Crystalyn Kae Blog

The Winged Scroll Jacquard reflects a transitional moment in airline interior design, where abstract, flowing forms replaced rigid geometrics. The mirrored, wing-like shapes echo aviation themes without literal symbolism, creating a sense of movement, warmth, and modernity suited to long-haul travel in the early jet age.

This textile is part of an ongoing material archive documenting commercial interior fabrics developed during the jet age. The fern-pattern upholstery shown here was woven as a Boeing aircraft interior development sample for Delta Air Lines’ 727 fleet and preserved through the estate of a former Boeing employee.

Below is the archival record for this fabric, including its origin, intended use, and material context.

Mary contacted us to ask if we could possibily repurpose her mother-in-laws wedding dress from the 1920's which had been languishing in storage for nearly 100 years. It was too fragile to turn into a purse, so I opted to...

Embrace the natural and the mystical this winter with bags made with sumptuous textured velvets, fern-embellished florals, and sophisticated, weather-proof tweeds - all in our signature silhouettes!

All too often, we forget the stories behind the things we use everyday. But when we take a moment to learn about where something comes from, it can add a whole new layer of meaning to our experience. 

Have you ever had one of those moments where you see something and it just clicks? That's how I felt when I saw Lee Krasner's Icarus painting. The bold colors, the punctuated bursts of reds and pinks ...it was like nothing I had ever seen before. And it inspired me to create a collection of vintage fabric bags and sustainable recycled leather purses.

When I lived in the East Village, one of my favorite routines would be to wander over to the Lower East side to drop off packages, grab a snack at Baby Cakes, pet the rescue cats at Moo Shoes.  But hands-down the hilight of my day was to peruse the many upholstery shops that littered Ludlow and Orchard street. 

Here at Crystalyn Kae we outsource our fabrics in a variety of different ways. And, quite frankly ways you wouldn't even think of, or (expect)! So here is the FULL rundown you all should hear, especially with holidays creeping up,...

From grandma’s couch to a timeless handbag — see how we transformed stacks of midcentury vintage upholstery swatches into one-of-a-kind floral bags. A behind-the-scenes look at our process, from washing the fabrics to cutting them into new life

Once relegated as an upholstery fabric until made fashionable by Coco Chanel in the 1950's this textural fabric called Boucle has become a classic staple of French style. Popularized further in the 1960's by Jackie Kennedy, boucle has become a mainstay of today's fashion.

 

While thrift shopping in Seattle, Crystalyn discovered an entire roll of unused boucle fabric that just begged to be made into bags.

 

 

Although she passed away a few years ago, not a week goes by that I spot a good print and think of her.  Recently, Audrey's daughter so kindly gave me some of her stash, and up until now, some of the vintage feedsack and calico prints have been lingering in my cupboard waiting for the *right project*. (Fabric hoarders, you know what I mean!)

Selecting fabrics for a new handbag collection is like a treasure hunt. Crystalyn regularly shops flea markets, antique shops and her favorite local source for sample fabrics: Fabscrap to select pieces of fabrics. Either she finds textiles that get on well with what she already has in mind for the next collection, or what she discovers gives her even more ideas for a future collection.

When FABSCRAP was just an idea, I was handed a box of discarded leather and asked to prove that waste could be beautiful. Two days and ten products later, we had our answer—and the beginning of a circular fashion revolution.

At Crystalyn Kae, we've been creating bags from vintage textiles since 2001. We love the unique character and history that vintage textiles bring to our bags, and we know our customers do too.

Today, I found myself in a tight spot. Running low on fabrics for a crucial bag order, I was on the verge of hitting a dead end.  Being a designer who finds inspiration in repurposing materials, going to the local fabric store is always the very last resort.  And if I'm being totally honest, I'm broke.  And in tears.

Since I'm barely up and running (my workshop is in my tiny 200 square foot studio for goodness sake) in a temporary set-up. I've learned to make it work like never before.  

I had to make do with what I had.  I kept gazing out my window wondering where I'd find fabric worthy enough to adorn one of my hobos and there they were - just staring me in the face. I took a moment to look around my tiny East Village studio apartment, and my eyes fell on my beloved curtains.  

Adorned with a print aptly named "Tree of Life", these curtains were a gift from my friend Rian (Tuesday Shop) and were lovingly hung in my old house in Seattle above my sewing machine. And now these curtains were one of the first things I hung in my tiny 200 square foot apartment in the East Village of New York City. 

My beloved curtains.  I couldn't help but laugh at myself, at how very Scarlet O'Hara of me to use drapery as a fashion statement.

But, with no other options in sight, I gently took them down, repurposing their elegant fabric to create the pockets of my hobo bags.  In the end, this act not only saved my order but also added an extra layer of love to this special batch of handbags, embodying the very spirit of my small-scale operation in the midst of the fashion giants.

Thankfully, with the help of Ebay, I was eventually able to replace these fabrics, so not to worry . .they're no longer 'Gone with the Wind.' 

 

 

 

 

my stash of neatly folded fabrics on Flickr.

I was recently asked to participate in an upcoming fundraiser for a local non-profit, which will be hosting a fashion show and auction featuring reworked fashions created by Seattle designers, using vintage prom dresses

 

I have just returned from a 4 day getaway with Mom and Grandma in San Francisco.  A mix of business & pleasure: I managed to share my most beloved facets of San Francisco with my two favorite gals, and found … Continue reading →

 

It has been a busy week in my studio – I’ve begun sewing a batch of brightly colored bags for spring!  I strive to incorporate reclaimed  or recycled materials into my designs, and these clutches are no exception.  In this … Continue reading →