. I scoured fabric shops for remnants and thrift shops for antique findings. I learned that old belt buckles were very well made and easily adapted to my bags. Pieces of antique jewelry could often provide just the right finishing touch, making a pocketbook very special. One fabric shop in particular has provided me with extraordinary trims, the perfect finishing touch for evening bags.
When I begin with a piece of fabric, rarely do I have a particular design in mind. The fabric truly does dictate what happens. And then there's the lining! The shop where I purchase the trims carries exquisite fabrics. Although yardage of such fabrics would be beyond my means, often there are small pieces, just big enough for a lining. Making the linings has became just as exciting and just as much fun as making the outside. The linings are always a wonderful surprise to people when first opening a bag. I love to watch their reactions.
One bag, a particular favorite, was made from a fabric which was a marvelous replication of snakeskin. I decided to make a "Wristlet", an evening bag with a bracelet handle. Browsing through a shop carrying goods from around the world, I found a bracelet made by a small tribe of women in Africa, the San Bushmen women. These women collect broken ostrich egg shells and from the broken pieces make the tiniest of beads. They had taken these beads and put them together into a bracelet. The resulting bracelet looked just like a snake vertebrae. I attached it to the snakeskin bag and the result was very exciting and totally unique. It sold the next day.
Another bag was made from a Valentino velvet jacket that had been owned by the customer's late mother. As it did not fit, and not wanting to give it away or to sell it, she asked me to make something with it. She now owns a truly unique memento, a constant reminder of someone she loved.
From making pocketbooks to making pillows was not a big step. Again, a love of beautiful fabrics and exquisite trims would lead the way. Before long there were a dozen or so pillows. A cow fabric pillow teamed nicely with a faux leather pillow. Silk pillows had exquisite trims. Tartan pillows were edged with contrasting brush fringes and backed with contrasting ultra suede. I found that a new set of pillows could change the entire look of a room.
At one of our local artisan fairs a customer asked if I could make pillows from an antique obi which had belonged to her mother. I agreed to look at it. When she brought the obi to the house, I was rather surprised that it had previously been made into a dress. The obi had been cut into very narrow panels which had been sewn together to create a very beautiful dress for her mother. The widest part of each panel was about 10 inches, the narrowest part of each being about 5 inches. It took several days and nights to come up with an idea. It had to be very carefully planned and executed as there was no room for error. The idea of a Japanese fan came to me and with great trepidation I took on the challenge. The results were more than pleasing, meaningful both to the customer and to me.
Each of the pocketbooks and pillows is truly one of a kind and each is truly a labor of love. They take many hours of work, both in design and in execution. They have been lovingly and enthusiastically created and have provided enjoyment to many people across the country and in Canada. The pillows are priced from $100.00 and up depending on fabric, trims and labor. The pocketbooks are priced from $75 to $175 again, depending on fabric, findings and labor.