Eilquinn

From the Designer:

I am Eileen Quinn and my etsy shop is simply, eilquinn. I am a full time mom, part time bartender and now also a full time tote bag factory….my family likes to joke that the studio I have created in my basement is my sweat shop – and this past summer it literally was my sweaty shop! I graduated college with a degree in photography, but have never really wanted to make that my career…in fact, as my schooling was wrapping up, instead of taking pictures for my final project, I hand stitched a full size quilt make out of casted rubber squares using the same rough little stitch I now use on the outside of my bags.

I created the first set of bags for a friend of mine a few years ago when she got married…I was looking for a personal, practical and sweet gift that wasn’t on a registry…I have always loved to make and wrap presents and take great pride in finding or constructing the perfect thing…So, I decided to personalize a set of my most favorite canvas grocery totes…

A friend of hers saw them and asked if I would make a set of them for her daughter too…I opened my etsy shop in June of 2011 after my second daughter was born, figuring it was a chance to make some extra money while the girls were sleeping…I started to brainstorm and read up on printing by hand – originally because I wanted to create totes that could bear the adorable logo of another project and etsy shop I am involved in waldosluggoandme. Through some experimentation of using lace as a stencil, I discovered I really loved the colored lace…I have never been so fulfilled creatively than I am right now…I am obsessed with finding and using beautiful old materials, such as found lace and doilies and repurposing them to make an everyday practical thing, like a simple tote so lovely.

I truly am so proud of each of my bags as they go off to be given as gifts…they are each a unique little collage, stitched with love. It makes me so happy to know that I am part of a personal gift exchange between two people. 
www.eilquinn.etsy.com
www.waldosluggoandme.etsy.com