Late Summer

While summer was flying by and the bar was keeping me from my shop, I did manage to do a little work and was able to complete a really fun project for Cub, a little man with a big love for bikes. His father, a courier, has the little guy flying around town and the two of them enjoy a daily ride to school together. The final product is a two part bag. The main bag is a traditional courier bag and is large enough for a full-sized human carrying a full days worth of books while the second bag is a tiny bag for him now that can hold a book, maybe two, a folder and some pencils. This one is appliqued with characters from the Scooby Doo series and features the 10,000 Volt Monster, the Tar Monster and the Creeper. This smaller bag has a unique design in that the strap is removable and the bag can be strapped onto the larger bag, acting as the front pocket. In doing this, Cub will be able to enjoy both bags as he grows out of the smaller one. Thankfully, it wasn't all work and no play and I was able to spend some time on the Goodtime III on the Cuyahoga River for a friend's birthday and was able to get some great shots of downtown Cleveland from a somewhat unique perspective.

John's Crooked River Bag

This bag was months in the making and is maybe the most complicated bag from a design standpoint. The panels were cut and printed from linoleum blocks onto Sailcloth by Alex Nosse. These panels represent the aspects of the Cuyahoga River: agriculture, industry, and recreation.

Katie's Ohio Bag

This plain little number has a cute little ohio and star on the lower right hand corner. Chicago here we come.

Jess's Elephant Family Bag

This is one of the most endearing bags I've made to date. It features mommy and her two babies walking. The detail is just enough and the colors look great!

Fatty's Daddy Baggy

My dear friend Brian welcomed his baby girl Clover Jane into the world recently and to celebrate the birth, his loving wife got him this rad baby baggy. It is special for a few reasons. First, it utilizes magnetic snaps instead of velcro for the closures to eliminate that obnoxiously loud noise which can easily wake your baby after hours of trying to get her to sleep. Also, the interior features a series of removable pockets and pouches including a bottle holder and a dry bag as well as a movable divider for partitioning the insides. Not only do these make organizing babies things easy, but since they can be removed, the bag can double as a courier bag during and after the baby bag part is needed. Finally, it has a series of D-Rings and Clips for toys, pacifiers, etc.

"216" Task Bag

The task bag is my new favorite here at the shop. Though I have already made some adjustments, this bag was so killer that I kept it for myself. Added since this bag were buckles and straps and slight angle adjustments on the straps, but other that that... Perfection. It is smallish, sleek, comfy, frill free and MINE. Hard to believe, but I have only a few bags from my own shop, and most of them are prototypes that I'm not really in love with.

"You Are Here" Musette

Perhaps the most iconic of the flaps to date, this medium musette is a longtime hipster tattoo design and a great signifier of your love for the great green city on a blue lake. The muddy banks of the Cuyahoga seem a little more inviting to those who like this design.

"Fast Forward" Bag

A medium bag with the new strap design featured on it, the fast forward bag has been on my list of to do's for some time and the opening at Studio 11 for the Art Walk was just what I needed to kick my butt into gear.

Cleveland Skyline Bags

A family friend ordered a pair of task bags for her boys. The result
is two nice bags that are identical in design but divergent in color.

"Biking is Free"Day Bag

A new bag style at Forest City Portage is the Task Bag... It is basically a stripped down bag that has most of the elements of the traditional bags but less fuss. The idea here is to create a bag for the casual cyclist that is functional, but doesn't force them to pay for the features of a bag built for year-round, on the job couriers. It has the same 1000D Cordura exterior and the floating 18oz. Vinyl liner. It also has a padded split strap and a leash. It has a giant exterior pocket with pen slots and a wallet slot on the outside, and a double-wide pocket just inside it. There are no pockets on the interior of the bag making the main compartment a holding zone more than an organizing area. Gone is the double layer base and the straps for closure. This bag is not meant to be overfilled, but it will do the job for trips to the market or class. Also, a new strap design featuring fins that are similar to those found on backpacks which really increase the comfort when carrying odd-sized and smaller loads.

I Am Panda Bag

Inspired by one of her favorite drawings, this cute panda bag is both
feminine and edgy. The pink and teal accent colors are a nice pop of
color without being overwhelming.

Guy's Cog Bag

A fellow polo player requested this simple bag featuring an 11 tooth
cog. Plain but classic.

Todd's Sunburst Beastmaster Bag

Colleen's Hedgehog Love Bag

I absolutely adore this cartoon inspired bag. A simple picture of a hedgehog with a thought bubble featuring a heart. It's perhaps the perfect design: simple, adorable, and centered.

Sean's CLE Bag

Austin, TX has become somewhat notable in the last decade for its "indie" music, lively night life, and eccentric attitude, all which helped the tourism board come up with "Keep Austin Weird" as its official slogan. Sean was in need of a new bag and thought Cleveland's under-the-radar scene deserved and under-the-radar slogan... Thus was spawned the "Keep Cleveland Less Than Normal" slogan.

Rising Cog

In Preparation for a show at my "Day Job," Melt Bar and Grilled, I got this little huni worked up. This is my "basic" bag to say the least. Gone is the padded strap, the double layer of Cordura on the base, and the exterior "easy-at" pockets. The nice part about losing the extras is that the price comes down considerably, and if you aren't a full-time cyclist the bag will treat you right. The sunburst wraps all the way to the bottom on the back of the bag as well.

MOTO Bag Revisited

So, the original bag I made for MOTO sold at the opening and I finally
got around to making a replacement. In fact, since they are so much
work to make I am making 2! Also, these twins are the first bags to
come standard with a U-Lock holster, a double layer of cordur on the
base, a D-Ring for your keys, and a super velcroed interior pocket to
keep things where they belong. Look for zippers in the not too distant
future.

Dave G's Squid Vicious Bag

By far the most complex design to date, I love the old school design
and I think it is turning out nicely, just a few details left before I
can move on to the actual bag construction.

Made in the 216 bag 2 of 2

Well, I dropped off the last bag at 12 today, a mere 4 hours before
opening. Late? Yes, but definitely done right. The subtle colors are
elegant and cool while the bright blue liner pops just a bit. A single
2" buckle was used for closure because of the small size. I really
like this bag and thought about keeping it for myself. It is slightly
taller than I had been making and yet is still small enough to be
suitable for an afternoon fun ride.

Moon and Stars Bag

Hot off the presses is the midnight bag for the Room Service event at
the end of June. Three stars accompany a crescent moon and the dark
shell is highlighted by a light blue liner. This bag also sees the
return of the salvaged seat belt webbing and buckles.