Day 275 – I did a bad, bad, thing….

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October 1, 2016 – It’s probably been about 5 – 7 years since I bought my first fiveleft bag from Lincoln. Since then my collection has grown to a family of five, plus one belt. Kirk has a wallet, a briefcase, and a change pocket. Every piece is hand stitched. My favourite is one that Lincoln made specifically for me last year, a design he no longer makes but, when I waxed about how much I loved the old design, he offered to get the special machine required to stitch the challenging bag back from another artist so he could make me one….of course I said “Yes Please”!

A few weeks ago an email came across my inbox. It was an invitation to a private event, a ten year anniversary for fiveleft. My shoes may be largely Fluevogs, but my bags are predominantly fiveleft. Since stumbling onto his bags, I have become pretty loyal to his works. And honestly, his lovingly crafted creations are just fabulous! Each one really is a fantastic piece of art, personally signed, sequentially numbered and stamped inside.

Tonight he was talking about how he started making bags, and how he is fascinated with these little containers that we, men and women, use to carry about the things we need to get through the day. He has a true passion for what he does, and his work has resulted in a community of local followers because, on top of his talent, he is a kind and interesting individual who makes the effort to have a conversation with everyone who stops to ask about his art. I’m never sure if he actually remembers us, or just recognizes a familiar face, or if he is just really, really good at making everyone who stops in his studio or at his booth at art shows feel like they are remembered. And the next time you meet and have another conversation, it seems that you’ve picked up where you left off, and that you are somehow, a little bit of a friend.

It doesn’t really matter if he knows me or not, he’s a really cool guy with an amazing talent.

So tonight, wine, chef crafted S’mores dipped in Bailey’s, new bag designs, music, and a fashion show…..you just know I didn’t leave empty handed…..

I thought I would be buying a tote bag I have been coveting for the past year, but then I walked in and saw an old design in a new texture and colour and fell in love.

On the upside, even though I did leave with a new bag, I also walked away less poor than I’d anticipated; the shoulder bag was less expensive than the tote. So it wasn’t all bad.

The downside is that I will see his works twice more before the end of the year, once at the Circle Craft Christmas Fair, and once at the EastSide Culture Crawl.

I might yet end up adopting that tote bag before the year is out….