MARGARET HENNESSEY
Cart 0
Cart 0
MARGARET HENNESSEY

Perfect bag, perfect gift

Treat a special person (is it you?) to a bag made in America with chrome-free leather, solid brass hardware, and love in every stitch.

Introducing: The Five-Gallon Bucket

Luscious. Capacious. Capluscious?

 

Process

 

 
I’ve been scraping and sanding and hammering and polyurethaning and window glazing and more since hours after we closed on our new house in CT a couple weeks ago. We move up in early October, but not before we say goodbye to our beloved Durham and the many, many people who made it feel like home. Trying to find some stability in the tumult by uncovering this house’s original 1912 beauty, underneath old varnish and weird drop ceilings and cracked window glazing. More in my stories! Send me your moving wisdom and ideas for how to make a new house and town feel like home 🏠
Hi! I returned from Italian handbag school four weeks ago. I’ve been snuggling my dog nonstop since then, except this one time when @logicblue and I went out to dinner and he took this pic of me, not because he was moved to but because I said, “I really need to post something on Instagram, take a pic of me gazing into the middle distance.” Now that I have your attention, I’ve got big news! We are moving north, to Connecticut, where I grew up and where my family is. When I left in 2004, I never dreamed I would be back, but fifteen years later it feels right. I’ve got big plans for my business once we get settled in, but for those of you who have been patiently waiting for the shop to reopen, it’s going to be a bit longer. Make sure you’re on my newsletter to find out when I’m back up and running. But! I have one black Five-Gallon Bucket in stock and ready to ship for $295 (originally $515). This is likely the last one of these I’ll ever ship, so get on it! You can order off the website. More details soon on the move and plans for the business ❤️
Hi! I’ve been busy, mostly thinking a lot of thoughts but also making this bag. Not my design, but a well-proportioned tote I’d like to experiment with more in the future. I’ve got a new post up on the blog...it’s about 🌎😢🔥🤯💔🤔🌳, basically.
Did you know there are no squirrels in Italy? It's true. There are also no rats in the subway. But there are plenty of tiny purebred dogs, which are maybe similar? Kidding! Am I? You decide. I've got a new post on the blog about how capitalism controls our minds. But it's also about how in Milan there are walls of jasmine everywhere you turn, and right now the whole city smells like flowers 🌿🌺🌿🌺🌿 It's okay, I guess. Link in profile 👆⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #smallbusinessblog #milan #latestagecapitalism
As I mentioned in my stories the other day...I made this bag! Check out my recent saved stories for more. This is my final project for my first course of handbag school. We had to design the bag, draft the pattern, choose the materials and hardware, and fabricate the final prototype. I’ve got a post up on the blog about practicing things obsessively, if you wanna check it out. Or just swipe through these pics and give me a virtual high five ✋
Check out today’s stories for scenes from our visit to a tannery outside of Milan! . . . . . . #tannery #bts #leather
I've been learning such technical, nitty-gritty information at handbag school, and it doesn't always translate well to blog or social media posts. But this week I gave it a try with a blog post about the hidden reinforcements that go into luxury handbags. It ends with a question: what kinds of bags do *I* want to make? Link in profile.⠀ .⠀ 📷: Some in-progress bags from the workshop of Leu Locati, the handbag atelier we visited last week that makes bags for some of the most luxurious brands in the world. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #smallbusinessblog #atelier #bts #madebyhand
I've got more details up on the blog about Friday's visit to the storied handbag company, Leu Locati. Talk about inspiration. Link in profile! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #atelier #bts #whomademybag #madebyhand #slowfashion #workshop #studio
As a (very) novice gardener, I have always been intimidated by pruning the scraggly asymmetrical bushes in our front yard. It feels like going backwards, like I'm undoing the plant's hard work. But any experienced gardener will tell you that you have to sacrifice some growth in order to let the rest of the plant thrive. Up on the blog is a post about quitting things that aren't going to get you what you want (don't worry! Not dropping out of bag school!): "Blindly sticking with something—anything—isn’t a virtue; what we need to do is clear all the brush around the thing we desire, in order to let it grow." Link in profile.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #smallbusinessblog #learnbydoing #womanownedbusiness #shopsmall