Local Entrepreneurs Make Bags from Recycled Sailcloth!
Sailing is nothing new to St. Michaels couple Andrew & Christine Parish. In their free time they like to brainstorm, seeking new and different challenges. In the summer of 2008 these parents of two decided to “save” some sailcloth that friends were taking to the landfill. They quickly used their sewing skills to turn out a wine carry-bag and almost before they knew it, their company, bay bags, was created.
As it says on their website, www.baybagsonline.com:
From its early days as a shipbuilding town through its twentieth century transformation into a tourist and sailing haven, St. Michaels and its citizens have maintained a way of life that is renowned for its beauty, tranquility and craftsmanship.
In keeping with that tradition, all of our bags are made from recycled sailcloth, from boats that have sailed on the Chesapeake Bay. Some are traditional vessels that are over 100 years old; others are fast race boats that dot the Bay in the summer. But one thing is true; every bag that we make honors the true sailors of the Chesapeake Bay!
It is with great pride that we started this company and we will continue to sew until the sails "dry-up". Each bag made is a one-of-a-kind! No bag will be the same, there are no patterns...we sew the way the wind blows...whatever inspires us.
According to owner Christine Parish: We have grown to offer about 10 bags styles, all different! We sew the way the sail is; sails are not made square, so it is a challenge, but it makes every bag unique. We have had a wonderful response this holiday season! We offer a unique one of a kind gift! As well as saving our earth!!
We have two children who are actively involved in the business. They are our little promoters! They both have bags named after them, and proud to say so. We sew all of our bags ourselves. We do not farm anything out! Juggling a family life and business is hard, but our children deal with sails all over the floor and house quite well, and just play around it all! We are very lucky! They desperately want to sew, but we tell them they have to be a bit older! (they do have input on the styles!)
We are glad to offer services of making bags out of people’s sails. We would hate to see them tossed, so if someone has an old sail, they are welcome to contact us to have us recycle their sail into bags.
Currently we have a small website, but most of our sails are sold on Etsy.com, a website for handmade items. We are also in a few local stores. The largest selection is in Bag Aloft, in St Michaels. We want to stay local, we are local and plan to stay here.
Contact Christine through www.baybagsonline.com or by email christinebparish@gmail.com.
And tell her you found her through Mid Shore Life!!!
Jumping into Social Media
by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
Every five to ten years the rules change - and we eventually change to accommodate them. Remember when we first discovered the internet? It started out as a way to chat with all kinds of people - and now it's THE primary mode of communication for most businesses. If you're in business - you need a website! It's also the FIRST source for information - about anything! (it's even faster to look up a word on dictionary.com than it is to dig out the actual dictionary!)
The last couple years have seen a HUGE influx into social networking - applications such as Digg, Facebook and Twitter. They also started out as a way to connect with friends (remember MySpace?) and are now being used by more and more businesses and non-profit groups!
It's all about connections.
On a purely personal level - social media helps me stay in touch with a wider range of friends, colleagues and community members. I've reconnected with childhood friends, old neighbors and fellow grad students through the wide net social media casts. I've also made new friends - many of whom I've never met in person - but we now share a relationship that includes mutual support and advice.
I primarily use Facebook and Twitter - and heartily recommend both! Many folks tell me they don't have time to add yet another item on their to-do list - but it doesn't have to take a lot of your time! (note - it can be addicting, especially at first. You have to be careful about the pure time-wasters [games, quizzes, etc], unless you have time to waste!)
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