Bags »

Color changes are in the works here at Martilena! The exterior and interior color options will be changing over the next couple of weeks. The new exterior color options will now be BLACK, BROWN, CHARCOAL & KHAKI. The interior changes are a little more drastic. As I mentioned previously, silver and charcoal will no longer be available. But I think the new colors offer even more room for creativity with the bags.

NEW INTERIOR COLOR OPTIONS

It will take me a little while to correct all the web pages & etsy listings, so I apologize up front for any confusion this may cause. If you’d like to purchase a bag, but only the old versions are available, please just shoot me an email or convo (if using etsy).

Oh, I’m so excited to introduce this bag & what better way to announce it’s arrival then to do a GIVEAWAY! One lucky winner will win their own custom HOBO style CAMERA BAG. If you’ve seen my bags before, then you’ll recognize the interior. It’s designed the same as Maia, with removable & adjustable dividers. The exterior is all new in design. This bag allows for a large splash of color (or not) on either side, but maintains durability with a heavy duty nylon used for the bottom & interior.

I like this bag because it’s perfect for when you need quick access to your camera and don’t want to mess with flaps or buckles. Also, the bag is deep enough that your camera cannot be easily snagged from inside even though it has an open top. You can use it purely as a camera bag or create a snug pocket for your camera, using the adjustable dividers, and store anything else you may need for a day trip inside. The pockets along the backside allow room for cell phones, keys & even bottles. I’m thinking this bag could easily work as camera/diaper bag quite easily.

Options available: Zipper closure or Fixed interior pockets (similar to Moxy). Of course, I’m always willing to further customize a bag if possible. Please
contact me if interested in creating your own unique version of this bag.

To find more photos of the bag, please visit my flickr site.

Giveaway Details:

The winner will choose from any fabric on eQuilter.com (under $10/yd) for the body, along with a solid color for both the exterior bottom & interior (both of these fabrics are water repellent nylon). (All color options will be provided at the end of contest to the winner)

Details about the bag: Measures 12″ H x 12″ W x 6″ D (exterior measurements), 1/2″ Thick Foam lines the interior (provides great cushion to equipment stored inside), Heavy Duty Snaps for Closure, 3 open pockets along the backside. The interior has two fully adjustable padded dividers.

To Enter:

Comment with the phrase “I WANT THE HOBO” & why you like this bag.
Double you’re chances to win by linking this giveaway back on your own public blog or send out a link through Facebook or Twitter, then VERY IMPORTANT come back and comment that you’ve done so.
Triple your chances, by becoming a fan on the official Martilena facebook page or twitter (see sidebar), then VERY IMPORTANT come back and comment that you’ve done so.
Remember that you’ll need to leave your email address so that I can contact you for your info in the event that you WIN!

Be sure to have your entries in by 12:00am on Friday, July 2nd!

Winner will be randomly selected and announced once confirmed.

Wow. Where did May disappear too?

Thanks for the great response to the in-stock fabric bags on Etsy! I’ve had so many orders in the past couple of weeks for the special deals, it’s been great. Still in the process of posting more fabric as I get the opportunity to dig through the stacks. The trick is finding enough of any particular print to actually complete a whole bag. I have SO many pieces just not quite big enough, so I’ll be working on creating some mix-n-match bags in the near future. This will give me an opportunity to be a little creative with the bags & create some one of a kind creations.

Diaper bags are still on the back burner. Camera bags (and the kiddos) have kept me so busy I just haven’t had the opportunity to work on another sample to test.

My email responses will be delayed the next week or so as I work my way out of a little backlog. I know that everyone is anxiously awaiting their bag, but the more time I spend responding to emails the less I am at my machine which slows down all orders. Once I get out of this hole, I’ll be working to get ahead of schedule because I’ll be going on vacation in July.

Back to work I go…

One of the disadvantages of sewing completely custom bags is the continuous pile-up of excess fabric. It usually happens when I’m forced to order a certain length without being able to customize the order to my needs. One of the reasons I’m partial to eQuilter is the ability to order in shorter lengths (1/2 yard min). Most online sites start with a minimum of a yard & in some cases it’s necessary, but most of the time I’m left with more than I need. Although I have found another that I would like to mention, it’s Hancock’s of Paducah. I am loving them right now. I’ve used them off and on when searching for a particular fabric, but they also allow for 1/2 yard purchases & their selection is amazing!

I had mentioned previously that I had added some special deals to Etsy, if you ordered one of the bags using an in-stock print. Those listings are now available for Moxy, Knox & Maia. The listings are for very specific color combos on the bags, but I’m always willing to mix things up if I can. Most importantly I’ve added A LOT of new prints to the in-stock section on flickr. Some of the prints are in very limited quantities & are no longer in print so when they go, they go.

As usual I’m always open to working up custom bags, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like something a little different than what is currently available on Etsy.

One of the new features on the Martilena site is the ability to use either Paypal or Google Checkout. I was so excited about the ability to finally use discount codes that it completely skipped my mind to mention the addition of google checkout. So anyone who has had issues with paypal in the past or just prefers google, it is now an option. Yay!

Another change that took place at the beginning of the new year was shipping on international packages. In the past international packages were mailed using first class mail & although it is significantly less expensive than priority there is no tracking info available. You just have to cross your fingers and hope that it arrives at it’s final destination. So all international packages have been shipping Priority Mail, since the new year began. I’ve had several people ask me why shipping has increased so drastically and that is the reason.

On a side note -Thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback received on the new site! I’m loving the change and working hard to add more bags to the collection.

So many changes have taken place within the past several months my head is still spinning. Bags have changed, bags have been discontinued, new bags have been added, company name changed, website changed, etsy store moved, new blog created, new flickr and on & on. I went into the change knowing it would be a lot of work, but oh man it’s been A LOT of work.

Having said that I think it’s important for me to explain some of the more important changes with the bags. While the old flickr site is still up & running for the purpose of displaying a nice portion of my past work, I’m more than a little worried about the confusion it may cause with pics of old versions vs new versions of bags with the same name. So here is a little breakdown of the three bags that have been modified and how the new versions differ from the old versions…

KNOX CAMERA BAG -NEW VS OLD

Waterproof Fabrics for Body vs Cotton Twill
Waterproof Fabrics for Interior vs Cotton Print
1/2 Thick Foam Padding (including bottom) vs 1/4 Thick Fleece
Magnetic Snap Closure (options available for other closures) vs Plastic Buckle
Removable Adjustable Strap vs Strap Attached to Bag
Adjustable Divider in the Interior vs 2 Small Open Pockets
6″ Deep vs 5″ Deep
Large Zipper Pocket along Exterior Backside vs Large Open Pocket
Open Pocket under Front Flap vs No Pocket under Front Flap
Wider Flap Covers Edge to Edge vs Slightly more Narrow Flap

The new version of Knox replaces the old versions of both Knox & Milly. Milly will not be added to the new website. I have had several inquiries about Milly, since it’s removal & will gladly offer a smaller version of the new Knox, if requested. Also, if the old interior pocket configuration is preferred that is an option too. I haven’t decided how this will be added to the website, but please feel free to contact me if interested. The pricing will remain the same for any of the above mentioned changes.

MERIDIAN CAMERA BAG – NEW VS OLD

Waterproof Fabrics for Body vs Cotton Twill
Waterproof Fabrics for Interior vs Cotton Print
1/2 Thick Foam Padding (including bottom) vs 1/4 Thick Fleece
Magnetic Snap Closure (options available for other closures) vs Plastic Buckle
Removable Adjustable Strap vs Strap Attached to Bag
7″ Deep vs 5″ Deep
Large Zipper Pocket along Exterior Backside vs Large Open Pocket
Open Pocket under Front Flap vs No Pocket under Front Flap
Wider Flap Covers Edge to Edge vs Slightly more Narrow Flap
2 Interior Side Pockets & 1 Large Open Pocket vs 2 Open Pockets
Larger Overall Bag vs Less Height and Width

The new Meridian is larger mainly to accommodate the thicker foam & still provide plenty of interior storage space. This bag is definitely large enough to carry as both a purse & camera bag, especially if you don’t carry a large amount of extra equipment for your camera.

BERTA CAMERA BAG – NEW VS OLD

Waterproof Fabrics for Body vs Cotton Twill
Waterproof Fabrics for Interior vs Cotton Print
1/2 Thick Foam Padding (including bottom) vs 1/4 Thick Fleece
Heavy Duty Snap Closure (options available for other closures) vs Plastic Buckle
Removable Adjustable Strap vs Strap Attached to Bag
7″ Deep vs 5″ Deep
Wider Flap Covers Edge to Edge vs Slightly More Narrow Flap
Overall Larger Bag vs Less Height & Width
3 Deep Vertical Interior Pockets along Backside & 1 Large Open Pocket along the Front side vs 2 Open Pockets along Each side
2 Open Pockets along Back side vs Large Open Pocket
Large Zipper Pocket under Front flap vs No Pocket Under Front Flap

Berta is just BIG now. The depth & height increase create a bag large enough to haul around a lot of equipment & all the pockets provide enough room to properly store everything. The new bag is grouped under X-Large because of it’s standard size, but also with the dimension modifications available it can be even bigger if desired.

I am almost content with all the camera bags at the moment. There will be a few more additions to the camera bag group as I add the Point & Shoot bag back into the mix & replace the shooting bag Haylen (only a few of you may know of that one) with a newer version. Haylen was a long, narrow bag designed specifically for the purpose of being used as a shooting bag. A rework is in process & I hope to have the last few camera bags up and available within the next couple of weeks.

With so many bags to choose from, you may come across an interior you like, but the exterior doesn’t appeal to you. Please feel free to contact me about a custom bag. The charge is usually minimal to change out an interior from one bag to another.

Just created a flickr group to share images of Martilena or Wicked Stitch bags. I would love for anyone who has photos available of their bag in action to post a pic whenever you have time. Why I didn’t do this a couple years ago, I have no idea. Sometimes I’m a little slow when it comes to the obvious.

Martilena Flickr Group

New Interior Color Choices

HOBO CAMERA BAG GIVEAWAY

Is it almost June? Really?!

Fabric, fabric, fabric...

Shop Austin Show is Coming SOON!

New Checkout Options and International Package Info

Camera Bags - New Styles vs Old Styles

Recent Posts

Bags

Archives