Not too long ago, accomplished quilter and sewer Joan Radell set out to design a handbag for herself. She wanted a bag that was pretty, easy to carry, functional, and that would make it easy to show off special fabrics she'd collected over the years. Her personal bags were attention-getters; it wasn't unusual for someone to stop her and ask "Where'd you get that bag?" Joan knew she was on to something good, so she started making and selling handbags. Her sewing friends started to ask for instructions, and Joan wrote her first pattern in 2013. The Bucklebee by Me pattern line was born.

Bucklebee by Me patterns are easy to embroider or embellish. They lend themselves to handmade handles and straps or the purchased variety. The patterns are written to help even beginner sewers achieve great results. And Bucklebee by Me hardware kits are custom-assembled for our own patterns.

Sometimes the right tool can make the difference between a frustrating project and a satisfying one. Joan is a firm believer in using the right tool for the job, and if that tool didn't exist, she designed and made it herself. Now those tools are available for you, expressly offered to make handbag construction easier for the home sewer.

Check our shop for our full line of downloadable .pdf patterns, our hardware kits, and specialty notions and tools. While you're here, look at our Tips and Tricks page, for all sorts of helpful information, including a recipe or two and sneak peeks of what's going on in the Bucklebee Magical Workshop. The Contact page has our email information, as well as our schedule of upcoming classes and shows. We'd love to hear from you, or meet you in person at one of our events..

thoughtfully designed. bucklebee.

Join us on facebook at Bucklebee, Instagram at bucklebee by me patterns, and Pinterest at bucklebee for inspiration and interaction!