Petra Bradley is a designer/maker who has loved old clothing and textiles since her previous career working as a costume supervisor in the theatre.

Ever since then she has collected vintage fabrics and these are the source for her handbags.Prices range from £8.50 for purses to £60 for large screen printed bags. Please contact Petra for dimensions and further details.

 

Range one:-Print

I have loved old clothing and textiles since my days working as a Theatre Costume supervisor. Ever since then I have collected vintage fabrics and these are the source for my work, particularly handbags.

I try to design bags to complement the materials I have found, especially bold prints from the sixties and seventies. Usually there is only enough cloth to make a small number of designs up into a limited collection which adds to their appeal. I use as many lovely old buttons, linings and trimmings as I can to make my work individual and to emphasise its restored and recycled theme.

Bag Construction

All the fabrics are checked for quality and then washed before making up.

Lighter fabrics are backed onto cotton to strengthen but not stiffen them.

Straps are lined and interlined to give them some body and to stop stretching.

Many bags have facings, and all have an embroidered name tag sewn inside.

All the bags are fully lined and where possible the linings,buttons and trims are vintage pieces too.

Range two:-Fabric

With my second range I am working to create a surface pattern that reflects my love of old fabrics.

I am particularly interested in playing with the elements of pattern cutting and construction. Designing and printing images which will fit around the shapes required to make a collection of handbags, with the feel of a paper doll cut out book.

I hand silkscreen print this range myself onto natural fibres including barkweave, ticking, and unionlinen and then I line the bags with bold recycled fabrics.

Professional history

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