Here are my Marley Bags. Each Marley Bag is an original having its own unique look and design. Gorgeous fabrics, exciting color combinations, interesting embellishments, detailed floral embroideries and coordinating linings all contribute to making these little bags a very special item to own or give.
If you want one but can't decide on the color, think about what combination would go with your favorite outfit and take it from there. Note: it takes about a month to create each Marley Bag, so these are special order items, by commission only. Prices vary depending on the detail, time involved and materials used starting at $300.00.
The bag above is created with velvets, tapestry, twill, silk and lined with a complementary cotton.
All the flowers and foliage are worked in hand dyed silks, (one of my favorites (The Thread Gatherer's Silken Pearl), cotton and rayon embroidery.
This ethnic themed bag was inspired by the handsome tapestry fabric with elephants and vines. The flowers were embroidered with a copper metallic wire ribbon and the centers are a cluster of jet beads. Rich gold cotton velvet is complemened with a black panne velvet edging.
I designed this Asian themed bag to use a gorgeous striped silk that you see on the trim and the top panel of the back. I chose a bold theme of Chinese red velvet, true blue and gold balanced against the gray-green silk taffeta. All the flowers are worked by hand in fine silk thread and silk ribbon edged in gold metallic thread. Note the red Chrysanthemum, a traditional flower featured in ancient Chinese embroidery worked in silk ribbon on the top panel.
An intricate Asian design was worked on the back panel with gold sequins and delicate stitches (left).
This bag was commissioned as a Mother's Day gift. The soft, muted colors complement the featured flower, Rudbekia, in the center front panel. A lovely antique cotton print harmonizes with the scheme of muted greens, golds, ivory and red accents on velvet, corduroy and tapestry.
If you examine the top flap closely, you will notice the Queen Anne's Lace that I worked into the sage corduroy with a Lady Bug perched in the flower! The corduroy was repeated in the piped trim. The silk frog fastener, offset to the right, was dyed with tea.
The rust and purple bag gave me the opportunity to use this pretty sienna tapestry with grapes on it. So, I worked grapes into the embroidery and chose a rich sienna velvet to balance the purple velvet.
A lovely Water Lilies variegated hand-dyed silk thread in shades of purple inspired some free form fantasy vines on the upper flap.
I gave this bag to my niece, Lauren Upadhyay to celebrate her graduation from college.
This bag was designed and created especially for my niece Molly on the occasion of her 18th birthday and high school graduation, so it has a fun, youthful feel. The colors are all brights: reds, purples and golds with interesting silk fabrics taken from men's ties. Antique lace, fun buttons and interesting couched threads and trims make this a very whimsical and fun little bag.
This elegant little silk bag was created for an evening at the opera. The inspiration for this bag was the gorgeous pink sequined trim that is worked into the front panel. The color scheme of fuchsia, pinks, soft gold and taupe is just lovely.
The elegant embroidery stitches on this bag are in keeping with the rich silk fabrics. It is finished with beads and sequins, silk ribbons and more fancy trims.
And the back of this bag is just as pretty as the front. A nosegay of daisies tied with blue ribbon, a single rose bud, a fanciful spray of swirls and a patch of antique satin couched with purples appear together in a happy mix of color are all designed to appeal to a young girl.
