Hi, I'm Elizabeth and Dear Avienne (pronounced Ay-vee-en) is my line of handmade handbags and accessories. Besides bags and purses, I make things like fleece ruffle scarves and sleeve cases for e-readers.

Each item is handmade by me and was inspired by things as varied as rock & roll icons or historical clothing. For handbags I buy fabric in small quantities and do limited editions

Dear Avienne has it's origins in my childhood, when making things was fun, but the most fun was figuring out how to make something I had thought up myself. I grew up watching my grandmother sew constantly. She dressed like a magazine model and made the majority of her own wardrobe whether casual clothes or evening gowns, and was never intimidated by a complex pattern. Her motto was always "neatness counts!" as she kept each thread in place and followed instructions line by line. When she taught me how to thread a needle at about 7 or 8, I was already an impatient person. I wanted to make something NOW, without the toil of say, learning how to actually do it with patterns and instructions. The first thing I did was whip up a cute red dress for a Barbie doll. Gramma was amazed and curious about how I had made something that actually fit Barbie. I'm not sure if she realized then what I discovered in a few days... since I had sewn the clothes while Barbie was wearing them (this ensured the fantastic fit), I hadn't thought about how to get them off. Barbie was encased in the red dress! There was nothing for it, the girl had to wear a new outfit, so I took my little scissors, and cut that dress off, vowing to have Gramma teach me about the mystery of buttons and zippers.

Today I still enjoy the design process as much as having a finished piece. I often have ideas that aren't the easiest to sew although they make unique finished products. As part of my method, I make a couple of prototypes before making the final pattern for the pieces that I make for others. I get all my crazy kinks out that way and get to keep the prototype too! I can say truly that each piece I make for Dear Avienne has a labor of love as part of its process.