The Thorpeness Messenger Bag is a perfectly sized cross-body-style bag with clean lines reminiscent of 1940s shoulder bags”
The beautiful early spring weather, which has brought with it an abundance of flowers in our garden and beyond, has inspired me to get out and photograph the latest Charlie’s Aunt bag pattern samples. I made the new style – named the Thorpeness Messenger Bag – in a couple of different colour combinations and we headed off to find suitable backdrops. We took the images in two locations within one of our favourite country parks in the small Suffolk ‘wool town’ of Clare.
Although most of the tweeds I use these days are woven in the north of England or in Scotland, my home county of Suffolk owes much of its history and grand buildings to the wool trade during the medieval period. Villages such as Lavenham, Long Melford, and Clare became centres for the cloth-weaving industry, due to an influx of Flemish weavers. This in turn brought great wealth to the area which financed the building of grand-scale churches and magnificent timber-framed houses. So with one side of my family hailing from these villages, you could say wool cloth is in my DNA!
Photoshoot inspiration
We are blessed with vintage inspiration everywhere we look in this wonderful county, from the rolling countryside with river valleys to the plethora of historical buildings. Clare Castle Country Park has all of the above and more, given that the River Stour runs through it, and it is home to the former Clare railway station. The latter has now been transformed into a small museum, visitor centre and café. In addition, the park houses the remains of the ‘motte and bailey’ Clare Castle which dates back to the Norman Conquest.
Jim was able to find several suitable backdrops in the park and he took some lovely pictures that show the castle in the background. We later took snaps of the red plaid version of the bag by the river in front of William Cubitt’s cast iron bridge, which was built in 1813 and spans the Stour. For the green tweed and canvas bag, I paired it with the new Worthington Cap, made in tan British cotton canvas. For the red and blue version, I matched it with a Nedging Beret in lightweight navy herringbone tweed. I’ll soon be making the bag in some lightweight spring fabrics, as the pattern is ideal for use with linens, cottons and vintage-style prints.
About the new messenger bag
The Thorpeness Messenger Bag is named after a favourite quirky and unique seaside haunt on the Suffolk Coast. The small village of Thorpeness, which is centred around a large lake (meare) and features a range of pretty mock-Tudor buildings, was developed as one of Britain’s first holiday villages by Stuart Ogilvie, who bought the hamlet in 1910. Most of the buildings are now privately owned but the unique character of the village has survived.
The Thorpeness Messenger Bag is a perfectly sized cross-body style with clean lines and asymmetrical details reminiscent of vintage 1940s shoulder bags. It is made with a multi-pieced front and a one-piece back trimmed with a pocket. The same template doubles as an interior pocket. The strap can be made from self-fabric or from webbing (adjustable).
The 24-page PDF pattern includes general, cutting out and step-by-step instructions, and 10 pattern sheets with the templates to print and cut out. As always, all templates are actual size. I’ve tried to keep this bag a good size for everyday use – not too big and not too small – with a height of 9” (23cm), width of 13” (33cm) and a base depth of 2” (5cm). I suggest a webbing strap which at its longest length made from quantities suggested is approx. 50” (115cm). A self-fabric strap template is included for a 42” long strap.
What else is new for spring?
Getting back to wool tweed fabrics, many people associate these with autumn or winter. However, I have some really lovely lightweight tweeds, and some in pretty colours that will work very well for spring, including some vintage pinks and a lovely salmony orange. I will be listing new fabrics regularly – including some multi packs containing smaller pieces suitable for multi-pieced styles such as Walberswick and Raynham, so do check back into the Charlie’s Aunt shop.
As always, write to me with any questions at emma@charliesaunt.com and follow Charlie’s Aunt on social media.
Happy sewing!
Emma xx
