Grand opening set for artisan handbag, luggage shop

JENNIFER HARRIS/The Warren Record

Cathy Wiggins will meet with clients at this design table inside GypsyWood Leathers to create one-of-a-kind leather bags and luggage. The name for her new shop, opening on Friday, was inspired by the name of her mother’s horse, Gypsy, growing up; her own love of animals and learning how to appreciate and honor them; her dad’s passion of woodworking; and her passion of working with leather.

Lake Gaston leather artist Cathy Wiggins is bringing the concept of custom leather handbags and luggage to the area with the opening this weekend of GypsyWood Leathers in downtown Littleton.

A ribbon cutting is planned at noon on Friday,Sept. 1, with champagne, mimosas, and a candy and nut bar for snacking. Grand opening hours are noon-9 p.m on Friday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday.

Sharing storefront space with Frank’s Fine Arts, the gallery that Wiggins and her daughter, Olivia Wiggins, operate, GypsyWood Leathers seems a natural progression for the artist, who pioneered quilting with leather and is a published author, speaker and instructor on the leather arts.

“I’ve always liked designing bags, and I did some when I was quilting with leather,” Wiggins said. “The last 18 months since we opened the (art) gallery, there has been a demand for the bags, so taking the next step to launch the shop really opened up my creative side.”

More than two dozen sample bag styles are already in-house to give customers a place to start the design process, and there will be more, Wiggins said.

“A client will use that as a springboard,” Wiggins said. “They’ll choose a basic style, then tailor to what they want to add, such as size, pockets, add a D-ring, add a sleeve for an iPad, open top or zippered, for example, all to design their ideal bag.”

Wiggins has bag styles for just about anyone of any age or gender: crossbody, shoulder bags, totes, travel bags, laptop bags, small pouch bags, evening bags, duffle bags and more. Some clients have wanted matching sets with a crossbody, tote and duffle, ideal for travel.

JENNIFER HARRIS/The Warren Record

Custom bag creator Cathy Wiggins pulls a selection from the leather library in GypsyWood Leathers.

Once the style has been determined, the fun begins of choosing one or more leathers from about 300, including embossed, exotics, rustic styles or refined in just about any color imaginable. Then there are color choices to be made for the thread and hardware.

The end result is creation of a unique handcrafted, hand-stitched bag unlike any other in the world, reflective of the customer’s style.

GypsyWood Leathers also has a wide range of ready-made bags, which can be customized to meet particular needs, and will be selling gift certificates and offering design parties. The cutoff for this year’s holiday orders is mid-October.

Those attending this weekend’s grand opening will have a chance to enter a drawing for a custom leather bag design valued at $250.

GypsyWood Leathers is at 133 E. South Main St., Littleton. The shop will maintain hours consistent with those at Frank’s Fine Arts, and bag design with Cathy Wiggins is available by appointment or when she is in.

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